I see your point about patience paying off, but honestly, sometimes natural cleaners just don't cut it for me. Last month I tried the vinegar-baking soda combo on my oven door—left it overnight and everything—but the grease was still stubbornly there. Ended up grabbing a store-bought degreaser and had it spotless in 15 minutes. I guess it really depends on how bad the grime is and how much time you've got to spare...
"I guess it really depends on how bad the grime is and how much time you've got to spare..."
Haha, your oven story hit home for me. Reminds me of when I first moved into my rental property—previous tenants left the stove looking like it hosted a grease wrestling match. I went full eco-warrior mode with lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda, you name it... even threw in some elbow grease (literally). After two hours, I swear the grime was laughing at me. Finally caved and grabbed a commercial degreaser, and boom, spotless in minutes.
I still prefer natural cleaners for day-to-day stuff, but sometimes you've gotta admit defeat and bring out the big guns. No shame in that. At least you gave it a solid try before reaching for the heavy-duty stuff.
Haha, been there myself. Natural cleaners are great for regular upkeep, but when you're dealing with years of baked-on grease... sometimes you just gotta wave the white flag and grab something stronger. No shame in that!
Totally get that—natural cleaners are fine for day-to-day grime, but when you're talking about serious grease buildup, sometimes you gotta reach for the big guns. I used to swear by baking soda and vinegar until I tackled a stove hood in my last remodel. Years of grease and dust had turned into this impossible layer of gunk...tried every DIY trick in the book, but ended up grabbing a heavy-duty degreaser from the hardware store. Worked like a charm in half the time.
But here's something I've been wondering: does anyone think certain appliances handle natural cleaners better than others? Like stainless steel versus enamel surfaces—I feel like stainless steel cleans up easier with homemade stuff, but enamel seems to hold onto stains forever unless you use something stronger. Curious if that's just me or if others have noticed it too.
I've noticed the same thing about enamel surfaces—they seem to cling onto stains way more stubbornly. I remember scrubbing my grandma's old enamel stove with baking soda paste for ages, and it barely made a dent. Eventually, I caved and grabbed a stronger cleaner from the store, and it came off pretty easily. Stainless steel definitely seems more forgiving with homemade solutions, at least in my experience...so you're not alone there.
