A sponge with water will only get you so far when removing caked on grease. Try these 7 awesome grime-removing tips instead.
No need to scrub and scour the kitchen for hours – these kitchen hacks will save you so much time.
1. Flour
It’s strange to think that you’d use flour to clean up a mess, but it’s actually amazing for soaking up grease. If you’ve spilled oil or grease while cooking, it’s best to clean it up right away. All you need to do is sprinkle some flour over the spill, let the flour absorb the oil or grease, and wipe away with a damp paper towel.
2. Dish soap
A few drops of liquid dish soap can work wonders on a greasy kitchen. Just add a bit of dish soap to some warm water and grab a sponge. The simple mixture will strip away any caked on grease from appliances, counters, and cabinets.
3. Salt
You probably have salt within an arm’s reach of the stove or food prepping area, which is great because you can use it to not only add flavor to your food but to clean oil and grease as well. Much like the flour technique above, sprinkle salt onto spilled oil to absorb it and prevent a grease fire.
4. Ammonia
Although ammonia isn’t ideal for all cleaning needs, it works wonders on dirty stove burners. Grease and grime can become baked on and extremely difficult to remove, but if you place them in a ziplock bag with ammonia, they’ll be sparkling clean. Just leave the sealed bag outside overnight and rinse them in the morning.
5. Baking soda and vinegar
If grease has really been baked on, it’s going to take something a little more ‘active’ to help remove it. Make a paste of 1/2 cup baking soda and just a few tablespoons of water (you don’t want to turn it into a volcano science project) apply the paste to the grease and let it soak overnight. The next morning, wipe as much of the paste away as possible. Spray the rest with vinegar and let it really foam up – then wipe away with a damp cloth.
6. Mineral oil
It might seem counterproductive to clean up oil with oil, but it actually works! Place a few drops of mineral oil on a paper towel and wipe it all over any greasy or oily spots in the kitchen. Take another clean paper towel and buff all of the surfaces until all that’s left is a thin layer of mineral oil. Your appliances will be shiny and easier to clean the next time around.
7. Lemon
Lemons are an awesome, non-toxic way to clean lots of things – like your kitchen! One method is to combine lemon juice with baking soda and turn it into a paste. Another option is to simply cut a lemon in half and use it to scrub away the grease stain. Either way, just make sure to use a damp cloth to wash away any residue.
