Whether it’s colored enamel or stainless steel, your stove cleaning top needs routine cleaning to keep it looking great. Using the right cleaners and tools for your specific surface type will help you get rid of sticky, heavy messes with ease and avoid damaging your shiny surface.
For a deep clean, give your grates and burners a good scrub in hot water mixed with a degreasing dishwashing liquid. For stubborn stains, some cleaners recommend spritzing the grates with vinegar and baking soda before scrubbing to loosen baked-on food.
Grates
During cooking, food and grease can build up on the burner grates. This can be especially bad if you don’t clean them regularly. It can create a greasy, slimy coating that is difficult to remove and that can make your stovetop look dirty and grimy.
Besides making your stovetop look dirty, this buildup of grease and grime can also lead to kitchen fires, so it is important to regularly clean the grates on your stove. Cleaning the grates will help to reduce odors, protect your cookware, and prevent kitchen fires.
The first step in cleaning your stovetop’s grates is to remove them from the top of the stove and set them in an empty sink or a plastic bin. Fill the sink with hot water and a little bit of dish soap, then let the grates soak for 15 minutes.
After soaking, use a non-abrasive scrubber to scrub away the dirt and grease. If you see burnt-on food stuck to the grates, use a small amount of baking soda to loosen it. If the grates are particularly thick, you might need to repeat the cleaning process after a few times.
Once the scrubbing is done, rinse off the grates with hot water and dry them with a clean cloth to avoid rusting. If you want to season the grates, you can add a little bit of cooking oil to the water before rinsing them off.
If you’d rather not clean your grates with degreaser or ammonia, you can try a more natural method that involves using a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. This cleaner will break down the gunk on your burners, and it can be used instead of degreaser or ammonia.
Another great way to clean your stove’s grates is with a baking soda paste. Simply mix three parts baking soda to one part water and spread the mixture over the grates. Leave it alone for about 20 minutes to soften the gunk on the grates and then rinse off the paste.
This method can be time consuming, but it is an effective way to get your stovetop’s grates really clean. It is not as hard to do as you might think, and it can help keep your kitchen looking great.
Burners
Stove burners are a hotbed of food debris, spilled sauces, grease and other grime. Over time, they become a bit harder to keep clean, even with regular wipe downs. But the good news is that cleaning them isn’t as difficult as it might seem, if you know the right way to do it.
Whether you have gas, electric or induction stove tops, cleaning the burners on your kitchen stove is crucial for keeping it looking and cooking like new. Depending on the type of stove you have, it’s important to know the best ways to clean your burners and what cleaning products to use.
You’ll need a few simple tools to get started, including a non-abrasive sponge and liquid dish soap or vinegar. Apply the solution generously to your burners and allow it to soak for about 15 minutes before rinsing and drying them.
Then, use a straightened paper clip to poke out any hardened food debris that’s clogging the port openings. Make sure to do this only gently, as too much pressure can damage the metal.
When you’re done, you can reassemble the burner heads and caps by popping them back into their original positions. Reinstalling them can also help ensure proper ignition and avoid uneven flames on your gas burners.
For tougher stains, coat your burners with a paste made from baking soda and water. Leave it for about 20 minutes, and the caked-on residue should be soft enough to be removed with a sponge.
If the drip pans under your burners are removable, take them out and give them a deep cleaning using this method from cleaning expert Mary Findley of Go Clean.
Sprinkle baking soda over the drip pans, then carefully pour hot vinegar over them. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then wipe down the drip pans with a sponge and rinse thoroughly with water.
It’s easy to forget about cleaning the burners on your stove, but it’s an important job that should be done regularly. Splatters on your stove can quickly turn into a sticky mess that doesn’t come off, but it can be easily cleaned if you follow these tips for cleaning the burners on your stove.
Burner Caps
Your stove’s burner caps are a vital part of the system and need to be cleaned regularly to prevent build-ups of food residue and rust. A dirty cap can also cause your flames to flicker inconsistently and can clog the underlying automatic igniters.
If your stove’s burner caps have become caked with greasy spills or bits of food, you can do some quick cleaning to remove them. You can clean them with just a few everyday items and a bit of elbow grease, but the more stubborn stains or baked-on dirt may require some scrubbing with an old toothbrush and a straightened paper clip.
Alternatively, you can soak your burner caps in a solution of a half-and-half mix of water and vinegar for about 20 minutes, then use an old toothbrush to scrub them clean. The soaking process will soften any food stains, enabling you to easily remove them with the toothbrush.
For particularly stubborn stains, you can try making a paste of baking soda and water to speed up the scrubbing. Simply apply a thin layer of the paste to your burner caps and grates, and leave them for about 20 minutes.
Then, rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly before reassembling your stove. It’s important to reinstall the cap correctly, and it should sit flush with the base of your burner and have very little side-to-side movement.
If your burner caps are made of brass, you can try using a mixture of 200 ml water, 600 ml vinegar and 60 g bicarbonate of soda to remove built-up grease and grime. The vinegar will help to break down the grease, while the bicarbonate of soda is a natural mild acid that helps to remove stuck-on food particles from the metal.
You can also clean your brass burner caps with a cleaning spray that has been mixed with peroxide, vinegar and water. This is a good way to remove any grease build-up from the brass that’s hard to reach.
You can also buy a Bar Keepers Friend cleaner that comes in powder form or as a multipurpose liquid that you can use to clean your gas stove. Regardless of the cleaner you use, it’s important to be gentle and to only apply it to the areas that need it.
Underside
While the top of your stove is the star of the show, the underside of the hood can be a bit of a mystery. For the uninitiated, the best way to get down there is with gloves on. The trick to making the task as painless as possible is to be patient and methodical. After the requisite wipedown, be sure to take note of the various elements you have removed for good measure. For example, if you have a gas stove you might not want to remove the grate that sits on the front, as that may cause a potential fire hazard down the road.
