The Vine: January 8, 2010
Hi, Sars —
In light of “Keeping It Clean,” I direct this question not to you, but to the readers.
My kitchen is kind of a nightmare from a cleaning perspective — it has matte paint, virtually no closed storage, and no range hood, so that a layer of nasty sticky greasy food dust adheres to almost everything in the room. Thank goodness I’ve got a couple of steel-topped carts that serve as my food-prep area, because those I can keep clean (along with my most commonly-used dishes), but I cannot figure out how to remove the sticky dust from the rest of the kitchen.
The affected surfaces include lots of wooden shelves, some painted and some just polyurethaned, the top of the fridge (plastic? enamel? something white and textured, anyway), the back of the stove, the covers of cookbooks, chrome kitchen items, painted knick-knacks, and the linoleum floor tiles.
Hot water on a rag plus elbow grease doesn’t cut it. Simple Green cleaner doesn’t cut it.Windex doesn’t cut it.Despite my mom’s insistence that it would work, vinegar has no effect on the dust.Hot soapy water works a little bit, Goo-Gone works a little bit, but I do not have the endless arm strength, twenty zillion hours, and (in the case of Goo-Gone) enough money to afford all the bottles of cleaner I think it would take to rely just on those.
If anyone who has conquered his or her own nasty sticky kitchen dust can recommend any product(s), technique(s), or combination thereof that would increase my chances of reclaiming my kitchen, I would be most grateful!
Dirty girl
Dear Dirty,
I know just the substance you mean, and I’ve had some luck with a cheap, scrapey paper towel barely dampened with either Windex or hot water. For the non-book surfaces, upgrade to a Brillo pad (test it on a hidden corner of the fridge first to make sure it doesn’t take the surface off).You might also try the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
And if you own your home, it’s probably time to invest in a range hood (or, if you’re renting, make the landlord do it) and save yourself the time and effort on the front end.
Readers?
Tags: Ask The Readers
Baking soda is cheap as hell, works well on grease and doesn’t damage surfaces.
I love the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for random cleaning tasks like the grime near doorknobs and the smudgy fingerprints on the white fridge door, but I second installing a range hood.
I hate how the stuff smells, but I’ve had luck with Fantastik. I use it on a sponge with moderate elbow grease to kill the greasy food dust on the stove, cabinets, and shelves. Probably not a good idea for your more porous pieces, though!
The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works great on most surfaces, but avoid it on the wooden cupboards- it dissolves into teeny weeny little white bits that get EVERYWHERE. Also, if you scrub too hard it can take the paint off your walls, so tread lightly.
Sometimes salt on half a lemon – use the lemon as a sponge – works well, but I wouldn’t use it on the books.
Of course, then you have to go through after with a damp paper towel to clean up the salt and lemon juice.
But, salt is a great natural abrasive, as is lemon, and I think salt is also a natural sanitizer. Or so I picked up from the BBC show “How Clean is Your House.” :)
I second the baking soda idea. Use it with a barely damp rag, which will help grab onto the soda. It’s just abrasive enough to remove the goo, but doesn’t scratch things. It will take elbow grease, but it comes off, and it is much cheaper than Soft Scrub.
It also works well on bathroom or kitchen sink fixtures, to remove any water spots.
Not for the books or dishes, but Greased Lightning will break that coating down. When the in-laws purchased a little house from a family that smoked and fried for 20+ years without cleaning, we actually took the cabinet doors down and soaked or rubbed them down in it. If it is really bad, it may take more than one round, but it works. Everything else just got covered in Kilz and painted.
Barkeeper’s Friend. Doesn’t smell the best, but works.
I’ve had good luck with Windex Multi-Surface Grease Cutter when dealing with similar issues in the past. For the wood surfaces, used sparingly and applied with a gentle hand it should be ok.
http://www.windex.com/products/multi-surface-grease-cutter/
I had the same problem in an ancient apartment I used to rent. “Fantastic” all purpose cleaner was my best friend. Works best if you spray it directly on the surface you’re cleaning and let it sit for a couple of minutes before wiping off with a paper towel.
Magic Eraser – just get it wet with plain water and it takes the gunk off pretty well with less labor-intensive scrubbing. The store-brand box of “melamine sponges” is a little cheaper than the Mr. Clean variety.
I use Clorox Clean-Up to address those kinds of messes. I used to use the wipes, but I found the spray to be much more effective.
If you can stand it, straight ammonia on a sponge takes care of that stuff SUPER fast. Make sure to wear gloves and keep the kitchen well ventilated while you’re working. I’d only use it on non-porous surfaces though, and make sure to rinse well!
Orange hand cleaner (the gritty stuff) and/or ceramabryte (the stuff you use to clean a flat top stove) both work marvellously well for that stuff.
Straight soap in gollops rinsed off with hot soapy water can work too although it depends how much accumulation you have allowed…
Range hoods are usually a requirement of your local fire code. I’d look into that if I were you because if you have a kitchen fire and no range hood despite code requirements your insurance won’t cover the damage.
The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser has worked for me when it comes to greasy kitchen dust (especially on my teapot, which can’t withstand a Brillo pad). I also had some luck with a microfiber “miracle cloth” that my mom ordered from some infomercial (sorry to be so vague, but I’m sure you could find something similar online or at Target.) But yeah, in order to really curb the problem, I also suggest installing a range hood if you can.
I have a cloth called an E-cloth that’s amazing for cleaning off filmy gunk. It’s microfiber and machine-washable.
http://www.ecloth.com/
It only works on hard surfaces though — no help for the cookbooks.
I know exactly what you’re talking about and until recently, I, too, had it everywhere. I tried everything and then got the most obvious answer from my dad, who works in the oil biz: Dawn. Not dish soap in general, but Dawn specifically. It’s what cleanup crews use after oil spills, and will work on your kitchen, on all surfaces, with a little warm water and a sponge.
For every day maintenance, I second the Magic Eraser. Especially on those porous counter tops that stain easily. They’re, well, magic.
I normally only use vinegar, baking soda, Dr Bronner’s, and mild dish soap for all my cleaning, but in the case of cooking grease (we also have no range hood and the cabinets take the brunt of it) I either go old school blue Dawn (dillute and use a hot soapy rag) or plain old 409 (works better for areas you can’t rinse easily). I’m sure any of the “grease cutting” cleaners would work (not windex or other glass cleaners). Sometimes the blue original Dawn is hard to find – if you grocery store doesn’t carry it, keep your eyes open at little corner stores, convenience stores, and the like.
If you’re renting, I sympathize. I haven’t had a range hood in almost 10 years. I guess it’s pretty expensive to install one from scratch and I have never had a landlord willing to do it.
The best stuff I’ve found for that is 409- stinky but strong.
I had to clean one kitchen where the grease was so bad I scraped it up with a razor blade… might be worth a shot if it’s thick enough.
Oh also – if you can rig a covering for your storage, that will help IMMENSELY. Even cheapy curtains on a tension rod will act as a good barrier and prevent you from having to soap up your blender every time you want to use it. And you can throw them in a hot wash pretty easily.
I’ve found the mac-daddy bathroom and kitchen cleaner by CLR. Comes in a yellow trigger bottle, and took 6 months’ (don’t ask) of soap scum off my extremely-hard-to-clean shower in one swipe! I’m sure it would work on the greasy, nasty crap that accumulates from cooking (I, too, know the substance of which you speak). The CLR is heavy-duty stuff, use gloves, proper vent., etc., but it works like nothing else I’ve tried (Kaboom and Magic Erasers both bowed before the uncleanable shower of doom).
I know this is going to seem odd, but the best substance for getting up old greasy substances is another greasy substance. Then clean the whole thing with Dawn. Old grease stains on your clothes? Spray with WD-40 to reactivate the grease and then wash the spot with Dawn & hot water. The new grease changes the texture of the old grease, for want of any actual scientific knowledge on my part.
Ditto what Catherine said RE: baking soda. Plus, it doesn’t leave a reek of cleaning products that lingers in the air for days.
Huh, my stove HAS a range hood, and it (the outside of it) is one place in the kitchen where the sticky grime collects.
Dawn is great on grease, even when not being used on dishes. Also Barkeeper’s Friend works wonders on that grease/dust combination, in my experience. Just give it a good spray and let it sit for a few minutes. Sometimes you still need some elbow grease, but way less than anything else I’ve tried.
Augh, that stuff is the worst! Your best option is to go for something a little more industrial strengthed: look for a janitorial supply store near your house and call them. Describe the problem (briefly, because I *guarantee* that they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about) and they can probably recommend a product thats pretty reasonable, comes in a giant bottle, and will do the job.
Wear gloves, put a fan on, and good luck!
Brillo pads do work well on any surface that can take it. There seem to be a number of industrial strength degreasers for sale on the internet. I haven’t tried them, but it’s tempting.
My only suggestions are Bon Ami for enameled/non-porous surfaces and maybe Fels Naptha for the rest. It comes in bar form (usually sold with the laundry detergents) and can be grated and dissolved in water to make a cleaning solution (it has a million other uses if you google it). And it’s THE best pretreater for grease stains in clothing (I just wet the spot, rub it on, let it sit for about 5 or 10 minutes and launder as usual. Sometimes I have to repeat the process but it usually works the first time around.)
If you can’t install a range hood, I’d start opening a couple windows and turning a fan on when you cook to try and minimize the grease.
try greased lighting. it’s a great degreaser. and i would get a nylon scrub brush to use on things like the fridge to help get the scum up. also maybe let the cleaner sit for a minute or two to really soak in and soften the stuff.
Krud Kutter, a thousand times over. I used to live in an apartment where the living room was right next to an open wall of the poorly-ventilated kitchen, so we had the gross greasy dust over everything. I swear, Krud Kutter is the only thing that really worked. You should be able to find it at Target, Home Depot, or Lowes. I swear by the stuff.
There’s some stuff that we washed our walls with before we painted — TPX, TPZ or something like that. You mix it with water and wipe on with a sponge then rinse. Works like a dream. Any hardware-type store should have it in their paint section.
This is the miracle stuff of which I speak.
sorry thought of something else. on top of the fridge, if the stuff doesn’t soften after a few minutes, maybe spray the cleaner on, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it over night. if that doesn’t soften it enough to clean it i don’t know what will!
Despite environmental concerns, heavy bleach will take the gunk off. Failing that, pour hot (boiling hot!) water on the non-porous surfaces and go at it with a scraper.
Then, invest in a spatter screen and use it every time.
I’ve not had a grease problem, but maybe a dish soap like Dawn and some water would work? They show it being used to clean an oil-soaked duck in the commercials, so it might be able to get the grease off of kitchen surfaces.
I love the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I don’t know what kind of frightening substance those suckers are made of that enable them to clean things…well, magically, but I am definitely a fan. I know for a fact they work on top-of-refrigerator grime and back-of-the-stove grease.
Magic Eraser will do it but you will need several + elbow grease & lots of time.
You might also have luck with that Lysol concentrate in the brown bottle. It smells rank but it works pretty well on stubborn greasy film. You’ll probably need a higher concentration than indicated on the bottle. Wear gloves, open a window and let it sit for a while before wiping. It’s mostly pine oil so it’s pretty “natural,” (like Goo-Gone) but still toxic & irritating.
Re: prevention, I have had good luck with a charcoal-lined mesh splatter guard over just about every pot I cook in. It also smells kind of funny right out of the box (??) but contains the schmear even when I’m “deep-frying” in my cast iron skillet.
Sol-U-Mel, which is available via the vaguely Amway-ish Melaleuca company online…it is ecofriendly, but shreds greasy dirt.
(just pay the price to one-time order…do not join them for any discounts.)
You might look into TSP Substitute. Original TSP is great for cleaning greasy grime and smoke and soot stain type residue off walls and floors. I’ve heard the substitute contains no phosphates (environmentally harmful) and can be used on metals and painted surfaces as well.
I’ve let a bleach and water solution or the clorox soft-scrub bleach cleaner soak on top of stuff like the the top of the fridge or countertops for a while and then tackled it with a scrubby sponge. not sure that would be safe for wood surfaces. The soaking seems to be the key.
Also painting with a semi-gloss paint, which isn’t especially fun, but as you clear all the surfaces for painting, you’ll get at them for one big cleaning, too!
A friend of mine is an amazing cleaner, and usually swears by all-natural methods, but for washing her kitchen walls, cabinets, etc. uses a bucket of very hot, slightly soapy water with about 4 sprays of 409.
I know exactly what you’re talking about, and nothing really works. I had to use Ajax and a scrubber on the fridge, and it was a bear. The paint was impossible, we had to repaint.
I agree with the baking soda as an alternative. As for surfaces I use a 1:3 ratio of Murphy’s Oil Soap or Spic-n-Span to Hot, Hot Water. It seems to work. As for your cook books, I don’t have them in the kitchen (they reside in my studio — not sure if you have the space for that — but I do my cooking research away from the kitchen, I make notes on a cheapo pad (or print the recipe out) and use that in the kitchen. Having worked in a library for rare manuscripts and books I totally keep my books out of the kitchen due to humidity and grease. Of course, I have a gajillion cook books and they’d just hog up my counter space if I had them in the kitchen so well, when I paint I also look up what to cook for my BF that night. All works out in the end.
I once had an apartment kitchen prone to this problem. I could never figure out where the tackiness came from and why I didn’t have normal dust. It coated EVERYTHING almost immediately, including any pots left out to dry. Ew.
But SOS pads get everything off, you just have to wipe the blue stuff off once you’re done cleaning. A pain, but super effective.
Baking soda is a good one, as is olive oil. I know that it seems counterintuitive, but it works really well–it’s also great for removing the stickum that gets left on things when you peel off price labels.
Also, in addition to cleaning supplies, it may help to stop some of the grease at the source. You may want to invest in one of those flat mesh pan toppers that stop some of the grease from bouncing out of the pan. They’re pretty cheap, and it may help keep the problem manageable once you get through the base layer. Good luck.
People have suggested Dawn, and people have suggested baking soda, but I’m going to recommend a mixture of the two. That seems to be magic on grease.
I like my Magic Eraser on hard surfaces, have had bad luck using it on unpainted or stained wood.
All I know is that I have an old bathtub that acquires odd stains and my tile grout was turning orange (I’m so near-sighted that I can’t see my glasses when I take them off so when I take a shower, I’m usually blissfully unware of the state of it), but when I took a damp cloth and baking soda and some scrubbing to it, it was like magic. I think the bottom of the tub is sort of permanently stained, but now when I take a bath and can see…ahhh….
I pledge to clean the bath/shower on a regular basis now. Semi-regular.
I clean for a living, and for this kind of thing I usually use Soft Scrub or Borax. They’re both abrasive enough to cut through grease without damaging your surfaces. The Soft Scrub with bleach is a lifesaver on move out cleanings. Using an oil-based substance to scrub up goo can also work well, depending on what it consists of.