i love ammonia

(August 20, 2011)

Confession: my kitchen isn't the cleanest. I do try to keep it clean and yet the basic maintenance is about as far as I get. As proof... we had friends over recently and two of the guys ended up trying to scrub down my stove because it apparently looked that bad. Embarrassing? Yes. Thanks.

Anyway, they motivated me. So I attacked the stove. But even with their elbow grease, and mine afterward, the stove burner grates were just as filthy-looking. So, I did a little research and found this trick:

1. Put the burners into a seal-able bag.
2. Add half a cup (or even less) of straight ammonia.
3. Seal the bag.
4. Leave it alone (somewhere where a potential leak would not be problematic) for 12-24 hours.
5. Wipe clean with a sponge.

Worth a try? Absolutely. I will ALWAYS try the tricks that take basically no effort at all. I love those.

Here we go...

Before (yes, they really were that bad):

And.... AFTER:

Are you amazed? Me too. Just had to share.