I'm not very good at cleaning. When given the option of cleaning or doing just about anything else, I've always chosen anything else. Yet, after reading Insider Reviews senior reporter Jenny McGrath's review of The Pink Stuff, I hoped it could remove enough gunk from my oven door to make my meals visible. I also gave it a shot on my microwave door — though less grimy than the oven, it was also overdue for a cleaning.
Here is my Pink Stuff journey:
The Pink Stuff comes in an 18-ounce tub, and I found it was easy to scoop the paste out with a cloth.
James Brains/Insider
The Pink Stuff is a mildly abrasive cleaner that you can use to clean a wide range of surfaces indoors and out. You simply apply a thin paste layer to the area you want to clean using a soft cloth. Rub it on gently. Then rinse it off using hot water.
I applied The Pink Stuff to my oven door's interior to get the grime off.
James Brains/Insider
The first time I applied The Pink Stuff, I rinsed it off right away. The second time, I let it sit for half an hour. I didn't notice a difference in performance between letting it set versus not.
You're supposed to scrub gently, but I got better results when putting a little elbow grease into it. I wasn't too concerned about scratching the door. If you are cleaning a surface that could scratch easily, you'll want to be gentler.
Before using The Pink Stuff, you could barely see the container in the oven. After two cleanings, it was more visible, but there was still plenty of room for improvement.
James Brains/Insider
The pronounced buildup of grime from years of heavy use and minimal cleaning proved too much for The Pink Stuff, but it put forth a valiant effort. I'd say it did marginally better than Bar Keepers Friend and Formula 88.
The Pink Stuff did a much better job on my less-dirty microwave door.
James Brain/Insider
With the microwave door, I wiped it off right away, and that seemed to be enough. I also found that I didn't have to work as hard to clean the microwave window.
Before using The Pink Stuff, you couldn't read the label on the cleaner through the dirty microwave door.
James Brains/Insider
Afterward, it was easy to read. And more importantly, I can now view my food as it heats.
The bottom line
Based on my experience cleaning these surfaces, The Pink Stuff seems like an excellent cleaner for recent grime and minor messes. Yet, you'll want to look elsewhere for heavier duty cooking grime jobs or settle for less-than-perfect results.
I found it easy to use either way, and I look forward to trying it out on my treadmill next. Apparently, I'm supposed to wipe it down after each of my uber-sweaty runs. Who knew?
