How do you restain kitchen cabinets?

To restain kitchen cabinets, remove the doors, wash the cabinet surfaces with trisodium phosphate, sand and apply tinted polyurethane. The tinted polyurethane combines stain and finish in a single coat. Upgrade the hardware, and reinstall the doors and drawers.

1. Remove the doors

   Mark doors and drawers so you know their existing location. Remove all the doors and all hardware from the cabinet. Move them to a dust-free area for staining.

2. Clean all surfaces

   Clean the doors and drawer faces using a solution of trisodium phosphate and water. Use the solution to clean any remaining finished faces on the cabinets. Allow all surfaces to dry thoroughly.

3. Sand the surfaces

   Use fine sandpaper on all cabinet surfaces you are refinishing. Wipe away any dust that sanding creates using a tack cloth.

4. Apply the tinted urethane stain

   Test the urethane on an inconspicuous spot. Choose the product that gives the desired color, and apply to the cabinet surfaces. The product combines the finish coat and stain, reducing the time to finish the project.

5. Assemble the cabinets

   Attach the doors to the appropriate opening. Install the drawers into door slides. Install any new hardware if you are upgrading or the existing hardware if it is in good condition.