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Stay Home This May Day: Deep Clean Kitchen Grease in 3 Hours, Save 200 Yuan

Money Saving, Home Tips, Kitchen Cleaning, Grease Removal —

Honestly, last May Day I spent 200 yuan hiring a cleaning lady for the kitchen. This year I decided to DIY—turns out, it’s not that hard.

The key: use the right method.

My kitchen isn’t huge, but range hood and stove grease had accumulated for a year. Every time I cooked, there was this aged grease smell. Last year I tried viral cleaning products, spray and scrub, exhausted with mediocre results.

This year I did homework, summarized a 4-step process, got the kitchen looking brand new in 3 hours. Sharing for anyone staying home this May Day.

Step 1: Pre-treat grease—this trick saved me 30 minutes

Before I’d spray cleaner directly, scrub with steel wool. Exhausting and damages surfaces.

This year learned a new trick: apply first, then wipe.

How:

  1. Stick paper towel to greasy surface
  2. Spray cleaner, soak the paper
  3. Wait 10-15 minutes for cleaner to soften grease
  4. Peel off paper—most grease already dissolved

Works great for range hood interiors and stove edges. Spots that took 10 minutes before? 2 minutes now.

Step 2: Choose the right cleaner—don’t fall for viral products

Last year I bought viral kitchen cleaners—fumes so strong I choked even with a mask, mediocre results.

This year switched to pH-neutral cleaners. Slower grease removal, but doesn’t hurt hands or surfaces, less harsh smell.

Specific recommendations (not ads, personally tested):

  • Range hood interior: Heavy-duty degreaser (alkaline) plus gloves
  • Counters and tiles: Neutral cleaner, surface-safe
  • Stainless steel stove: Dedicated stainless cleaner, shines like mirror

Also, never use steel wool! Scratches surfaces, grease sticks easier later. Use sponge or magic eraser.

Step 3: These 3 blind spots must be cleaned

Many only clean visible areas. These 3 spots are grease hot zones:

  1. Range hood fan wheel: Remove, soak in cleaner 20 minutes, scrub. Most grease hides here—after cleaning, suction noticeably stronger.

  2. Stove gaps: Scrub with toothbrush plus cleaner. Invisible normally but serious grease buildup, cockroach magnet.

  3. Wall tile grout: Gently scrape surface grease, then scrub. After cleaning I realized grout is white, not gray.

These 3 spots transform the whole kitchen feel.

Step 4: Daily maintenance—this 1-minute habit means no more deep cleans

After deep cleaning, daily maintenance matters. I developed a habit: after cooking, while stove still warm, quick wipe with paper towel.

Wiping while warm has 3 benefits:

  1. Grease hasn’t solidified—wipes right off
  2. No cleaner needed, paper towel suffices
  3. 1 minute daily saves weekend deep cleans

Stuck with it a week—stove stays much cleaner, almost no extra weekend cleaning needed.

Cost breakdown:

  • Cleaners: 30 yuan (bought two types)
  • Paper towels: 10 yuan
  • Magic erasers: 5 yuan
  • Gloves: 3 yuan

Total under 50 yuan, saved 200 yuan on cleaning service, learned lifelong skills. Win-win.

For those staying home May Day, give it a try. That satisfaction after cleaning? Better than binge-watching shows.

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