How To Clean Grease Off Kitchen Walls?

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Are your kitchen walls covered with grease residue? A byproduct of cooking, grease stains can be difficult to remove.

You also need to make sure you are not damaging anything in the process.

To help you out, we will discuss how to clean grease off kitchen walls. The cleaning methods discussed here vary according to the type of surface.

For instance, cleaning grease off a tiled surface and a wooden surface requires a different approach.

We will walk you through each method so you’re prepared when you clean your kitchen. Let’s begin.

Cleaning Grease off Tiled Kitchen Walls

If you are cleaning grease off kitchen walls, the first thing you need to do is loosen it.

As grease and oil splatters sit on a wall, they penetrate into the surface. The deeper the penetration, the harder it can be to remove them.

So, begin by softening the grease residue. You can use warm water for this. Take a piece of cloth and soak it in warm water. Next, rub it across the walls to loosen the grease.

Once you are done, you can prepare a cleaning solution to start cleaning up the grease. You can use any of the following for this:

Cleaning Solution with Liquid Soap

You can fill a bowl or the kitchen sink with hot water. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap and soak the sponge in the soapy water.

Wring it out to get rid of any excess liquid. Use the sponge to scrub grease off the kitchen walls. A clockwise or anticlockwise motion is best. It will help loosen the grease easily.

Once you are done, examine your handiwork. If some of the greases still persist, you will need something more effective than liquid soap.

Cleaning Solution with Baking Soda

If a soapy solution doesn’t work, you can create a stronger cleaning agent using baking soda. Baking soda is great for cleaning.

It is basic in nature, like soap. However, it is more abrasive and gets rid of stubborn stains. Baking soda works by dissolving grease and dirt into water.

If you’re using baking soda as a cleaning agent, make sure you balance it properly.

We recommend taking one cup of warm water and one cup of baking soda. Mix the two together until you get a paste.

Take a cloth and dip it in the paste. Next, apply it to the stubborn grease stains on your kitchen walls.

Let it sit for a minute or two. This will allow the baking soda to work its magic. You can then rinse it clean with another clean rag.

Cleaning Solution with Vinegar

If a cleaning solution with baking soda doesn’t work, you can prepare a vinegar-based grease remover.

Vinegar is great for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. It is made from acetic acid, and its acidic nature makes it a powerful cleanser.

Vinegar can dissolve grease, grime, and mineral deposits. It also kills bacteria. You can use distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Both will deliver the same results.

You can prepare a 1:1 solution of vinegar with warm water. Fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spray the solution onto the grease stains. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then wipe it clean with a piece of cloth.

If you don’t have a spray bottle, you can also use a sponge. Dip the sponge into the solution and gently clean off the grease marks.

Once the stain has been removed, you can rinse a clean cloth with water. Wipe the surface to remove any remaining residues of vinegar or grease.

You can use the above method for cleaning other kitchen surfaces too. These include kitchen cabinets, floors, appliances, and painted surfaces.

Pro-Tip: You can also combine baking soda with vinegar. These two cleaning agents work well with each other. One is acid, while the other is basic. The acid-base reaction can give great results and help you get rid of grease stains! 

Cleaning Grease off Semi-gloss Painted Kitchen Walls

Grease is less likely to adhere strongly to semi-gloss painted walls. However, you may need to clean off any residue once in a while.

It’s important to be careful when you do this. You don’t want to rub away any of the paint in the process. You could also ruin the finish if you are not careful.

Here are some methods to consider:

Using Warm Water to Clean Kitchen Walls

To avoid any lasting damage, we recommend starting with something simple. Get some warm water and a clean sponge. Dip the sponge into the warm water and wring out any excess water.

Next, you can use the sponge to gently rub off the grease stains. In many cases, this can prove to be sufficient for cleaning semi-gloss painted walls.

Mixing a Non-abrasive Cleaning Product with Hot Water

If some grease stains prove to be difficult, you can use something slightly stronger. You still need to be careful about damaging the paint, though.

In such cases, we recommend mixing 1 ounce of a non-abrasive cleaning product with 1 gallon of hot water.

Once again, use a sponge to clean off the stains and rinse off with water.

Pro Tip: A solution with hot water and a non-abrasive cleaning product is suitable for other surfaces too. It is great for cleaning grout present between kitchen tiles! 

Adding Vinegar, Baking Soda, or Ammonia to Your Cleaning Solution

If the nonabrasive cleaning product doesn’t work, you can kick things up a notch. Add half a cup of vinegar to the cleaning solution you prepared.

Make sure it is diluted properly. Once again, you can use distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

If you are still not happy with the results, you can add ammonia and baking soda. Add one cup of ammonia to the cleaning solution.

This can be followed by baking soda (1/4 cup). Mix the ingredients and use a clean sponge to get rid of grease stains. Rinse the surface with water once you are done.

Other Innovative Ways of Cleaning Grease Off Kitchen Walls

Besides the above-mentioned techniques, you can also use these hacks to remove the grease:

Use Vegetable Oil to Clean Kitchen Walls

It may sound odd, but vegetable oil works surprisingly well for cleaning grease. You can pour a little onto a paper towel and use it scrub at the grease stain.

Once the stain is removed, you can wipe it off with a dry piece of cloth. If the area still feels sticky, use a soapy solution to clean any oil residue.

Use Salt to Clean Kitchen Walls

Besides vegetable oil, salt is very effective for cleaning off grease stains too. Prepare a salt solution and use a sponge to clean the stains.

If this doesn’t work, you can add a little alcohol to the mix. In this case, add one part of salt to four parts of alcohol.

The cleaning solution you get is great for getting rid of tougher stains. Alcohol can be expensive, though. So, we recommend trying a salt and water solution first to remove the easier stains.

Use Lemon Juice and Borax to Clean Kitchen Walls

Another unusual way to clean kitchen walls is to use lemon juice and Borax. Borax (also known as sodium tetraborate) is an age-old cleaning material.

It can help you get rid of grease stains, mildew, and mold. It can also be used to kill insects.

If you want to clean grease stains, you can create a 1:1 paste of Borax and lemon juice. This works as a powerful cleanser that cuts through grease very effectively.

Use a soft cloth to apply the paste over the stains. Let the paste sit for five minutes.

Once the five minutes are up, take a cloth and soak it in clean water. Use the cloth to wipe off the paste.

Conclusion

Cooking can often turn messy. As much as you try, you are bound to get grease splatters on surface tops or kitchen walls. You can try to clean up after you are done.

However, most of us don’t have the energy for that. Over time, the grease residue can build up and give your kitchen an unseemly appearance.

Cleaning up this grease residue can be difficult, but not impossible. For tiled kitchen walls, you can use a soapy solution to get rid of the grease.

You can also use baking soda and vinegar-based cleansers. These work well for removing tough grease stains.

For semi-gloss painted walls, hot water can work well. If it doesn’t, you can use a mild cleaning agent. You can also try a solution or paste with ammonia, baking soda, or vinegar.

Remember, it’s smarter to start with some simple steps and build your way up. That way, you won’t risk damaging your kitchen walls while getting rid of the grease.

We also recommend testing out your cleaning solution on an obscure patch of the wall. If something goes wrong, you can cover it up easily.

Good luck!

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