# How to clean a smokey grease layer
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-clean-a-smokey-grease-layer/711628
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 2, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-clean-a-smokey-grease-layer/711628 "2015-02-02T19:21:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-clean-a-smokey-grease-layer/711628/1 "2015-02-02T19:21:47Z")
Our kitchen stove has a chimney for the oven that’s right under the white-painted display panel. Before there was a dim brown smudge there, from cooked on grease, I assume. A couple days ago I ran the self-cleaning mode on the oven and now the smudge is much darker.
Is there a trick to removing baked on grease from painted surfaces?
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-clean-a-smokey-grease-layer/711628/2 "2015-02-02T19:42:05Z")
[This](http://www.amazon.com/SuperClean-101786-Cleaner-Degreaser-Trigger/dp/B0039ZBLEC) stuff is amazing!
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### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-clean-a-smokey-grease-layer/711628/3 "2015-02-02T19:55:20Z")
a Limonene based cleaner might work well. those do tough and dry grease and residue. it gets marketed as a citrus based cleaner.
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### Author:  [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)
#### Post date: [February 2, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-clean-a-smokey-grease-layer/711628/4 "2015-02-02T21:50:40Z")
In future, be sure to clean the outside ( those parts which you desire to keep clean … ) really well before doing self clean… as self clean means to run really hot, and so that is a higher temperature on the outside too…
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### Author:  [@kbasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbasar)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-clean-a-smokey-grease-layer/711628/5 "2015-02-03T00:10:01Z")
You could try oven cleaner. Test a small inconspicuous spot first. I have used oven cleaner to remove a variety of hard to remove spots/grease/grim/crud with great results from a variety of surfaces (glass ware, back splashes, shower enclosures, pots, pans).
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### Author:  [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-clean-a-smokey-grease-layer/711628/6 "2015-02-03T15:21:59Z")
Last night I hit this with some Goo-Gone, taking a note from the citrus cleaner note above. It did OK but not great. However, Goo-Gone on a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser worked wonderfully.
Thanks all!