If you often deal with greasy messes in your kitchen then you’re going to love this kitchen cleaning trick to quickly tackle all those greasy jobs.
Now now now, don’t go getting all mad at your grannies. I think this is the kind of thing that no one really talks about because they just assume it’s common knowledge. I bet a whole lot of you reading this right now already knew this. I didn’t though, so I’m guessing there are quite a few people out there who don’t know this super-amazing life-changing little tip either. OK, maybe not life-changing, but it’s a pretty neat kitchen cleaning trick!
Reality Check
This was my range hood after probably several years without a good cleaning. I know I haven’t really cleaned it since we moved in a year and a half ago and who knows how long it wasn’t cleaned before that. Did I just admit that? I mean, I wiped it off and stuff, but I never really got in there underneath where all the gunk is. I just figured it was getting replaced anyway, so why bother?
It’s gross. That’s why bother.
I had this random thought pop into my one day while I was looking at it our old range hood. I used rubbing alcohol to clean some Sharpie off of something awhile ago and I wondered if it cleaned just as well on other things. Well, on grease it does!
The Solution
So off to the Google-mobile I went! I had a feeling that this was some kind of cheap old-fashioned cleaning solution that I’d just never known about. I literally Googled “Did our grandmothers used to clean with rubbing alcohol?” Yeah, they did!
How did I not know about this? Seriously. I’ve always scrubbed and scrubbed and scoured and soaked greasy kitchen splatters to try to get them off. With the rubbing alcohol they just kinda melt away with no effort at all.
Here’s my paper towel after I was done:
Awesome.
So, just a cautionary tale first before I go on about how exciting this is. I read that you shouldn’t use this near flame or heat sources because it’s flammable and it may light on fire. Um, so, I have a gas stove. Isn’t the stuff that comes right out of it kinda flammable too? Wouldn’t whatever small residue of alcohol that’s left on the stove after me cleaning it just kind of burn off instantly? I’ve been cleaning my stove with it all week and it’s been just fine. But just so you know, cleaners beware!
It Really Works
Fun fact: It only seems to break down the greasy messes and not the burned on food part. I’m sure there’s some kind of science behind that.
Another fun fact: After only a few moments of wiping, my range hood now looked like this!
Ping! (That’s the sound of the superior shininess of my range hood.) Try it out.
And, if you were clueless about this like I was, you’re welcome!
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Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.