I've had decent luck with baking soda too, but honestly, for tougher grease spots on my stove, I still reach for store-bought degreasers. Natural stuff is great for regular upkeep, but sometimes you just need the heavy-duty chemicals to cut through the grime. And yeah, olive oil...tried it once on stainless steel handles—looked amazing for about 5 minutes, then fingerprints everywhere. Never again, lol.
"And yeah, olive oil...tried it once on stainless steel handles—looked amazing for about 5 minutes, then fingerprints everywhere. Never again, lol."
Haha, been there with the olive oil! Thought I had discovered some secret hack for my fridge handles—nope, just ended up polishing them every ten minutes. Lesson learned.
I totally get what you're saying about needing the stronger stuff occasionally. I try to stick to natural cleaners as much as possible, especially since my house is pretty old and I'm always a bit cautious about harsh chemicals damaging original finishes or fixtures. Baking soda and vinegar usually do the trick for everyday messes, but man...sometimes you just gotta break out the big guns.
Speaking of tougher grime, has anyone had luck with citrus-based cleaners? A friend recommended one recently, claiming it's natural but still strong enough to tackle serious grease buildup. I've been hesitant because I've tried so many "miracle" natural products that were just meh. Curious if anyone here has experience with those citrus sprays or homemade citrus-infused vinegars?
Also, random side note: does anyone else find cleaning vintage appliances way trickier than modern ones? My stove is from the 1950s (still works like a champ!), but it seems like grime sticks differently to enamel surfaces compared to stainless steel or glass tops. Or maybe that's just me being overly cautious about scrubbing too hard...
I get the appeal of citrus-based cleaners, but honestly, I've never found them that impressive for heavy-duty grease. They smell nice, sure, but in my experience, they're mostly good for freshening things up rather than deep cleaning. I've tried homemade citrus vinegar too—smelled amazing, looked cute on my countertop, but didn't really cut through the baked-on grime on my vintage stove. Ended up going back to a diluted solution of dish soap and warm water for enamel surfaces, which seems gentler and more effective.
Speaking of vintage appliances...I'm with you on enamel being tricky, but I actually find stainless steel way more frustrating. Every fingerprint shows up, and scratches happen way too easily. My old enamel stove just seems more forgiving overall. Maybe it's just nostalgia clouding my judgment though, haha.
Have you tried baking soda paste for the enamel stove? I've found citrus cleaners pretty meh too, but baking soda mixed with just enough water to form a paste cuts through baked-on grime surprisingly well without scratching. Worth a shot maybe...
I've had mixed luck with baking soda paste myself. It does work pretty well on enamel, but honestly, for really stubborn spots, I've found adding a bit of vinegar to the paste helps loosen things up faster. Just gotta be careful not to let it sit too long—vinegar can be harsh if you're not careful. Still beats spending extra on fancy cleaners that end up under my sink half-used...
