We've painted over 300 kitchens in Sarasota. Roughly 15 percent of them were repaints of failed DIY jobs. The same mistake shows up every time.
It's not the paint. It's not the brushwork. It's the degreasing.
Kitchen cabinets accumulate years of invisible contamination. Cooking oils aerosolize and settle on every surface. Skin oils from daily handling build up around handles and edges. Food splatter, cleaning product residue, and wax buildup compound over time. Cabinets that look clean to the eye are often covered in a film that prevents paint from bonding.
Cabinet painting prep determines whether your finish lasts 3 years or 15 years. Professional painters spend more time preparing cabinets than actually painting them - roughly 80 percent prep, 20 percent paint. That ratio reflects reality: the most expensive cabinet paint applied over poor prep will fail, while properly prepped cabinets painted with mid-grade products can last over a decade.
Here's what proper prep actually involves.
Why Degreasing Is the Critical Step
A homeowner in Lakewood Ranch painted her kitchen cabinets herself using quality paint and what she thought was thorough prep. She wiped everything down with dish soap, sanded, and painted. The cabinets looked beautiful for about four months. Then the paint started peeling in patches - first around the handles where she touched most often, then spreading to drawer fronts and door faces.
When she called us to fix the problem, we had to strip everything and start over. The original paint hadn't failed because of bad product or bad application. It failed because the degreasing was inadequate. Dish soap doesn't cut through the kind of contamination that accumulates on kitchen cabinets over years of cooking and handling.
Professional degreasing starts with an initial wipe to remove loose debris and surface dust. Then comes the actual degreasing using TSP (trisodium phosphate) or commercial products like Krud Kutter. We mix according to directions, apply with a sponge or cloth, and actually scrub rather than just wiping. Work in sections, rinse thoroughly, and repeat if needed.
After degreasing, test whether the surface is truly clean. Spray water on the degreased surface - if water beads up, grease remains and you need to degrease again. If water sheets off, the surface is ready. Run your finger across the surface too - any slick feeling indicates remaining residue.
Allow 24 hours after degreasing before moving to sanding. The surface needs to dry completely.
Surface Preparation: Sanding and Deglosing
Once degreasing is complete, you can see the actual surface you're working with. Now it needs preparation to accept primer and paint.
For wood cabinets, physical sanding creates the mechanical bond paint needs. Start with 120-grit for initial scuffing, then smooth with 150-grit. The goal is to scuff the surface, not sand through the existing finish. Always sand with the grain. Use sanding sponges to get into profiles on raised-panel doors. Pay attention to inside door edges, around hardware holes, and all the corners and crevices where paint likes to fail.
For laminate and thermofoil cabinets, physical sanding doesn't work well - you risk damaging the thin surface layer. Chemical deglosser, sometimes called liquid sander, removes the gloss chemically without mechanical abrasion. Apply with a clean cloth, work in sections, keep the surface wet for the specified time, and don't wipe it off - it evaporates. You may need a second application on heavily glossed surfaces.
Some jobs benefit from both methods. Extremely glossy wood finishes might get chemical deglosser followed by light sanding for the best combination of gloss removal and mechanical tooth.
After sanding or deglossing, dust removal is critical. Vacuum all surfaces thoroughly, then wipe with a damp cloth and allow to dry. Immediately before priming, use a tack cloth to pick up any remaining particles. Dust trapped under primer creates bumps and adhesion problems.
Hardware Removal and Organization
This sounds simple, but doing it wrong creates problems during reinstallation.
Remove doors by opening fully, supporting the weight, and removing hinge screws from the cabinet frame rather than from the door itself. This keeps the hinge aligned with the door for easier reinstallation. Label each door immediately as you remove it - upper cabinets get U1, U2, U3 from left to right; lower cabinets get L1, L2, L3. Note which side the hinges are on.
Store hardware with each door. Put screws in a labeled bag taped to the door. Note any worn or damaged hinges that should be replaced.
Drawers get numbered similarly. Mark D1-U1 for drawer one in upper cabinet one, and so on.
Why such careful labeling? Because doors aren't always interchangeable. Even slight differences in hole positions can cause alignment issues. The kitchen that was easy to close before becomes the kitchen with doors that won't hang right after, all because doors got mixed up during painting.
Filling and Repair
With hardware removed and surfaces prepped, damage becomes visible.
Dents and dings from daily use get lightweight spackle for small repairs, wood filler for deeper damage. Apply slightly proud of the surface, let dry completely - longer than you think, often overnight for proper cure - then sand smooth with 150-grit. Check for shrinkage and apply a second coat if needed. Final sand with 180-grit for a smooth surface.
Old hardware holes that need filling because you're changing hardware locations require more attention. Use wood filler or auto body filler, apply in multiple thin coats rather than one thick layer, and sand flush when fully cured.
Deep scratches and gouges need filling if they're visible. Light scratches might hide under primer - assess after the primer coat and add filler if needed.
Edge damage is common on older cabinets. Wood edges can be built up with filler, but severely damaged edges might be better handled by a professional, or the door might be worth replacing rather than extensively repairing.
Consider replacement when the core material is deteriorating, when particle board is swelling, when damage covers large areas, or when repair cost approaches replacement cost. Sometimes the honest assessment is that a door isn't worth saving.
Priming: The Foundation of Durability
Primer isn't optional. It provides adhesion to the substrate, blocks stains and tannins from bleeding through, creates a uniform surface for topcoat, seals porous areas, and ensures true color from your finish coat.
Different substrates need different primers. Bare wood needs shellac-based primer to block tannin bleed - those orange-brown stains that come through from oak, cherry, and other tannin-rich woods. Previously painted wood in good condition needs bonding primer focused on adhesion. Laminate and thermofoil need specialized adhesion primers - standard primers won't grip these surfaces. Previously stained wood might need two coats of different products: shellac for stain blocking followed by bonding primer.
The professional choices include Zinsser BIN for shellac-based stain blocking, Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 as a good all-purpose option, STIX Waterborne for excellent adhesion, and Kilz Adhesion as a solid budget option.
Application matters as much as product selection. Spray application gives thin, even coats with multiple light passes, avoiding runs and drips. Brush application requires quality brushes, maintained wet edges, and thin coats rather than heavy.
After primer dries, light sanding with 220-grit removes any texture or nibs and creates a smooth surface for topcoat. Very light pressure - you're smoothing, not removing. Tack cloth afterward to remove sanding dust.
Florida-Specific Considerations
Florida humidity affects every step of cabinet prep.
High humidity extends dry times between steps. Degreaser needs longer to evaporate. Sanding dust sticks to surfaces more readily. Primer cures slower. Allow extra time at each stage rather than rushing.
Run air conditioning during prep work, and consider adding a dehumidifier in the kitchen. Temperature monitoring helps - if conditions aren't right for cure, products won't perform as specified.
Check for mold and mildew, especially in under-sink cabinets, near dishwashers, and in corners with poor ventilation. Florida kitchens are humid environments, and mold grows where moisture collects. Clean with mold-killing solution, allow complete drying, and apply mold-resistant primer before painting. Address the moisture source too, or the problem returns.
Previously finished cabinets in Florida often show humidity damage - peeling finishes, moisture bubbles, soft spots under old paint. These areas need extra attention during prep. You may need to remove failing finish rather than just scuffing over it.
Common Prep Mistakes
Rushing degreasing is the most frequent error. People wipe down surfaces and assume they're clean. They aren't. Multiple passes with proper degreaser, testing with water, and allowing dry time prevents the peeling that happens months later.
Skipping primer ranks second. It seems like an extra step you can shortcut, especially when using high-quality paint. But primer provides adhesion and stain-blocking that topcoat alone cannot achieve. Cabinets painted without primer fail within one to two years consistently.
Over-sanding damages surfaces, especially on laminate and thermofoil. The goal is scuffing for adhesion, not aggressive material removal. Light pressure, appropriate grit, right technique.
Painting before surfaces are fully dry traps moisture. In Florida's humidity, this means allowing extra time at every stage. Follow product dry times as minimums, not targets.
Not labeling doors and hardware creates reinstallation nightmares. Label immediately, keep hardware with its door, and document with photos.
Skipping the filling step leaves visible imperfections. Every ding, dent, and scratch shows through paint. Take time to fill and sand properly.
What Professional Prep Looks Like
Professional cabinet painting takes 15 to 25 hours of prep for an average kitchen before a single coat of finish paint goes on. That time breaks down roughly as follows: hardware removal and labeling takes 2 to 3 hours, initial cleaning takes 30 minutes, degreasing takes 2 to 4 hours, sanding or deglossing takes 3 to 6 hours, filling takes 1 to 3 hours, final sanding takes 1 to 2 hours, tack cloth takes 30 minutes, priming takes 2 to 4 hours, and sanding primer takes 1 to 2 hours.
That's before primer even dries and actual painting begins. The ratio of prep to paint reflects what actually matters for longevity.
Professional painters also work in controlled conditions - climate-controlled spray booths, consistent temperature and humidity, professional equipment. This eliminates the variables that cause problems in garage-based DIY projects.
Get Professional Cabinet Prep
Ready for cabinet painting that lasts? Our cabinet painting services include complete professional preparation with proper degreasing, appropriate surface prep for your cabinet material, quality primer systems, and climate-controlled application.
Schedule your estimate with cabinet specialists who understand that lasting results start with thorough preparation.
Related Resources:
See Paint Colors on Your Actual Walls
Stop guessing which colors will look best. Upload a photo of your room and preview 80+ premium paint colors instantly - it's free and takes 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important step in preparing cabinets for painting?
Thorough degreasing is the most critical prep step. Kitchen cabinets accumulate years of cooking oils, skin oils from handling, and airborne grease that prevents paint adhesion. Even cabinets that look clean have invisible residue. Professional painters use TSP or strong degreasers, sometimes multiple applications, to ensure paint bonds properly.
Do you have to sand cabinets before painting?
Yes, but the method depends on the existing finish. Wood cabinets need 120-150 grit sanding for adhesion. Laminate and thermofoil require chemical deglosser (liquid sander) rather than physical sanding. Previously painted cabinets need light scuffing. Proper surface preparation creates the tooth needed for primer and paint to bond permanently.
Can you paint cabinets without primer?
No, primer is essential for durable cabinet painting. Primer provides adhesion to the existing surface, blocks stains and tannins from bleeding through, and creates an ideal surface for topcoat bonding. Skipping primer is the main reason DIY cabinet paint jobs fail within 1-2 years. Always use a primer formulated for cabinets.