I’ve always looked to my grandma for cooking and cleaning hacks. She was a wonderful cook, and her kitchen was always spotless. While I’ve learned several handy tips from her, the most ingenious one is probably the most surprising: to use white bread to clean splatters, grease stains, or fingerprints off of kitchen walls and cabinets.
Yep, you read that right. When a splash of greasy curry sauce would hit her kitchen walls or cabinets, she would use a piece of soft white bread to dab it off. She used it for decades, and now I’ve been using it for years myself.
How My Grandma Used White Bread to Clean Her Kitchen
My grandma’s white bread cleaning hack was simple. She took a slice of white bread, cut the crusts off, and either folded or rolled the center of the bread into a thick ball. Then, she gently dabbed and pressed the bread into the stain. Remember to dab and not scrub with the bread. Once the stain transferred from the wall onto the bread, she’d rotate it to a clean side, and do it again, until the entire stain was gone.
While this sounds like a silly prank, there’s actually chemistry in play. Firstly, soft white bread has a porous, spongy crumb that allows it to get into the microscopic nooks and crannies of the wall without the abrasiveness of a sponge. When you press the bread against the surface, the gluten acts as a gentle adhesive, picking up dry pigments, dust, and light oils, lifting them off the wall rather than smearing them into the paint. Plus, this trick won’t ruin your kitchen walls’ finish like Magic Erasers might.
I’ve used this hack countless times to clean stubborn grease splatters in my kitchen, as well as random stains in my bathroom and bedroom. I love this simple trick because it’s budget-friendly, super easy, and doesn’t involve any harsh chemicals.
I usually use Oroweat Country Style White Bread for this hack because I like its taste as well (so I almost always have it on hand). However, you can use any soft white bread that’s in your pantry — just don’t use sourdough or crusty baguettes as you need that pillowy, processed texture for it to work.
I typically cut the slice and fold it as I find it easier to hold and dab it that way. In addition to matte walls and cabinets, this hack also works well on plastered walls, delicate wallpaper, and oil paintings. The next time you have a messy kitchen spill, don’t reach for the chemical cleaners — all you need is a slice of plain ole white bread, and it’s sure to do the trick.
