This expert-recommended grapefruit hack will deliver a squeaky clean stovetop in minutes

When it comes to cleaning hacks, there's not much we wouldn't want to try, especially when it includes natural ingredients. Which is why when we saw this grapefruit hack we just had to share. 

Using citrus fruits is one of the most popular and effective expert cleaning hacks around, and this method from Mister Carrington from BBC's Sort Your Life Out proves that. Finding cleaning hacks for the kitchen that reduce the amount of chemicals used is a great way of keeping your surfaces safe and bacteria-free.  

So before you throw your leftover grapefruit in the compost as a sustainable garden idea, you might want to tackle cleaning your stovetop first. 

Expert's grapefruit cleaning hack 

Whilst you may already know how to clean an oven quickly and easily for a sparkling finish, tackling the stovetop when it's covered in dirt and grime can be a whole different ball game. 

Sharing his method via the Sort Your Life Out Instagram Mister Carrington, whose real name is Iwan Carrington, explained that the naturally occurring acids in a grapefruit make it the perfect cleaning agent. He says, "The citric acid has antibacterial agents in it, so it kills any germs. And that’s enough to get rid of any of the burnt-on food."

However, it's not just the grapefruit alone that provides a thorough cleaning for any grimy stovetops. Before he tackles the surface, Mister Carrington covers the sliced grapefruit with a generous amount of table salt. 

"We’re gonna go on with some cheap and cheerful table salt. This will just give us a bit of scrubbing power," he says. 

The video shows him scrubbing the surface, rind-side up, where the burnt crusted food starts breaking down and coming off with an abrasive salt texture. Mister Carrington also shows how the method can also be used on the burner caps, a spot which he points out often collects the 'real burnt-on stuff'. 

Now we wouldn't recommend using this method when it comes to cleaning glass stovetops especially when cleaning an induction hob, as that takes a specific non-abrasive cleaning solution and a specialised set of steps. 

But there is much to be said for the cleaning power of citrus fruits, as is clear when Mister Carrington shows the flesh side of the fruit once scrubbed across the surface and it's covered in black grease. 

Once he finishes scrubbing the surface, he takes a clean microfibre cloth and wipes down the surface to reveal a squeaky clean surface. And if you're worried about waste, after all, grapefruits can be more expensive than we'd like, then one user pointed out that you can eat the grapefruit and still use the rind for the method.

Otherwise, the grapefruit you've used to scrub can be composted in your garden as it will provide your plants with some added nutrients similar to how using orange peel in your garden does.

If you're not quite sold on sacrificing your morning grapefruit then why not try cleaning with vinegar or perhaps taking inspiration from cleaning your microwave with a lemon and using that citrus fruit instead?