Frying on the stove usually results in grease splashes on the wall above and around the stove. This cooking fat can get really stuck on the surface, especially old grease splashes. And even after one wash, traces of the grease coating may still be visible.
But with the right product and method, it is easy to clean the wall of grease.
The experts have good tips – and we’ve even tested a homemade “washing porridge”!
We fried vinegar in the oven
Steer clear of these detergents
If you have washed the surface and there is still a coating of grease, you simply did not use the right cleaning agent or did not wash enough, believes Vibeke Scavenius, cleaning expert and head of marketing and communications at CityMaid:
– For example, you should avoid cleaning agents that contain scouring agents, ammonia or bleaching agents. It doesn’t work well, and is also something that will wear on the surface, says Scavenius.
She also recommends steering clear of both salt vinegar and traditional kitchen spray:
– This can be harmful to health, says the expert.
Malin Skaar, cleaning expert and consumer manager at Orkla, says that the longer you wait to wash off grease splashes, the harder it is to get rid of them:
– It is an advantage to wash over the wall immediately after you have cooked, then only water will do, advises Skaar.
Washes itself
Homemade cleaning porridge
Recipes for homemade environmentally and health-friendly cleaning agents that are supposed to be effective on grease can be found in abundance on the internet. The ingredients that are often left behind are either baking soda or baking powder – the latter because it contains, among other things, baking soda.
We tested one of these recipes, and you only need two ingredients:
- 2 deciliters of baking soda or baking powder
- 1 deciliter of warm water
This is what you do:
- Mix baking soda/baking powder with hot water in a container of hot water. Stir well until you get a suitably thick porridge
- Soak a clean microfiber cloth in the mixture, turn over and spread the porridge over the entire surface with the cloth
- Let the porridge work on the wall for around 30 minutes
- Then wash off with a damp, well-wrung cloth
- Finally, wipe over with a dry microfiber cloth or kitchen paper
You can see our result in the video above!
Therefore it will be like this
Recommend basic product
Before cleaning the wall of cooking grease, Scavenius and Skaar recommend checking what type of wall you have. Painted wallpaper and panels need a gentler treatment than, for example, stone, concrete and tiles.
– Some material and paint can only withstand being wiped with a dry cloth, others can withstand being washed with water, others can withstand being washed with water and soap, says Skaar.
The best is to use an alkaline product, also called a basic product, the experts say.
Alkaline cleaners are particularly suitable for removing organic dirt, oil and grease that is not very ingrained. Alkaline cleaning agents are also often the most environmentally friendly option.
Can make scratches
For effective removal of grease splashes, Scavenius therefore recommends the following method:
1. Dampen a microfiber cloth with lukewarm water and wash the surface.
2. If this does not do the job, you can moisten the cloth in water mixed with an alkaline product and wash over the wall again. Liquid dish soap such as Zalo works well. Repeat as needed.
3. If there is an extra visible and thick coating of grease, you can start by wiping off the worst of it with paper towels – before washing over with the microfibre cloth moistened with soapy water.
4. Wipe over once more with a clean microfiber cloth.
5. Repeat points 3 and 4 until the fat is gone.
– If the grease coating is very ingrained, instead of dish soap, you can use a slightly stronger alkaline product in the water, such as a product suitable for household cleaning, adds Scavenius.
Even if the grease splatter is firmly attached, Skaar warns against being too heavy-handed:
– Do not start using different, strong chemicals and scrubbing hard. Then it can quickly become shields that are difficult to remove, says Skaar.
You should actually mix these
Prevent with impregnation
If you have tiles, stone or concrete on the wall above the hob, the expert recommends impregnating the wall when all the grease is gone. This will reduce the chance of grease spatter settling and becoming ingrained, according to Scavenius.
– When the surface is impregnated, water and grease are shut out, while allowing the wall to breathe. Then grease and dirt will be washed away more easily and drops from water vapor and spills will almost bounce off, she says.
If you have wallpaper or panels, it is first and foremost smart to put up a protective plate made of either glass, Plexiglas or metal, advises Scavenius.
– Then you protect the wall from dirt, grease and water, and it will be much easier to keep it clean.
