Q:
I want to wipe the stickiness off my kitchen cabinets with mineral spirits but I don't understand what that will do. Will I then have to recoat with poly?

I have dark wood cabinets that I just want to spruce up. There are a few areas where the handles are that are sticky and the stain is rubbed off. They look pretty darn good except these few spots.

Can I just clean them off with mineral spirits? Does that take the sheen off and then I have to put it back on? There are a lot of cabinets!

A:
It depends on what type of finish is on the cabinets. Polyurethane will not be affected by mineral spirits. Some cheap finishes may be. Try first on an out of the way spot on the cabinets before going at it full tilt. But some of that stickiness may be the finish, or it could just be spilled food. First try with a general cleaner like windex or an ammonia based cleaner.

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