This Laundry Room Staple Is Surprisingly Useful For Cleaning Your Stovetop

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Cooking is messy business. More often than not, whipping up a great meal can cover your stovetop in splatters and stains. A traditional countertop cleaner may do the trick, but chemical sprays don't always cut it — or you're in the midst of a grease-covered kitchen crisis only to realize you finished up your last bottle yesterday. When this happens, you can turn to ingredients meant for other uses. Pantry staples like cornstarch, for example, work on oven racks, while laundry go-to's like borax can clean your stovetop.

That's right, the fine white powder, scientifically known as sodium borate, is excellent at tackling kitchen stains. It's made up of three elements — boron, sodium, and oxygen — and is similar to baking soda but much more abrasive. That's what makes it a helpful cleaning agent for food grease and odors.

There are a few different options for using borax on your stove, whether you have an electric or induction range. Depending on the intensity of the mess, you can create a spray or paste by mixing borax with water — more water for a spray, more borax for a paste — and apply this mixture directly on the cooktop. Scrub the stain with a soft sponge or rag until it's sparkling. Alternatively, you can dampen the stove and sprinkle borax directly on top, letting it sit for about 20 minutes before scrubbing it clean.

Borax is traditionally used for laundry. When added directly to the drum of a washing machine, it can lift stains and fight heavy odors, among other functions. (Just avoid using it on fabrics like silk and wool.) But that borax-based cleaning spray or paste you made for your stovetop is also useful for freshening other kitchen areas, including vinyl flooring, laminate countertops, windows, and sinks. You can also sprinkle borax directly into drains and dishwashers to sanitize them, and it may even fight bug infestations when mixed with sugar and sprinkled on the floor.

There are a few things to know before you start using borax in your kitchen. The powder is technically toxic to humans, so when using it, wear gloves, stay in a well-ventilated area (or wear a mask), and keep it away from your face. Make sure children and pets can't come into contact with it, either.

Borax is an inexpensive and eco-friendly ingredient, and its versatility makes it a great value item to keep on hand. It's most commonly sold through the brand 20 Mule Team Borax, which you can find at Walmart, Dollar General, Home Depot, Publix, Kroger, Target, and other grocery and hardware stores. On Amazon, 4 pounds of 20 Mule Team Borax runs about $10 — a supply that'll surely keep your home clean for a long time.