diff --git a/examples/userdemo/demo_gridspec06.py b/examples/userdemo/demo_gridspec06.py
index 7bf7886ab0bd..507c497b4486 100644
--- a/examples/userdemo/demo_gridspec06.py
+++ b/examples/userdemo/demo_gridspec06.py
@@ -7,9 +7,7 @@
 """
 
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-import matplotlib.gridspec as gridspec
 import numpy as np
-from itertools import product
 
 
 def squiggle_xy(a, b, c, d):
@@ -18,35 +16,23 @@ def squiggle_xy(a, b, c, d):
 
 
 fig = plt.figure(figsize=(8, 8))
-
-# gridspec inside gridspec
-outer_grid = gridspec.GridSpec(4, 4, wspace=0.0, hspace=0.0)
-
-for i in range(16):
-    inner_grid = gridspec.GridSpecFromSubplotSpec(
-        3, 3, subplot_spec=outer_grid[i], wspace=0.0, hspace=0.0)
-    a = i // 4 + 1
-    b = i % 4 + 1
-    for j, (c, d) in enumerate(product(range(1, 4), repeat=2)):
-        ax = fig.add_subplot(inner_grid[j])
-        ax.plot(*squiggle_xy(a, b, c, d))
-        ax.set_xticks([])
-        ax.set_yticks([])
-        fig.add_subplot(ax)
-
-all_axes = fig.get_axes()
+outer_grid = fig.add_gridspec(4, 4, wspace=0, hspace=0)
+
+for a in range(4):
+    for b in range(4):
+        # gridspec inside gridspec
+        inner_grid = outer_grid[a, b].subgridspec(3, 3, wspace=0, hspace=0)
+        for c in range(3):
+            for d in range(3):
+                ax = fig.add_subplot(inner_grid[c, d])
+                ax.plot(*squiggle_xy(a + 1, b + 1, c + 1, d + 1))
+                ax.set(xticks=[], yticks=[])
 
 # show only the outside spines
-for ax in all_axes:
-    for sp in ax.spines.values():
-        sp.set_visible(False)
-    if ax.is_first_row():
-        ax.spines['top'].set_visible(True)
-    if ax.is_last_row():
-        ax.spines['bottom'].set_visible(True)
-    if ax.is_first_col():
-        ax.spines['left'].set_visible(True)
-    if ax.is_last_col():
-        ax.spines['right'].set_visible(True)
+for ax in fig.get_axes():
+    ax.spines['top'].set_visible(ax.is_first_row())
+    ax.spines['bottom'].set_visible(ax.is_last_row())
+    ax.spines['left'].set_visible(ax.is_first_col())
+    ax.spines['right'].set_visible(ax.is_last_col())
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/tutorials/intermediate/gridspec.py b/tutorials/intermediate/gridspec.py
index e1b007a10020..8da66d3eed7a 100644
--- a/tutorials/intermediate/gridspec.py
+++ b/tutorials/intermediate/gridspec.py
@@ -226,7 +226,6 @@
 # spines in each of the inner 3x3 grids.
 
 import numpy as np
-from itertools import product
 
 
 def squiggle_xy(a, b, c, d, i=np.arange(0.0, 2*np.pi, 0.05)):
@@ -234,34 +233,24 @@ def squiggle_xy(a, b, c, d, i=np.arange(0.0, 2*np.pi, 0.05)):
 
 
 fig11 = plt.figure(figsize=(8, 8), constrained_layout=False)
-
-# gridspec inside gridspec
-outer_grid = fig11.add_gridspec(4, 4, wspace=0.0, hspace=0.0)
-
-for i in range(16):
-    inner_grid = outer_grid[i].subgridspec(3, 3, wspace=0.0, hspace=0.0)
-    a, b = int(i/4)+1, i % 4+1
-    for j, (c, d) in enumerate(product(range(1, 4), repeat=2)):
-        ax = fig11.add_subplot(inner_grid[j])
-        ax.plot(*squiggle_xy(a, b, c, d))
-        ax.set_xticks([])
-        ax.set_yticks([])
-        fig11.add_subplot(ax)
-
-all_axes = fig11.get_axes()
+outer_grid = fig11.add_gridspec(4, 4, wspace=0, hspace=0)
+
+for a in range(4):
+    for b in range(4):
+        # gridspec inside gridspec
+        inner_grid = outer_grid[a, b].subgridspec(3, 3, wspace=0, hspace=0)
+        for c in range(3):
+            for d in range(3):
+                ax = fig11.add_subplot(inner_grid[c, d])
+                ax.plot(*squiggle_xy(a + 1, b + 1, c + 1, d + 1))
+                ax.set(xticks=[], yticks=[])
 
 # show only the outside spines
-for ax in all_axes:
-    for sp in ax.spines.values():
-        sp.set_visible(False)
-    if ax.is_first_row():
-        ax.spines['top'].set_visible(True)
-    if ax.is_last_row():
-        ax.spines['bottom'].set_visible(True)
-    if ax.is_first_col():
-        ax.spines['left'].set_visible(True)
-    if ax.is_last_col():
-        ax.spines['right'].set_visible(True)
+for ax in fig11.get_axes():
+    ax.spines['top'].set_visible(ax.is_first_row())
+    ax.spines['bottom'].set_visible(ax.is_last_row())
+    ax.spines['left'].set_visible(ax.is_first_col())
+    ax.spines['right'].set_visible(ax.is_last_col())
 
 plt.show()