How Do You Dissolve Hardened Grease?

When you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is grease splattering onto your counters. You might not even notice it at the time, only to come back a day or two later and spot it out of the corner of your eye, hardened and shining.

Luckily, we’re here to tell you how you can dissolve hardened grease.

It’s true that grease is trickier to clean once it’s had time to harden, but that doesn’t mean it won’t come off when you know how best to approach it. Why not try following our advice and find out?

How to Clean Hardened Grease Stains

Step 1 – To avoid spreading grease around with the cleaner, wipe the area to remove any large food particles or spills first. Use a different part of/different cloth for this.

Step 2 – Spray the stained area with your chosen degreaser.

Step 3 – Leave the cleaning solution to soak for a few minutes then wipe the area with a cloth to remove this and hopefully the grease stain with it.

Step 4 – Dry the area using a dishcloth or towel to avoid water damage. The best degreasers won’t leave any residue behind.

As you can see, cleaning hardened grease stains is actually a lot easier than you’d think.

What is a Good Grease Remover?

Plain water is pretty ineffective when it comes to removing hardened grease spots and stains, no matter how much elbow grease you put into scrubbing them. In this case, you’ll need something a little bit stronger.

The majority of commercial grease cleaners will do a good job at removing grease, with products like this Goo Gone adhesive remover going above and beyond to lift stains and eco-friendly degreasers like the TriNova all-purpose cleaner which uses natural ingredients.

However, there are times when you might run out without realizing it, as well as some people who refuse to use chemical cleaners altogether in favor of more natural cleaning solutions.

If either of these two instances is the case for you, here are some alternatives for removing hardened grease stains that you’ll often have in your home already.

1. Baking Soda and Water

Baking soda is a natural ingredient that can be used for various cleaning purposes around your home. From tarnished surfaces to coffee stains, the alkali level of this cleaning agent means it makes light work of hardened grease, too, without damaging your hands or home.

Simply combine 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 cup of water and stir to make a paste.

2. Dish Soap

If a bit of grease accidentally splashed onto your clothes when you were cooking, a simple yet effective way to loosen hardened grease stains is to use dish soap.

This is because dish soap is designed to attach itself to grease and fat particles so it can more easily remove them when you’re washing up, but it works just as well on clothes, too.

Simply rub a little bit of dish soap into any fabric where the grease has stained and allow this to soak in for around 30 minutes, then wash the linen on a cold cycle.

3. Salt and Rubbing Alcohol

Throwing your clothes and machine washable fabrics into the washer is one thing, but getting grease stains off of larger types of material like rugs, non-removable cushion covers, carpets, and more, you’ll need a stronger solution of 1 part salt and 4 parts rubbing alcohol.

All you need to do is rub the mixture into the stain, giving it a reasonable amount of elbow grease, until you see the stain life and fade.

Once it’s gone and the solution has dried up, you can wipe away the excess and the stain should have disappeared!

Will Vinegar Break Down Grease?

Vinegar is well-known for its convenient effective use as a cleaning agent, but does it work to break down grease, or is this one type of stain that’s too much for vinegar to handle?

Once again, vinegar comes through for cleaning, as the acetic acid it contains is able to cut through grease to reduce how long you’ll need to spend scrubbing away at hardened spots.

There are actually a number of benefits to using vinegar as a grease remover, including:

Inexpensive option
Doesn’t contain harsh chemicals
Won’t trigger allergies as it has no perfumes or artificial scents
Can be used on non-porous surfaces
Can be used in households with pets and children

However, you do need to be careful when using vinegar to clean finished wood surfaces or tiles, so it’s best to do a patch test first before lathering it all over your walls.

Also, be cautious around marble, and avoid any contact with the eyes as it can irritate sensitive areas.