The £1 household item that cleans away takeaway stains

Not to worry, this is an experience shared by millions of people across the UK, and there is a simple solution to it.

Greasy foods like pizza, curry and kebabs can leave a horrible stain on work surfaces when left in place for an extended period of time.

But, there is a household item costing only £1 which can banish these stains very, very easily.

The £1 household item that banishes takeaway stains from your kitchen worktops

Expert Liv Reed from Prestige Granite said baking soda is the answer to takeaway stains on kitchen worktops.

She has shared a step-by-step guide:

1. Sprinkle directly on the stain: Lightly cover the oily patch with baking soda.
2. Let it sit: Leave it for a few minutes so it can soak up the grease.
3. Brush or wipe away: Remove the powder and the absorbed oil.
4. Follow up with cleaning: Scrub as usual for a fresher finish.

Sharing why it works, the expert said that baking soda is absorbent and mildly alkaline, making it excellent at pulling out oils and helping to loosen greasy residue.

However, Liv pointed out that the solution to takeaway stains on worktops differs between materials.

She said: “Not all worktops are created equally, while a quartz worktop stands a better chance of beating the stains, other materials like wood, marble and granite could be at risk.”

How to get rid of curry stains on worktop surfaces?

There are a number of other ways to remove curry and other takeaway stains from worktops, with users on a Reddit forum called r/britishproblems sharing their hacks.

One person shared that bleach, an item every household has, can go a long way in destroying the stains left behind by fast food, but this could be risky on certain surfaces.

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For those with a stone work surface, this user said: “The installers of our stone kitchen work surfaces (Quartz) recommended lemon juice. If I stain the surface, I slice a lemon in half, squeeze it a bit and rub around the area.

“Magically clears up within a few hours. Also works great for limescale and hard water deposits around the sink.

“They said to avoid any kind of bleach or chemicals if possible, as they can be too harsh and leave stains as they react with the stone.”