It's a staple for streak-free shine glass, but did you know you can degrease your entire kitchen using one common cleaning spray?
Windex, available at Walmart, has powerful surfactants in its unique formula easily cut through grease and grime all over your kitchen. This includes shifting stuck-on food from your microwave, splatters on tiles, and even freshening up your stove and leaving a streak-free finish that dries quickly and needs minimal rinsing.
Here, professional cleaners share their cleaning tips on how to use it effectively, explain why it works so well, and advise the surfaces you shouldn't use it on.
Why does Windex work to degrease a kitchen?
The original Windex spray you probably already have in the kitchen under the sink, is one of the most versatile cleaners out there and is brilliant for lifting stubborn grime and leaving a quick-drying, sparkling finish, no matter the surface. Avoid on porous surfaces however.
First things first, it's important to know why Windex, available at Walmart, works to clean a kitchen.
Alessandro Gazzo, cleaning expert from Emily's Maids, explains, 'Windex is effective for degreasing because of its two main cleaning components. The first are surfactants, which can be thought of as the active cleaning ingredients in dish soap or hand soap. These mix the grease with water, so it sticks to your cleaning cloth or sponge.'
We recommend using a microfiber cloth, such as the Great Value Microfiber Cleaning Cloth available at Walmart, or non-scratch sponge, such as the Scotch-Brite Zero Scratch Scrub Sponges available at Amazon when testing this hack, to avoid scratching or damaging surfaces.
'The second are alcohols, which help to dissolve and evaporate oils,' continues Alessandro.
Karina Toner, cleaning expert and operations manager at Spekless, agrees, adding, 'The ammonia in Windex acts as a powerful solvent, breaking down greasy residues quickly. It also evaporates fast, leaving fewer streaks and requiring minimal rinsing.'
How to use Windex to degrease your kitchen
To clean a kitchen after use, or before, Alessandro advises, 'The Windex Multipurpose Cleaner, available at Amazon, can be useful as a degreaser for different surfaces like the front of your cabinets and drawers, and your countertops as well,' as long as they're not stone or wood, which are always the first thing you have to clean in a kitchen.
You can also, as Karina adds, use Windex for cleaning a glass stovetop, cleaning an induction stovetop, cleaning electric stovetops, and cleaning kitchen backsplashes, 'Especially ceramic or reflective surfaces with built-up grease splatter.'
It's useful for cleaning a microwave too, she says, explaining, 'A light mist and wipe-down removes stuck-on splatter.' The Windex with Vinegar Cleaner available at Amazon is equally good for this, adds Alessandro, who advises, 'I like this one because it leaves no streaks and is ammonia-free.'
Alternatively, there's also another ammonia-free Windex Spray, available at Amazon, which Alessandro prefers when cleaning kitchen grease.
Importantly, though, not all our pros recommend degreasing your kitchen with Windex.
For example, Will Cotter, COO of HappyCleans, warns, 'Windex wasn’t made for kitchen-level grease. It’s not designed to lift oils, sauces, or splatters, and you’ll just find yourself using a ton of elbow grease and product with little reward.
'If you’re looking at using a cleaning staple you probably already have, just use Dawn Ultra Liquid Dish Soap, available at Walmart, instead.'
You can also use Dawn Platinum Powerwash Dish Spray, available at Amazon, for degreasing your kitchen. There are also plenty of other surprising things you can clean with Dawn Powerwash, too.
Kitchen degreasing shopping essentials
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
These super soft and absorbent cleaning cloths are ideal for removing grease and grime in your kitchen, and are perfect for color-coded cleaning, too.
These scrubbing brushes are loved by pros, for scrubbing surfaces without any scratching with an odor-resistant and ergonomic design.
This effective cleaner features a trigger spray for easy application, and can be used in kitchens, garages, and more, for leaving surfaces grease-free.
Meet our experts
'Avoid using Windex on natural stone, like granite or marble, or unfinished wood, as the ammonia can dull or damage the surface,' warns Karina. 'Always spot test if you're unsure.'
Windex is also great for cleaning glass shower doors, particularly when buffed with a lint-free microfiber cloth.
