TikToker shares secret oven cleaning hack for removing stubborn cooked-on food and grease

This story was written by Brett Aresco and originally appeared on The Cool Down.

“Is your oven super nasty right now?” asks your new favorite person on TikTok in a recent viral video. “Let me show you the easiest way to clean it.”

The scoop

Over the next one minute and four seconds, your life is forever changed. “On the right side of the glass, I used a Brillo pad,” TikTok user Amy (@bossladycleaninghacks) continues. “On the left side, I used a pumice stone. Let’s see if my method holds true.”

A note from Motherly Editors: Always read the instructions on cleaning products like pumice stones (these ones aren’t for your feet!) and be sure to test in an inconspicuous area first.

After scrubbing, the boss lady wipes each side of the oven. Remarkably, the pumice stone side comes totally clean of even caked-on grease that looks like it had been there for generations. It seems, at least for now, that her method has held true. 

How it’s helping

By keeping your appliances properly cleaned, you can extend their life in your home, Jeff Neal, the project manager for industrial blasting and cleaning company Capital Coating, told Reader’s Digest. 

“Hands down, the best thing is to clean the units every month,” he told the outlet. “Grease, dirt, debris, char, and other contaminants build up on the appliances. And that build-up, over time, will eat and corrode the substrate of the metal, destroying the appliance. Most homeowners only need degreasers and a stiff bristle brush.”

The less frequently you need to buy replacement appliances, the more money you save, and the less e-waste ends up rotting in a landfill. 

What everyone’s saying

Amy has done the impossible: cleaned her oven without expensive, damaging, and polluting oven cleaners. And pretty much no one can believe it.

“Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor,” one TikTok user comments on the video. “I’m so trying this. Thank you!” 

And that formerly unenlightened soul wasn’t the only one impressed. “O M G it really worked!” offers another, equally amazed.

Though the pumice stone’s cleaning prowess is, apparently, under-appreciated, there are those who have experienced its awesome power firsthand. “I went through so many pumice stones when I cleaned houses,” one savvy commenter writes. “Best thing ever.”

This story was written by Brett Aresco and originally appeared on The Cool Down.