How to Restore Natural Cherry Cabinets

Lay old sheets outside on a hard surface. Place the natural cherry wood cabinets on the sheets. Remove any hardware from the cabinets with a screwdriver.

Sand the cabinets with a 100-grit sandpaper. Use light pressure as you sand and work in the same direction as the wood grain. Apply medium pressure to rub out any shallow scratches in the wood.

Wipe residue from the cabinets with a tack cloth. Fold and re-fold the tack cloth as you remove all fragments from the furniture.

Mix 3 to 4 tbsp. liquid oil soap into a gallon bucket of water. Wet a clean lint-free cloth with the soapy water and squeeze out the excess liquid. Wipe the cloth over the cabinets. Re-wet the cloth as needed, but wring out excess water to avoid drenching the wood. Dry the cabinets with a clean cloth and allow it to dry for another 30 minutes.

Stir the cherry wood stain with a paint stirrer. Wet a 3-inch paintbrush with the stain. Glide the stain over the cabinets, working with the grain. Overlap each brush stroke to ensure complete coverage. Wipe excess stain from the cabinets with a rag when finished staining. Allow the cabinets to dry overnight.

Wet the 3-inch paintbrush with a sanding sealer. Work the brush over the cabinets in the same direction as the wood grain. Allow the sealer to dry for two hours. Run a 280-grit sandpaper lightly over the surface to smooth out any rough areas.

Apply one or two coats of polyurethane to the cabinets using the 3-inch paintbrush. Allow the first coat to dry for two hours before applying the second. Place the hardware back on the furniture after it has completely dried.