Good 'Old Fashioned' Cleaning

I tend to let a good cleaning go a little long sometimes. I will use my long daily commute as an excuse. Getting home to start dinner at 7:00 PM makes wiping down the stove at 8:00 PM the last thing I want to do. So, my 6 month old stove was beginning to look a little worse for wear. Mainly around the one burner that I use most--the front right one. (Did I just admit to the whole blogosphere that I'm a slob?)

Obviously, I didn't want to scrape off the burnt on grease and scratch the porcelain stove top, but a dishrag with plain soap and water just wasn't cutting it. So what do I do? Why google it of course! I came up with a lot of options in how-to articles and other people's blogs:

• Oil Eaters
• Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
• Baking Soda and Vinegar
• Easy Off Oven Cleaner
• Sokoff*
• Dawn Power Disolver
• Goo Gone
• Greased Lightning

A lot of different suggestions, but all of them required a cash outlay and trip to the store except for two. I had
Goo Gone and the duo of baking soda and vinegar. Being the penny pincher that I can be, I decided to try the one of the two options that I had on hand.

First I tried the Goo Gone. Granted on Goo Gone's website they have a cleaner specifically for cleaning grills and ovens, but I only had the original formula. After cleaning the stove with soap and water to get the crumbs and loose splatters off, I sprayed the Goo Gone on to the baked on stains and let it sit for 3 - 5 minutes. After the wait, I used a paper towel to remove the Goo Gone and then used a plastic net scrubbie to scrub the the cook top. Hmmm. No change.

I wiped the area again to get any residue from the Goo Gone and got out the old fashioned baking soda and vinegar. According to a couple of the how-to articles that I read, I could just sprinkle on the baking soda and then spritz the vinegar on.

Using a small spoon, I sprinkled the baking soda around the burner taking care to cover all of the stains.

Next, I took another spoon and dribbled the vinegar into the baking soda. It immediately began to bubble up.

I let the baking soda and vinegar sit for 3 - 5 minutes and then wiped it off with a rag. WOW! "Old fashioned" nothing! There was only one little spot left.

Another round of baking soda and vinegar and a little elbow grease with the plastic net scrubbie again and the last of the baked on grease was gone.

Woo hoo! A clean stove and no trip to the store for expensive cleaners. So what other amazing things can baking soda and vinegar do? Here's what I found by googling again:

Clear a clogged drain - One cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup vinegar. Wait 10 minutes and pour in a cup of boiling water.

Cleaning stained carpet - Sprinkle on baking soda and spritz on vinegar. Let it foam up, scrub, allow to dry and vacuum. (You may want to test on an inconspicuous spot or spare piece of carpet to make sure it is color fast.)

De-lime and clean a shower head - Pour 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar in a large plastic bag and tie it on to the shower head. Leave in place for an hour.

As an air freshener - Mix 1 teaspoon baking soda, 4 teaspoons vinegar with 1 cup of water and spray with a fine mist sprayer.

Non-toxic, inexpensive and pet friendly, vinegar and baking soda can be a great alternative to expensive cleaners.


*I was unable to find the manufacturer of Sokoff. I found it for sale on several sites, but did not want to link to any one retailer.