Removing Grease from Appliance Surfaces

You may have noticed some yellow discoloration around the edges of your toaster, your oven hood, or your grills. Rather than burn or heat marks, these yellow spots are probably congealed cooking grease.

How do you wipe up cooking grease that is never liquid? Most grease from cooking remains in the pot or pan and can be easily washed or wiped away while it is still liquid, but what about the grease that is airborne? It congeals on appliance surfaces before you have a chance to attack it with a towel or rag. Here are some ways to clean off that stubborn, yellow grease from your kitchen appliances.

There are various degreasing products on the market, but degreasing solutions can also be made from items from around the house. Before using any products, or even the homemade remedies, be sure that you know how your appliance surface will react to the chemicals. If you are not sure, test your selected solution on an inconspicuous area of the appliance to make sure that it will not have an adverse reaction to the surface. To create your own degreaser from household products mix together the following items:

• One half cup of dish soap
• Three tablespoons of ammonia
• One half gallon of warm water

Apply this mixture liberally to the greasy area and allow it to soak for a few minutes according to the stubbornness of the grease stain. Once it has had time to sit, scrub the greasy area with a pad or scrubbing brush. Don't use an abrasive or metal scrubber or you will scratch the surface of your appliance. Wash the area clean with soap and water, then dry with a paper towel.

Another option is to use WD-40. Apply the solution and scrub the grease free with a pad or brush. Wash the grease and WD-40 off with soap and warm water.

The best preventative measure that you can make is to regularly wipe down your appliances after cooking, especially when you know that you've sent a lot of grease into the air. Something as simple as wiping down all your kitchen surfaces with soap and warm water will save you some tough scrubbing later.