Desperate situations call for desperate measures. The top of my stove – the flat part above the knobs and stuff – tends to serve as a holder for salt, pepper, spices, etc. As a result it doesn’t get wiped down very often so turns into a grease pit. (Come to think of it, I’m usually the only one around here capable of wiping anything on the stove but that’s another story.)

This morning I decided to clean it and boy oh boy was it nasty. I first tried using rubbing alcohol on a paper towel, which didn’t even smear the mess. I thought the stuff used for removing stickers and such from things might work but of course I couldn’t find it – that would make life too easy. So, rummaging through cabinets I came across a very old bottle of Orange Glo Wood Cleaner and Polish. Now, I wasn’t about to just spray that stuff everywhere, so I poured a small amount in an old jar lid, grabbed an old toothbrush and tried a spot and quickly saw it had great potential. So, I kept putting small amounts on the toothbrush, covered the mess, waited a few minutes and woot! Just light rubbing with the toothbrush worked! After that I wiped it down good with rubbing alcohol. Sometimes one just has to improvise.

Disclaimer: I’m not sure this is an acceptable use or if it’s safe. Try it at your own risk, I’m not responsible if anything bad happens as a result. Just because it worked well and safely for me doesn’t mean everyone will have the same experience. The bottle does say keep away from heat and flame, so I’d definitely NOT use it on a gas stove or range. 🙂