6 Steps To Rid Your Kitchen Of Stubborn Grease

Removing stubborn grease from your home

Let's face it, the kitchen is a place everyone loves to be! Maybe you love to cook, or maybe you're all about mastering your favorite meals and recipes. Whatever the case, it's fair to say that everyone hates cleaning up kitchen grease. It's stubborn, inconvenient, and should be removed, which is why we use selected products to fight oil in our clients' homes.

How to clean unwanted grease from your home

Our teams have a variety of grease cleaning products depending on the job, but one failsafe cleaner that's always in our arsenal is a good old orange cleaner. That said, you simply can't go wrong with good old soap and water. Why not? It comes down to chemistry! As it turns out, soap was literally made (by nature) for the purpose of cleaning up oils.

Soap and warm water make for an effective team to deal with all types of soil in your home, especially grease. We recommend deep cleaning an extra-messy kitchen by making a bucket of soap and warm water. Use this bucket for all cleaning to remove grease with a soft but strong scrub cloth. The advantage of soap and water, in addition to its effectiveness, is that it is also safe in many different areas, without the risk of discoloration or other damage from spray cleaners (yes, even green!).

With solidified and cured grease (the sticky stuff that destroys sponges and never wants to leave), the technician will spray the area with a degreaser and then work on another task while the degreaser does its job of breaking the oil. After 5-10 minutes, the specialist returns and wipes the grease with soap and warm water. This method is widely used in microwaves and stovetops, backsplashes, and vent hoods.

If we are in your home for the first time, you may have more oil in some areas. No worries! We have tools for that too. Our teams usually use citrus cleaners along with hot soapy water to break heavy oil. This cleaning is stronger than simple conventional degreasers or plain soap and water, and it's generally safe to have around children and animals.

Finally, the grease is sometimes built for years or is baked heavily. These tasks often require extra time to scratch. Indoor ovens can benefit from a simple oven cleaning. This cleaning is very effective, so we make sure we only use it in the right places and with all the necessary safety precautions. Usually, the formation of bad fats takes a constant cleaning over time to be completely removed.

The frustrating thing about oil is that the best way to handle it is to prevent it from getting worse in the first place. But that's why we're here. We work quickly in your home so you can focus on cooking.

Six steps you can take to prevent or deal with oil in your home:

1. If you only do one thing, wipe down your stove after each uses every single time. This is your best bet against grease buildup. Make it a part of your cooking routine after every stovetop meal, even if it doesn't look greasy. The grease will never have a chance to build up.
2. Dish soap can be very effective in removing grease. It is designed to remove fatty residue from dishes and containers and will work well for the same job on your stovetop or microwave.
3. Citrus oil helps break down fats. Adding orange essential oil to your food soap and water not only makes it (and you!) smell amazing, but it can also make cleaning a little easier. Try orange, lemon, grapefruit, or lemongrass oils. (Lemongrass oil has multiple uses and is also great for use with unscented laundry detergent!)
4. With recent oil spills, spreading flour or baking soda over spills can help clean up the dirt. It may seem contradictory (it will not make the dirt worse), but the flour and baking soda can absorb the grease, making it easier to see and wipe.
5. Baking soda and water can help remove grease from pots and pans. Baking soda is alkaline, which means it is effective in reducing grease. Pour a little water and sprinkle with baking soda in a warm pan after use, especially for stubborn greasy pasta sauce.
6. Use salt and rubbing alcohol to remove oil from the fabrics. This is very useful for fabrics that don't fit in the washing machine (tanks, sofas, etc.)—mix 4:1 rubbing alcohol to salt. Use a clean cloth to scrub the mixture into the surface. Scrub diligently! After the stain is removed, allow the area to dry, then use a vacuum to remove any salt. (Don't use hot water, or it will disperse the oils into the fabric permanently.)

If the best way to manage grease is to clean regularly, a cleaning service may be the thing you need. Call us today to set up an appointment or to get a quote!