Inquiring Minds Want to Know

There are hundreds of bloggers telling you about their homemade cleaning solutions.  I use them.  Vinegar is my friend.

As I was cleaning my kitchen yesterday morning because a friend was coming over, I noticed the ring of grossness around my burners.  I thought to myself: Ew.  I should clean that.   I decided then and there to do a blog post answering all of your burning questions about which is better: commercial or homemade cleaning supplies.  I know you've been waiting with bated breath for this one...

My gas cooktop.

Here you see my cook top.  It's a lovely 5-burner Dacor that we picked up at a weird little appliance store in the sketch part of Seattle when we were remodeling our kitchen 3 years ago.

On the right:  the Bar Keepers Friend I purchased with a coupon a few weeks ago.  My mother-in-law swears by it.

On the left: I wanted to compare the BKF to an oldie but goodie - Baking Soda.  Those geniuses over at Dwight & Church Co., Inc have made millions and millions selling sodium bicarbonate for - seriously I just looked it up - over 150 years! 

I tried to be as scientific as possible...

Sprinkled powders.

Made a paste using identical brushes.

I then employed my secret ingredient: Elbow Grease.  I scrubbed for at least 30 seconds, maybe 45.  I wound up using a Scotch Brite sponge and I wiped it down with a wet cloth.  The results are as follows...

Drum roll please...

Bar Keepers Friend result.

Baking Soda result.

As you can see, the difference is negligible (to be fair, the Bar Keepers burner was a lot dirtier).  So save your pennies and use Baking Soda (for most things).  I'll let you know when I find something only Bar Keepers Friend can clean.

And lest you think I spend my whole day cleaning...  I'd much rather blog about cleaning than actually clean.

Ugh.

Of course, it's not like I get to clean after all, I looked out the window to find that my wee children had turned the wheel barrow into a swimming pool.  Kudos for creativity. 

mmm... tetanus bath.

PS... I will most likely blog about cleaning a few more times.  My mother-in-law will be here in t-minus 25 - nope, make that 24 days (but who's counting?). 


UPDATE:  Seriously, 5 minutes after I took the picture of the sink, Kyle sent me a text that he was on his way home.  I did not get that text until just now... he's already 20 minutes into his 45 minute commute and the house is a disaster and I gardened since my last shower.  *scramble*