Over the years my stainless steel toaster has built up a sticky skin that I couldn’t get rid of…until today!! I even tried Goo Gone and that didn’t work. You’re not going to believe what did the trick!
It’s so smooth and clean now! I just want to rub it each time I walk past. Haha!
I was even more surprised that the top came as clean as it did. It looks brand new again.
All it took was a little Cream of Tartar mixed with a few drops of water, coupled with some scrubbing!
Update:
After several people commented about using Bar Keepers Friend to clean and shine stainless steel, I tried it out! It is easier and cheaper than using Cream of Tartar. See my review.
You might also like:
How to Clean Big Stainless Steel Appliances
Get Greasy Splatters off Appliances
{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
I never knew that. I love that it’s so simple and natural. I have lots of stainless steel in my house.
Hmmm! I hope that this will work on my new stove top–there is a little build-up around the burners. Thanks for the great tip!
Toothpaste works for stove tops really well. Warm the eye be sure it is not hot put on the toothpaste leave for about 5 mins and sponge off!
Totally used baking soda and water to clean my stove last night and that worked wonders too! So amazing and to have options too!
If you have gas burners and can take the grates away. I put mine in a gallon zip lock add about 3/4 cup of ammonia and close. Let sit overnight and the fumes from the ammonia strip all the gunk right off!
Thanks for the great tip I hated scrubbing my grates with a steel wool pad the ammonia sounds terrific can’t wait to try it.
Am going to try this! I hate scrubbing the grates on my stove.
Easy Off oven cleaner will remove browning/yellowing spots around burners on stainless steel! Just spray on, let set (ours was a moderate spot, but I let it set for 30 minutes and most of it wiped right off\), wipe with a damp rag, then polish if desired! (You can use the oven cleaner while it’s warm or cooled.) Hope it helps! =)
I’m hoping for the same! Good Luck.
I just found you from Ask Anna and am loving what I see. I really need to clean my toaster and canb’t wait to try this. TFS!!
Thanks for that tip. I have a stainless stove extractor that I just don’t know how to clean. I’ll try it.
I have the same toaster! Can’t wait to clean it up! Then work on the stove & fridge!! Thanks!!
Going to use this on the top of the toaster oven!! Can’t wait to see it nice and shiny again!
Be careful with this. It looks like it actually scratched the surface of the toaster.
The scratches are most likely from the sponge; the green sponges are more harsh than the blue sponges. Use this with the blue sponges and you shouldn’t have any trouble at all!
can’t wait to try this on my tea kettle!
@ Kelley
It looks like in the original pic that the toaster already had some light scratch marks on it. I don’t believe the tartar has any harsh parts to it that would cause scratching. I would also assume to use the soft side of the sponge to avoid scratch marks as well.
I pinned this about an hour and a half ago. I tried this and it did not work.
I am now going to un-pin it :(
Thanks for this reminder! My great aunt and grandmother too, used this method for cleaning their pots and pans!
MagicEraser gets it off also.
And do you know that Magic Eraser contains formaldehyde, which is a carcinogen?
This is actually untrue… check it out.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/eraser.asp
Bar keepers friend works with little effort on a variety of surfaces from porcelain scratches ti gunk on SS
Bar Keepers, Love. I use it on my stainless steel sink. Puts shine to it.
Agree Bar Keeps is better than creme of tarter .. awesome
Seemed to actually make things worse for me on my stainless steel microwave above my oven. Almost scratched it…left a weird residue
You may like using pledge. It leaves my stainless steel appliances clean without streaks.
I’ve successfully used baking soda for this kind of task – it works and is LOTS cheaper than cream of tarter, which never worked all that well for me.
Diluted ammonia would likely help as well.
This is amazing! Just what I need, I hate that grimy stuff, and it’s so difficult to remove!
(Found this post and your blog from Pinterest!)
Hi,
I found your blog through Pinterest and I would love to invite you to share this, and any other posts you would like to, at my Creative Thursday Link Party at http://www.michellestastycreations.blogspot.com. (Runs through Monday each week)
Have a wonderful day,
Michelle
What a fantastic tip! Megan
My toaster is as beautiful as it was 9 years ago and it didn’t require very much work at all! Thank you!
rubbing alcohol dissolves that greasy oil too, but you hardly have to rub at all and it definitely won’t scratch. I’ve used it on computer keyboards I wanted to sell, oven hoods that had years of buildup, etc. Used it just this past weekend (paper towel and rubbing alcohol) to get all the grease off my sister’s kitchen cabinets around her stove.
Just so you know.
Thank you! Just tried it and it worked great. I was going to try the cream of tartar but didn’t have any and then saw your comment. I tried a little on the wall by the stove but it took a little of the paint off too so I guess I will try the CoT for that. I love the magic erasers as much as this next person but they didn’t not work on this grime for me. So glad to have something that works!
If you move into a new house and your trying to figure out if the old paint is “oil-based” or “water-based” then do an alcohol-on-cotton-ball-test. In a hidden spot, dab the cotton (with alcohol) in a little circular motion then look at the ball. If the paint came off the wall and you see it on the cotton then it is a water based paint. If the alcohol does not do anything to the paint then it is oil based paint.
Mr Clean Magic Eraser does this also, without harming the finish on your appliance.
WOW !! what a GREAT tip !!! THANK YOU !!! I did it today on my toaster and it looks AWESOME !! My husband wants to try it on the outside of the grill… might need to buy more !!
Agree with everyone else on Magic Erasers! Haven’t actually tried the cream of tartar but my mom moved in a new home and the stainless steel oven had years of baked-on grease and the Febreeze Foaming Magic Eraser effortlessly made it look brand new! And no scraches or harmful chemicals.
wouldn’t baking powder work just as good? instead of the cream of tartar? it’d be cheaper too!
Baking soda. It’s the answer to everything. It even spit-shined my 5 year old stainless steel grill. Looks like new now!
Baking soda works too, but the person who said “Magic Eraser effortlessly made it look brand new! And no scraches or harmful chemicals.” Magic Eraser does have chemicals in it! I know because I’m allergic to that and other cleaners.
And don’t let a child use a Magic Eraser either!!! It will burn the skin!!
our kids use them all the time and have not had any adverse problems.
Found you on Pinterest and just tried this on my tea pot today. Worked great and didn’t take any scrubbing at all! I included it in my blog. I’m using a recipe, tip or project from Pinterest every day for a year. You were day 48! :) 365ishpins.blogspot.com. Linked back to you!
I have a 10 year old stainless steel tea kettle that I put in the dishwasher when I have extra space. I use the Costco brand (Kirkland) liquid dishwashing detergent, and it leaves no spots on the kettle. It still looks brand new. Couldn’t be easier.
Thanks for sharing, tried it on my microwave and it worked splendidly! I’ll share a link on my blog. (www.simplytammie.com)
love these simple natural tips! Grabbed this one from pinterest…tks can’t wait to try it.
I use Spray 9 for my SS items. I have S & P shakers and Cannisters that after a while sitting by the stove will get that build up of grease and dust. Just spray it down with Spray 9, let it sit for a little while and then use a soft thistle brush to help remove the grime. Your items will come out all shiny and will look like brand new!!!
What is Spray 9?
I made a semi-runny paste of baking soda & hydrogen peroxide, applied it with a craft sponge brush-let it set for 5 min and everything just wiped off-it cleaned the glass top, oven door & all of the stainless steel surfaces. I did go back & wiped the surface with a damp micro fiber towel. I also cleaned the outdoor grilll but used a pan scrubber to agitate the mxture-it worked great!
You saved a family heirloom! My (almost) 90 year old grandmother recently gave me her electric waffle maker (I’m guessing it’s from the 50′s). It had 60 years of grease and grime on it and I was afraid to use any harsh cleaners on it. I just cleaned half of it, and with a LOT of elbow grease, it’s is shiny and beautiful again! Thank you!!!
That’s awesome! Waffle irons are hard to clean, I’m so glad it worked for you.
You can also clean and shine stainless steel sinks with baking soda. Works great!
Thi did not scratch my toaster and it was pretty sticky. My toaster looks and and sparkly and I’m super happy. Thanks for sharing!!!!!
I don’t know who did it for you but where it has the directions it says “srub” instead of scrub. I hate to see something so great and a misspelled word. Thanks for the information, Im going to try it tomorrow!!!
Thanks Monica! Got it fixed :)
Monica,
Don’t forget your apostrophe in I’m.
Good eye templegirl! LOL
Nice trick and I got the SAME toaster here :)
Barkeeper’s Friend works beautifully on things like this. I’ve tried it on the glass door of the toaster oven, on casserole dishes and cake pans among other things and have seen great and fast results with no scratching. It also gets gray knife marks off of white dishes.
Thanks for the great tip! I have been looking to do something with this for my toaster oven.
I was amazed, I used this on my Mothers toaster, and It worked all the way…..Happy
I have the exact same toaster, and I will be trying this… thank you!
I use windex. It works wonders. Put on my stove and let it sit and all the scum comes right off. But ill have to try this bc ive used every remedy to try and get off the gunk on the stove fan and nothing as worked
WD40 is great on stainless steel. All our appliances (fridge, double ovens, hood, etc) are stainless, and I keep them sparkling with that stuff. I just put a spritz on a paper towel and wipe the items. No strength needed. Takes the grease, water spots and fingerprints off immediately with ease :-) I know it’s not “eco-friendly” but I haven’t found anything that works as well.
Rubbibg alcohol works great also
Now that was a pretty good tip, toaster really does look new again, didn’t have to scrub that hard either!!
Cream of Tartar is expensive for cleaning. Lemon juice or any citrus product or dawn will cut through the initial grease and baking soda will scrub it up nicely. You can also use the lemon juice and baking soda to clean in your oven. Let soak with a bit of water for a few mins and it’ll almost take no scrubbing even on an aquired oven that hadnt been cleaned in a decade.
For cleaning the burners of the stove or the oven racks or the grill from the BBQ, just brew a pot of coffee, soak racks in coffee mixture over night and they will look like new.
Liquid barkeepers works great for sinks and oven tops! To clean the grates you can use barkeepers and a S.O.S pad! The black cooked on stuff comes right off! Just dont use the S.O.S on the stainless steel areas it will scratch it! I clean houses and i swear by it! For the sink just squirt some in the sink and use a sponge rinse n wipe dry! Sink looks brand new! Hope this helps!
Also Weiman stainless steel cleaner. (Cleaner and polish)works really well on any stainless steel!! Just use a dry rag spray a little on the rag and wipe! it is my favorite stainless steel product! its cheap and you can get it at target!
This is brilliant! Grease is such a terrible problem. I am in favour of natural solutions where possible! Many thanks!
You can still find cream of tarter? I have looked for it for baking purposes and can’t find it anymore. If you know which stores still carry it I would appreciate the name.
I’ve never had any problem finding it. Walmart carries it!
i buy it at walmart, target & trader joes when needed
Try WD40 for all stainless, use a cloth and not a paper towel. Use this for your stovetop, won’t scratch and cuts the grease with ease. I’ve been using it on my stainless appliances for 7 years and they look like new. Just be sure to use a cloth and not a paper towel, paper is made from wood and will scratch.
something that works better than this on stainless steal is Bar Keep scouring powder, works awesome with no scratches. If you get stainless steel that has stains or rust marks I use olive oil on soft cloth .. takes the rust away product looks like brand new!!
Sure any cooking oil would probably work for rust and stains …
Cream of Tarter will work, but the scratchy side of the sponge clearly scratched the Stainless Steel. Better options are….Barkeeps Friend or Magic Eraser. Never use the scratchy side of the sponge!! I’ve cleaned professionally for over 12 years, trust me….unless you don’t mind scratched stainless steel.
i simply used vinegar on my stainless teapot, inside and out.
To clean the hob top or oven shelves, fill bath with hot water to cover, mix in biological washing powder and leave overnight, everything just floats off and just needs a light scrub.
My stove burners were a mess…..I could scrub and scrub and were never clean. I tried putting each burner in a sealed gallon back with 1/4 cup ammonia. I scrubbed lightly and my burners are as clean as the first day I bought my stove!!
Did the stove grates in the bag with ammonia this past w/e and it worked like a charm! Love it!
I have a new stainless steel fridge that shows all fingerprints all the time, looking for best quick clean for this….never thought of fingerprints when I bought stainless or I never would have.
Weiman stainless steel cleaner – hands down the best!!
If you should feel the need to use a green (or any other color) scrub pad on stainless steel, scrub gently along the grain of the metal, NOT AGAINST IT OR ACROSS IT.
Better yet, use barkeepers friend and a plain old sponge.
As you can see in the pictures, the finish on that stainless steel toaster is ruined after the scrub pad was used on it in an incorrect manor.
I use baking soda, squeeze of blue dawn, and for smelling good….a drop or two of peppermint oil. Put just enough water in it to make a past. I rub in on my trash can and wipe off. Very cheap and easy, also environmentally friendly.
I also like Bar Keepers Friend for cleaning my glass top stove. I use the blue scrubbing sponge with water and buff with a clean paper towel. It is beautiful and shinny. I told my bachelor son about it and his stove top now shines too!
Mr. Clean sponges do the same thing – no scratches !!
Amway LOC full strength works much better on sticky grease on appliances and cleans just about everything and smells pleasant too.
Baking soda and vinegar will clean just about anything.
Baking soda and water on a scrubby works too. :)
I have to agree with the commenter who said to polish “with the grain.” This is a must when using Bar Keeper’s Friend or (even better) Bon Ami. I would never use Bar Keeper’s Friend on metal or enamel cookware.
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