How To Clean Sticky Kitchen Wall Tiles

How To Clean Greasy Kitchen Walls, Backsplashes, and Cupboards

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Let's face it — cooking is a messy job. While you're trying to bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan, that grease is splattering every which way it can. Over time, grease splatters build up and leave a residue over all your kitchen surfaces, but relax — we have a solution that makes cleanup as easy as wipe, wash, rinse, and done!

It's not always easy to wipe up as you go, especially if you're warding off the hangry family as dinnertime approaches, but blotting away grease as soon as it happens is the ideal-world scenario. The longer those splatters and stains sit, the harder they'll be to get off later.

(Image credit: Erika Tracy)

How often you'll need to give your walls, backsplashes, and cupboards a deeper, more thorough cleaning depends on how often you cook and make greasy messes. (Or whether or not you just hosted Thanksgiving!)

When it's time, the basic process is to soften grease and grime with warm water, then clean with a sponge soaked in warm, soapy water, and finally dry with a dishtowel to avoid any leftover residue that would attract dirt and grime. Stubborn stains may call for a baking soda spot treatment or a spritz of distilled white vinegar.

And good news — whatever the surface, be it wood cabinets, tiled backsplashes, or painted walls, the same process (and cleaning agents) will get the job done. Although you should always spot test first and use gentle scrubbing motions to remove grease.

How To Clean Greasy Kitchen Walls, Backsplashes, and Cupboards

What You'll Need

Paper towels
Warm water
Clean dishcloths
Dishwashing liquid
Sponge
1 cup baking soda
Distilled white vinegar
Clean towels

Bucket
Bowl
Spray bottle

Instructions

Blot: Blot any grease splatters or stains off kitchen surfaces immediately with a paper towel.
Then soften the residual splatters: Run a clean dishcloth under warm water and gently wipe grease splatters to soften.
Get your cleaning solution ready: Combine a drop or two of dishwashing liquid with warm water in a bucket. Soak sponge in solution.
Use the sponge: Wring out the sponge and press and hold it to grease splatter and then gently wipe surface in a circular motion.
Call in reinforcements: For stubborn grease stains, combine 1 cup warm water and 1 cup baking soda in a bowl and stir into a paste. Apply paste to grease stains and let dry. Remove paste with a clean, soft dishcloth. If grease splatters and stains are still visible, combine equal amounts vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle. Spray on grease; let sit for 5 minutes.
Rinse the surface: Run a dishcloth under warm water and gently rinse surface. Then, dry surface with a clean towel.

Notes

Avoid using undiluted bleach, which can ruin paint or stain other surfaces.

Jo First

Contributor

Jo is a contributing writer for The Kitchn. A Midwest-based California girl with an odd obsession for organizing and decluttering. Now that she's an empty nester, her house stays too put together--and she likes it!

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