Finding the Best Cabinet Polish

We Ranked Amazon’s Best Cabinet Polishes – Here’s What We Found

If you have ever wondered what the best way to maintain your cabinets is, so have we. For the longest time we’ve been loyal users of Magic’s Cabinet Cleaner, but it’s getting harder to find and justify the 90 DOLLAR price tag. So we put it to the test: could we find a better, more cost-effective replacement right on Amazon?

Short answer: Yes.
We tested and ranked several of the highest-rated cabinet polishes available, looking at cleaning power, ease of application, scent, shine, and value. Three contenders rose to the top, but we'll talk about those in a bit. First, let's talk a bit about why cabinet polish is different from other furniture polishes and how cabinets are typically finished.

Cabinet Polish vs. Furniture Polish: What’s the Difference?

Cabinet polish is designed specifically for finished wood and laminate cabinets—surfaces that experience more grease, heat, and food-related messes than the average piece of furniture. Furniture polish, on the other hand, is often more oil-based and aimed at enhancing wood grain and adding shine without needing to cut through kitchen grime. Using the wrong one could leave your cabinets slick, sticky, or streaky.

How Cabinets Are Finished

Before choosing a polish, it helps to understand how most cabinets are finished. Kitchen cabinets are usually made from solid wood, veneer over plywood, or MDF with some sort of protective topcoat. Common finishes include:

• Lacquer – A smooth, durable finish often found on modern cabinetry. It dries quickly and offers a slightly glossy look.

• Polyurethane (or other varnishes) – This hard, protective layer is common on traditional wood cabinets and offers resistance to moisture and stains.

• Paint or Stain with Clear Topcoat – Many cabinets are painted or stained and then sealed with a clear layer to protect the color and wood grain.

Because these finishes can react differently to oils or alcohol-based products, using the wrong kind of polish—especially one meant for furniture—can dull the surface, cause buildup, or strip away protective coatings. That’s why cabinet-specific cleaners matter: they’re formulated to clean and protect without damaging the finish.

1. Beeswax Polish

This polish delivered a subtle sheen and revived the wood without the heavy gloss some products leave behind. Plus, it smells great. We tested this directly against an old can of Cabinet Magic we found, miraculously, and it not only holds up but arguably outperforms it.

2. Weiman Cabinet & Wood Clean & Shine

It tackled fingerprints and grime with ease, and left a warm finish that made our cabinets feel brand new. This is an affordable, professional polish ideal for subcontractors and builders working on multiple kitchen projects for their clients.

3. Rejuvenate Cabinet & Furniture Restorer

Rejuvenate was the most cost-effective polish. It keeps up with the rest of the polishes we tested and has the lowest price per ounce, making it perfect for homeowners not trying to spend an arm and a leg on polish just to maintain the sheen of their cabinets.

Watch the Full Video!

We made a video breaking it all down so be sure to watch that on the Cabinet Talk YouTube channel, which you can watch by clicking here.

Thanks for reading, and keep building.

—The Cabinet Academy Team