We carry a few cleaning products at The Chopping Block, but none are as versatile as the Universal Stone. The number of surfaces you can clean with this little stone is pretty huge, ranging from stainless steel to vinyl to musical instruments to running shoes. Of course, we don’t have too many musical instruments lying around here, but we use the product for cleaning caked-on, tarnished or burned surfaces. And beyond being versatile, the powder is eco-friendly, non-toxic and acid free. Even better!
I’m going to take you through the simple steps of using this cleaner to show you exactly what it can do. All you need is the stone, a sponge and a bit of water for an easy kitchen cleanup.
Step 1: Wet a sponge, then wring it out.
You never want to apply too much water to the stone, or you’ll dissolve more of the detergent than you need to. Your sponge should be just a little damp.
Step 2: Pick up a little bit of powder with the damp sponge.
Run your sponge over the stone a few times to pick up a little bit of the detergent. I’m using the more abrasive side of the sponge here, because my cleaning projects are going to be pretty heavy duty.
You don’t need to overdo it: a little bit will go a long way. You’re looking for about this much:
Step 3: Scrub!
Apply the cleaner to the surface you want to tackle and keep scrubbing until you’ve removed all of the tarnish, burn marks or grease. Of course, the type of cleaning project will dictate exactly how much scrubbing you have to do: some projects require a lot more of time and attention than others. Some marks or blemishes will come up easily. Others will take a few minutes of intense scrubbing. Reapply the cleaner to the sponge as much as needed until you’ve taken care of the whole mess.
Step 4: Rinse.
Use a little water or a damp rag to rinse away the remaining cleaner and any residue. It’s helpful to rinse a few times as you’re scrubbing too, just to get an idea of how far you’ve come.
Now I’m going to give you a few examples of exactly how well this stuff works, with a few before and after shots. I started with three problem areas in our kitchens, with three different finish types.
Example 1: Stainless steel range edge
Along the tops of our ranges, there’s a little ledge between the burners and the backsplash. Between the heat from the gas and the grease splatter from hot pans, this stainless steel becomes discolored quickly. Here’s what it looked like before I cleaned it with the Universal Stone.
I used the scouring side of the sponge, but remember: always scrub WITH the grain when cleaning brushed stainless steel. If you scrub against the grain, you can easily scratch the surface.
After a few minutes of scrubbing, it looks as good as new. Pretty neat, right?
Example 2: Cast Iron Range Grates
The grates on our ranges take quite a beating. They’re cleaned multiple times a day, but even routine cleaning can’t keep buildup from accumulating. Here’s what one looked like before being scrubbed. There’s a pretty good buildup of char.
Here’s what it looked like after some scrubbing. This project took a little longer than the stainless steel, but the results were worth the effort! There’s still a little leftover residue, but it looks much closer to new.
Example 3: Metal Range Top
The tops of our ranges catch a ton of spills, drips and falling food all day long, so they end up looking pretty dirty. Since these areas are so close to the burners, the spills and drips turn into a pretty heavy char.
Here’s the same spot after a few minutes of scrubbing. As with the cast iron grates, this area took a little extra effort. It was especially hard to get into that corner. But again, the Universal Stone takes off an amazing amount of the grime.
The next time you stop in to our retail stores, make sure to check out the Universal Stone. Again, it’s useful not only in the kitchen, but for a wide variety of cleaning projects around the rest of your home: garages, bathrooms, floors, anything! The fact that it’s eco-friendly and non-toxic makes it even better.
Watch The Chopping Block's Director of Cleaning, Peggi Kinsella, put Universal Stone to work in this video.
