My apt (in a private house with my own entrance) is over 60 years old. The
Cabinets in the kitchen looked pretty bad with old drippings, etc.
I don't have the strength to sand it down and stain it. Is there a shortcut?

My landlord will not do any work in the apartment so it's up to me.

Just an opinion here:

Paint may be your best option (rather than stain). Try a "liquid sandpaper (http://www.doityourself.com/stry/what-is-liquid-sandpaper#b)" or even a strong gel stripper to remove the stain and/or paint that is on the cabinets now.

If you are able to get down to bare wood (my guess is that you cannot, unless you want to spend many many hours) then you can use stain. If you end up with some of the stain/paint still on them, prime them and paint them with a quality paint.

The landlord is the owner and has final say as to what is done. What has the LL given permission to do?

You asked this last December. I for one put a lot of work into a response.
I guess you put all of them on a back burner and then plumb forgot. READ THEM AGAIN
You're welcome.

You asked this last December. I for one put a lot of work into a response.
I guess you put all of them on a back burner and then plumb forgot. READ THEM AGAIN
You're welcome. After I read your reply I went out and bought
Fantastic and steel wool pads... I tried cleaning with fantastic first and that
Didn't work so I used steel wool. Now the old stain has a big bright spot but there
Are thick spots that looks like something spilled there remained.

I don't need a ladder because it's the bottom doors below the sink and
Counter...

The landlord is the owner and has final say as to what is done. What has the LL given permission to do?nothing... he's
So cheap that when I told him the wood was rotting under the sink and stove
He changed the subject.