A cleaning test has found that white vinegar outperformed a popular cream cleaner on a stained hob, removing months of food stains with less mess and effort.
Nicola Roy, a Spare Time writer, tested Cif cream cleaner against white vinegar on her hob, which had accumulated oily grease, water marks, and burn marks from cooking. She applied Cif to one side and white vinegar to the other, comparing their effectiveness and ease of use.
Cif cream cleaner results
Roy applied a generous amount of Cif to the hob surface and rubbed it in with a damp cloth. She noted the pleasant lemon scent but found the product messy, spreading across the surface and requiring multiple cloths and kitchen roll to clean up. The residue also stained her recently washed t-shirt.
Despite the mess, the Cif did clean the hob surface well, leaving a shine and removing some food stains. The bottle claims it removes 100% of the toughest dirt, a claim Roy described as bold. She purchased the Cif from her local Savers for around £1.50.
White vinegar results
Roy sprayed white vinegar all over the hob, including under the burners and around the switches, and left it to sit for a couple of minutes. She found this method much less faff than the cream cleaner, requiring only a couple of wipes with a cleaning pad to leave a shiny, stain-free hob.
There was no need to dampen the cloth, and the process was considerably less messy, with her clothes remaining unscathed. Roy noted the only downside was the smell of white vinegar, but said it doesn't linger long and is worth it for a clean hob in minutes.
