Yellow Stained White Kitchen Cabinet HELP!

N

Nomad

Guest
About ten years ago we replaced our entire kitchen cabinetry with white cabinetry.
Over the stove (right side) over the burner I use most often, the top cabinet door has turned a little yellow.
NONE of the other doors have done this. It started a few years ago and this year, it has gotten worse and is starting to look bad/noticeable. I have tried cleaning it with bleach...no luck. Same with regular cleaning sprays.
The place I bought the cabinetry from went out of business (it was like a Home Depot) and I can't find this company anymore...so I can't replace the door.
Anybody have any idea of what might be able to clean this?
Thanks.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
do you have a hood fan? or are the cabinets the first thing above the stove?

This can be caused by HEAT. If so... I don't really know of an easy solution. (hood fan is prevention)
 

keista

New Member
I agree with the heat. I'm guessing it's a white laminate, which essentially is plastic. Many plastics change color due to heat. There is absolutely nothing you can do to clean it because it's a change on the molecular level. Sorry there's no better news.

If it's mostly the cabinet door, you might be able to find a suitably matching replacement.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I think you may be in luck if you go to the DIY channel on the internet. They redo cabinets all the time. They even have some stuff at Lowes that you can buy to redo your whole set of cabinets. You can buy a small box of the stuff to do a small section. But it may be that all you need to do is buy what is known as cabinet paint and sand that door down and then repaint it. Just go onto the DIY or HGTV website and look around for the answer.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
I'm betting it's the effect of heat on plastic. Either it's the plastic laminate itself, or it's the surface coating. Hopefully husband will see this and post. He knows plastics and their properties. Don't bother with bleach, it will almost certainly do nothing. If this is heat damage, it is in the plastic itself.

Marg
 

Marg's Man

Member
I was thinking that it might the inevitable accumulation of oil and grease that builds up over cook tops with time, even in the cleanest of kitchens but as I read what you have done to clean the colour away I realised that Marg is right. It will be heat and time that have caused this.

Laminate plastics of this type contain amines which yellow with age. Heat accelerates the process. There's no cure. A very temporary fix would be to paint it but paint never adheres well to laminated surfaces even when they are very well sanded to provide adhesion. It would flake off eventually, often quite quickly.

All you can do is either ignore it or replace it. Neither is a good option but only you make the choice.

Marg's Man
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Are you sure they are laminate? I have white cabinets and they are not. Mine are just painted and finished with a very hard finish of some sort but it isnt laminate. Its definitely painted wood.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I was thinking about grease and oil, except you said it was only the one... So... How about a new door, this one glass? You can see what's behind it (or get frosted glass and be fancy-schmancy)... And it won't turn yellow, that cannot be cleaned.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Up here, it would be Melamine finish. This can be a laminate finish, OR a spray-on,
If it IS Melamine, it is possible to buy Melamine as a "paint" and refinish the door that way...
BUT... white is never pure white, and its impossible to get an exact match - so you'd have to do all the cabinets that are on that "bank".

I'd be more inclined to go with Step's idea - make it deliberately different- or do that one and the one beside it as part of the same cupboard.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
It might not be too much just to get new doors made for that one cabinet. My daughter and sister in law redid their 80's vintage dark wood cabinets in all white and it looks beautiful! They painted the cabinet bases white and then made new doors for them. The doors are just four pieces of plain wood like a big picture frame - my sister in law made them. On their bottom cabinets they used beadboard behind the "hole" and on the top cabinets they used frosted glass, then the doors were painted white to match the cabinet bases and it's gorgeous! He made the doors and did the painting but they did have the glass inserts done professionally. They did their whole kitchen but to just have them done for one set of doors probably wouldn't be much at all! And you can just wash the glass when it gets dirty.
 
S

Signorina

Guest
Try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!

If that doesn't work - try soft scrub with bleach.

Good luck
 
S

Signorina

Guest
Try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!<br><br>If that doesn't work - try soft scrub with bleach.<br><br>Good luck
 
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