Green Cleaning: How to Clean a Stove Top Using Baking Soda
By Simone Smith
I'm not good at cleaning. And I was having trouble with my stovetop (or rather, my stovetop was having trouble with me for all of my cooking indiscretions). Somewhere I read that baking soda could be used as a stove top cleaner, so I decided to give it a try. And document the process.
As it happens, it is possible to clean a stove top using baking soda. It actually works quite well... so long as you're still willing to... you know... use your arms and stuff. Which is kind of a drag.
Here are the steps:
- Spend several weeks complaining about grit accumulating on your stove top
- Angrily yell at the stove top when it fails to self-clean
- Fill a small bowl with baking soda and add water, a bit at a time, until you have formed a thick paste
- Apply it to the affected area of the stove top... generously
- Mush it around with your fingers because it feels really neat
- Wait for ten minutes
- Forget to keep track of time, begin watching television shows, and return to the stovetop two hours later
- Begin brushing the affected area with an abrasive sponge (toothbrushes may be used, but they dont' seem to work all that well)
- Keep brushing
- Marvel at the brown paste that results
- Keep brushing
- Begin to grow frustrated as not all of the stain is immediately removed
- Keep brushing
- Begin to angrily yell at the still unclean stovetop
- Brush more vigorously, applying more pressure
- Scream at the stovetop
- Start crying
- Plead desperately with the stovetop
- Return to yelling
- Keep brushing
- Wipe away excess grossness
... and voila! Your stovetop is clean!!!
A brief summary of steps
- Mix together baking soda and water to form a thick paste
- Apply to an unclean stovetop
- Wait for at least ten minutes
- Scrub the food stains away
I hope you have found this simple cleaning guide to be helpful, and that my personal misadventure encourages you to try out some 'natural' cleaning solutions of your own.
Even though this project took a bit more elbow grease than I would have liked, I did appreciate that I was not choking on fumes as I worked, and that I did not feel guilty about rinsing the waste water/paste down the drain. There definitely are benefits to going green!
Good luck cleaning, dudes. And here's hoping we may all someday enjoy the tireless service of inexpensive cleaning robots.
Comments
simon thanks a lot for sharing such useful tips.voted up!
I use baking soda to clean a lot of things that do not otherwise become clean.
baking soda and vinegar will clean out your drains too... I have used this stuff for years because I am highly allergic to things like Clorox and comet, etc... Great hub BTW!
Such an enjoyable hub! So fun to read and informative, please don;t tell to many people that learning can be fun.
love the video! Positively priceless! Personally though I love to clean with baking soda, and have found that if you mix the bs with some vinegar you dont have to put as much 'muscle' into the brushing! Also tends to cut down on the yelling as you tend to want to hold your nose till the scent of the vinegar dissipates :)
Great tips and so easy
I really enjoy the video very much. I think suppose you are capable of directing a good film with making the back ground music by your mouth. I heard different sounds and repeated the display for more than 3 times. Now i am your fan not only in the 'Hubpages' but also in your starring, music and direction. Why not you turn it as episode for the continuing weeks? Lovely! voted! as beautiful.
I used baking soda sometimes for cleaning. Nice Hub!
Thanks for sharing this useful information. Well done.
Hey, I do this but with the oven. Go figure!
Hi, love your tips, yell at stove, cry etc, ha ha sounds just like me, I think you left out the kicking the hell out of it part, but thats okay, you are probably much better than me at keeping your temper under control! lol! great ideas, cheers nell
What a great job you did, Simone, both the writing and the cleaning of the stove top. Do you take outside cleaning assignments, dear?
I use vinegar too. That cuts the grease. baking soda is also very good when removing hair spray build up in hair!
I will definitely give this a try! The previous owner left our stove a complete mess. I got rid of a considerable amount of grim with Dawn, but there are still a couple really stubborn areas.
I'm going to try this. I've already done the yelling part.
8-)
Great advice and a very successful lesson! Only good stuff here Simone. The magic of baking soda and all that "brushing" can make for one clean stove top!
HubHugs~
K9
HaHaHa I see you've discovered the art of green cleaning, particularly the extra vocal energy required to do the job well. Ah but its all worth it right? Great hub and very funny. Really made my day. Thanks and Voted Up!
I loved steps 1 & 2 the best! I actually have a couple of spots on my stove plates that could use this technique. I'm motivated now after watching you do this.
Great work.
Hey Simone,
When you get a good deal on those cleaning robots, let us know. Many of us would want them! In the meantime...exercising your fingers, hands, wrists and arms as well as your vocal cords...it HAS to count for something as well as feeling good about the environment. Didn't it give you a warm glow and fuzzy feeling? :))
It's always so much more fun watching someone else clean a stove top than to do it yourself - loved the video! Will you do mine, now? Before Thanksgiving when it will get all gunked up again, please. :)
Hehee, thanks for stopping by my Hub, y'all!!
I'm glad we both apprecaite the power of yelling, leroy64! And I'm totally going to give baking soda a try with the stained mugs and pans I have. Great idea!
Wow, allergic to Clorox, davenmidtown? That's a drag... though I suppose it's a blessing in disguise!
Thanks for the compliment, wavegirl22! And I'll definitely be mixing baking soda with vinegar next time. Anything that saves me from scrubbing is a GOOD THING!
Gosh raakachi! What kind words! Thank you very much for your encouragement.
Hahaa, the oven is my next stop, Hyphenbird!
I think we understand each other quite well. I had to edit out the kicking because my swearing was... a bit too colorful.
Hahaa, I don't think you'd be happy with any cleaning work I did, drbj!! I need to go to cleaning boot camp T___T
Whaaa? Baking soda as a hairspray buildup antidote? That's brilliant, alphagirl!
My apartment's previous tenant left some similar surprises for me, randomcreative. I commiserate!
You're ahead of the game, shea duane!
Thanks K9keystrokes!! Your cleaning Hubs totally trump mine, though.
And carcro, it really is AMAZING what a big difference some vocal energy can make, right??
Steps 1 and 2 are my specialty, Denise Handlon! I hope you found the baking soda to be effective.
I'll be sure to do so, Peggy W! I've got my eye out for 'em, to be sure! I will admit that I did feel pretty good afterwards.
SO TRUE Stephanie Henkel. Hehee, I'd gladly take on your stovetop, Stephanie Henkel! Just make sure to wear earmuffs to block out my screaming.
I love this Simone! I actually use this Baking soda & water paste on numerous kitchen and bathroom cleaning jobs, vinegar is another great green cleaner. Who would have thought that it actually works! Thanks for sharing!!! Rate that video up, funny and useful!!!
hello, I use baking soda for odor elimination in my freezer and once a week as being mixed up with water on my tooth paste as a whitening agent.
Thank you for visiting my gallery! I hate to clean stove tops and this is a great idea..I can relate to everything you'd said here!
Thanks!
it worked! Now I have to get up and do it! {:-D
It's true, bellahurst. But at least the occasionally-needed extra effort can be a good workout!
leroy64 6 months ago
Great Hub. Yelling at the stove really makes me feel better too. It's an important part of cleaning.
I actually use baking soda on mugs with coffee and tea stains, on pans where I cannot use steel wool. It works better than most cleaners you buy. My grandmother used baking soda to clean a lot of things, including teeth.