Grossy Pelosi's Mom Shared Her Speedy Oven-Cleaning Hack, and We're Sold

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"The nickname Grossy is basically a cosmic joke," laughs Dan Pelosi, the chef behind @grossypelosi and author of Let's Eat. "I come from a long line of women who dust the ceiling fan for fun. We don't just clean up—we pre-clean, post-clean, and probably dream-clean."

His cookbook is packed with carb-loaded beauties like vodka sauce and a hoagie worthy of its own fold-out, but Pelosi insists the secret ingredient is wiping as you go. "I'm a clean-as-you-cook kind of guy. It keeps the kitchen joyful instead of looking like a crime scene," he says. "Of course, there's always a small mountain of dishes at the end, usually while guests hang around pretending to help. That's when the real bonding happens."

His favorite scrubbing sidekick? His mom, the original domestic guru. "I spent my entire childhood whining about cleaning baseboards. Turns out she was training me to be a self-sufficient sparkle machine, and now I'm basically thankful," he says. In this excerpt from his book, Pelosi spills his mom's greatest tidy-up tricks—the ones she used to keep their home spotless and their offspring mildly traumatized.

My mom doesn't clean houses—she performs exorcisms on them. My sister is equally terrifying. When they visit, they don't just tidy; they leave my apartment looking like it was never lived in. You might be thinking your mom could give mine a run for her money, and honestly, every mom is the GOAT in her own kitchen. Or maybe you're thinking, My mom never cleaned a thing, please send help. Either way, this guide has your back. I asked Mom to email me her best tips. She handed me a folded piece of notepad paper instead. I have transcribed that sacred document here, word for word, so we can all ascend to domestic greatness.

Cleaning Your Oven Pour 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and 2 cups of water into an ovenproof pot. Crank the oven to 350°F and let that pot steam away for 20 minutes to an hour. Turn it off, let it cool, then wipe. Congratulations: your oven is now cleaner than your conscience.

Cleaning Your Fridge Mix 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar with 2 cups water in a spray bottle. Mist the fridge inside and out, then wipe. Old socks are perfect here—finally, a retirement plan for the ones missing their mate.

Cleaning Your Sink Plug the drain, toss in 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and fill with water. Let it soak, drain, and behold the sparkle. For stubborn stains—rust, lime, or whatever that mystery spot is—Bar Keepers Friend and a soft cloth will sort it out. Rinse like you mean it.

Cleaning Your Faucet Fill a sandwich bag with apple cider vinegar and a few drops of essential oil if you want your faucet to smell like a spa. Rubber-band it over the spout overnight. In the morning, rinse, and the grime will have ghosted you.

Cleaning Your Countertops Mix 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar and 2 cups water in a spray bottle. Give counters a daily spritz-and-wipe with a soft cloth. It takes 30 seconds and makes you feel like you have your life together.

Cleaning Your Dishwasher When your dishwasher starts smelling like a swamp, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2 cups of distilled white vinegar into the bottom. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then run a rinse cycle. Your dishes will thank you, and so will anyone who opens it.

Cleaning Your Microwave Combine 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar and 1 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Nuke it on high for one minute. Remove the bowl—carefully, it's hot—and wipe the inside with a soft cloth. Yes, the old sock works here too. Socks are the MVPs of this guide.

Cleaning Your Dutch Ovens, Pans & Sheet Pans Let your pans cool first, unless you enjoy watching them warp into modern art. For everyday messes, Dawn does the job. For bigger battles, call in Bar Keepers Friend. For the truly cursed pans, soak overnight with water and kosher salt, then rinse in the morning. If food is still clinging on for dear life, boil water and white vinegar in the pan to evict it before scrubbing.

Cleaning Your Kitchen Cabinets Add 1 capful of Murphy's Oil Soap to 1 gallon of warm water. Wipe cabinets with a soft cloth. This also works on woodwork, baseboards, and doors—basically anything wooden that has been silently collecting fingerprints.

Cleaning Your Hardwood Floors Mix 1/2 cup Windex with 1 gallon of water. Mop the floors with it. A Swiffer wrapped in yet another old sock works beautifully. At this point, your sock drawer is basically a cleaning supply closet.

Dusting Your Everything Slide on a pair of old wool gloves and use them as dustcloths. They mold around weird shapes and knickknacks like they were born for it. Toss them in the wash and reuse. Once a month, give them a spritz of Pledge so they smell fancy while they work.

Reprinted with permission fromLet’s Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart & Homeby Dan Pelosi © 2023. Published by Union Square & Co. Photography © Andrew Bui.

Julie Vadnal is deputy editor of Domino. She edits and writes stories about shopping for new and vintage furniture, covers new products (and the tastemakers who love them), and tours the homes of cool creatives. She lives in Brooklyn.

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