How to Use 'The Pink Stuff'—the Popular Cleaner That Pros Love

You're likely to see all types of cleaning trends, methods, and popular products when scrolling through social media's housekeeping content. With so many to catch your eye, it can be tough to discern the overhyped from the truly remarkable. Take, for instance, The Pink Stuff, a mildly abrasive, rosy-hued cleaning paste.

This little tub of pink goo has taken social media by storm, with influencers and cleaning enthusiasts raving about its ability to tackle everything from burnt-on grease to stubborn bathroom grime. But does it really live up to the hype? According to our research, yes, indeed it does.

Hailing from a UK-based company called Stardrops, it's made from primarily quartz, soap, and sodium, is certified cruelty-free, and safe for use indoors and out. Best of all, it's suitable for a variety of surfaces and tasks, whether you’re deep cleaning your kitchen, scrubbing your bathroom, or rescuing your favorite sneakers from scuff marks. However, there are some places where you don't want to apply it.

To help you harness the power of this viral product, we're diving into how exactly to use it throughout your home below.

For Kitchen Cleaning

The Pink Stuff works wonders in the kitchen, making quick work of grease and burnt-on food. Here's how to make cooked-on debris a thing of the past with The Pink Stuff.

While The Pink Stuff can help tackle an array of kitchen surfaces, avoid using it on non-stick cookware, glass, and unsealed natural stone as its abrasive quality can damage these particular kitchen surfaces. 

Instructions:

1. Apply a small amount of The Pink Stuff to a damp cloth or sponge.
2. Gently scrub the surface, focusing on grease, burnt-on stains, and water spots.
3. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes for tough stains.
4. Wipe away with a clean, damp cloth.
5. Buff with a dry microfiber cloth for shine.

For Bathroom Cleaning

Using The Pink Stuff on your bathtubs, showers, and sinks can erase the soap scum and stains that other methods leave behind. According to professional cleaner Stephanie Phillips, faucets and shower heads are particularly great candidates for cleaning with The Pink Stuff.

"I love to use a brush and scrub down the little nozzles on the shower head with The Pink Stuff," she says. "It takes just a minute but gives the shower the feeling of being brand new."

Instructions:

1. Wet the surface and apply The Pink Stuff with a sponge—or a small cleaning brush if you're cleaning tile grout.
2. Scrub gently, focusing on soap scum and stains.
3. Let it sit for 10 minutes for tough grime.
4. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a clean cloth.

For Other Household Surfaces

If you have scuff marks on your walls or doors, shoe prints on your laminate floors, or sticky fingerprints on your doorknobs, never fear. The Pink Stuff can take on the task, restoring surfaces to their former glory. 

But remember: "Some surfaces are too delicate for even a mild, non-toxic abrasive paste," cautions Phillips. Avoid using abrasive cleaners like The Pink Stuff on matte or flat-painted walls and always do a test patch before polishing metal. 

1. Apply a small amount to a damp sponge.
2. Rub gently to remove marks.
3. Wipe with a clean, damp cloth and dry.

For Outdoor Cleaning

The Pink Stuff works well on patio plastic and metal patio furniture, stained stone surfaces, and the outside of your grill. It can also be used to scrub brake dust from the alloy wheels on cars and can even shine up certain kinds of headlights.

Instructions:

1. Apply a small amount to a damp cloth or brush.
2. Scrub gently to remove dirt and weather stains.
3. Rinse with clean water and dry.
4. Rinse thoroughly with a hose or bucket of water.

For Miscellaneous Uses

But wait—that's not all! Phillips finds herself reaching for The Pink Stuff frequently to tackle various scruffs and stains. "I love it for big jobs, like cleaning the seals and gaskets on a front-load washing machine," she says, "but I also use it for small tasks like removing adhesive residue left behind by stickers and price tags, cleaning scuffs from my suitcase after I travel, shining up the rubber soles of my son’s white sneakers, and even cleaning the plates and barrels on my hair styling tools."

Surfaces and Materials to Avoid

While The Pink Stuff is a versatile cleaner, there are certain surfaces and materials you should avoid using it on to prevent damage. Phillips cautions that glass, electronics, unsealed natural stone, and very matte or very glossy surfaces could be scratched or dulled by The Pink Stuff.

It’s not the right choice for non-stick, wood, leather, or fabric surfaces, either. So, when cleaning shoes for instance, keep the substance away from the leather parts of sneakers and stick to the rubber soles.

As a general rule, if a surface is delicate, coated, or polished, avoid using The Pink Stuff unless you test it on a small, hidden area first.