Household ammonia is a powerful cleaning agent that is especially effective at cutting through greasy buildup. It is often found in window and glass cleaners. But what exactly is ammonia, and how can it be used for cleaning jobs around the home? Here's everything you need to know about this heavy-duty cleaning agent.
What Is Ammonia?
Household ammonia, or ammonium hydroxide, is an ingredient found in many commercial cleaning agents. Ammonia is often an ingredient in commercial glass cleaners. Thanks to its quick evaporation time, ammonia helps to prevent streaking.
Ammonia is also incredibly effective at cutting through grease and grime, making it a useful product for deep cleaning jobs in the kitchen, where oily buildup from cooking can leave a sticky film on cabinets and appliances.
Safety Precautions for Cleaning with Ammonia
While ammonia is a highly effective cleaning agent, you must take several important safety precautions when using it for household cleaning.
Ensure Good Ventilation and Wear a Mask
Ammonia produces strong fumes that can irritate the mouth, throat, and respiratory system. When working with ammonia, ensure that the area is well ventilated. Open windows and run a fan. Consider wearing a protective mask to prevent the inhalation of fumes.
The fumes from ammonia can be especially harmful to infants and children, people with respiratory ailments or conditions, as well as pets. When using ammonia to clean, it is best to keep children and pets out of the area until the fumes have subsided.
Wear Protective Gloves and Goggles
Due to ammonia's causticity and corrosiveness, it is important to wear rubber household gloves and other protective gear to prevent contact with the skin. In addition to rubber gloves, it is recommended that you wear long sleeves, pants, and close-toed shoes when cleaning with ammonia to prevent splatters from making direct contact with your skin.
Additionally, because ammonia produces strong fumes, wearing eye protection such as safety goggles is recommended.
Never Mix Ammonia with Other Cleaning Agents
When mixed with chlorine bleach, ammonia creates a dangerous chemical gas. It is crucial to avoid mixing the two. Also avoid mixing any commercial cleaning agents that contain either one as an ingredient. In general, avoid mixing ammonia with anything other than water or mild soap and follow all the usage guidelines on the product label, including instructions for diluting it.
What to Clean Using Ammonia
Ammonia is a highly effective degreaser and glass cleaner that is especially useful for tough kitchen cleaning jobs. Some of the ways to use ammonia for household cleaning include:
1. Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets can become sticky and dull-looking over time because of buildup from cooking oil that leaves a film on kitchen surfaces. Following the instructions on the bottle, dilute ammonia with water to create a highly effective grease-cutting cleaner.
2. Vent Hoods
Like kitchen cabinets, vent hoods can develop a sticky film caused by buildup from cooking oils. This sticky film attracts dust and other particles that cling to the surface of vent hoods, creating a dull, dirty appearance. An ammonia solution is a highly effective cleaner for this tough job, especially when paired with a non-scratch scrub sponge for extra scouring power.
3. Stovetop Grates
Using ammonia can cut down on the amount of scrubbing required to deep clean stovetop grates. Place each stovetop grate in a gallon-sized zipper bag, add ¼ cup ammonia and seal it well. The grate does not need to be fully submerged in ammonia as the fumes will do most of the work of loosening stuck- and burnt-on particles. Allow the grates to sit for eight hours before carefully opening the bags and extracting the grates. Dispose of the ammonia, wash the grates with hot soapy water, dry them well, and return them to the stovetop.
4. Electric Ovens
Ammonia can loosen burnt-on food in an oven. Start by warming the oven to 150°F and boiling an oven-safe pot of water while it heats. Place half a cup of ammonia in an oven-safe, non-reactive bowl on the top shelf, and the pot of water on the rack beneath it. Shut the oven door and allow the ammonia to sit undisturbed for at least 8 hours. Then open the oven door and allow it to ventilate for at least an hour before wiping the loosened particles with a soapy sponge or rag.
5. Glass
Ammonia is often found in commercial glass cleaners thanks to its quick drying time, which helps prevent streaks from forming. To make a DIY glass cleaner using ammonia, mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle.
When Not to Use Ammonia
In addition to the safety precautions discussed above, here's a review of what to avoid when using ammonia:
- Do not mix ammonia with chlorine bleach or with products that contain chlorine bleach.
- Do not use ammonia to clean a gas oven unless you have first turned off the pilot light and gas line.
- Do not use ammonia to clean wool or silk garments. Ammonia can be used to treat some laundry stains such as lipstick and sweat.
- Do not use ammonia to clean pearls or opals. Ammonia can be used to gold jewelry.
Sources:
- All photos used in this blogpost are sourced from the internet, and the rights belong to their respective owners
- Kerr, J. (2025, January 27). What Is Ammonia? 5 Things You Can Clean with It. Better Homes & Gardens. https://www.bhg.com/what-is-ammonia-8749223