Stovetops

If you like to cook, it’s next to impossible to do so every night without getting your stovetop a little bit dirty from time to time. Sauces spill and when you’re frying, grease can sputter out of control. Sometimes pots boil over and the stovetop may need a little bit of extra cleaning after a meal is made. So how can you ensure that your stovetop stays clean over time? Fortunately, it’s a fairly easy job if you do it regularly. The following guide to cleaning your range can help you to make sure that it stays in the best condition possible, even with daily use.

How To

The first step to cleaning your stovetop is to make sure that all of the elements are off. You should give them some time to cool off after cooking. Then remove any food debris or crumbs that have accumulated on the surface. You can use a paper towel or a cloth to sweep the bits of food off the top.
Most types of ovens, including gas ovens and electric coil burners, must be disassembled before they can be cleaned. If you have an electric ceramic stovetop you only have to wipe the top to clean it. Luckily, most parts of the elements will easily come apart. For gas stoves, the parts that cover the burners should lift off. Electric coils can also be lifted. Underneath you will find drip pans that look like tin foil pie plates. You can lift them out, too and either clean them or replace them.

Soak the parts of your stovetop burners in hot water with dish soap. After five to ten minutes, you can take them out and wipe them down with a wet wash cloth. Most food stains should be easier to remove this way. Use steel wool if you have to scrub off burnt on food. Once you’re done, rinse them and let them air dry for 15 minutes. While you’re waiting, you can wipe down the surface of the oven.

Tips & Takeaways

Depending on the surface of your stovetop, you might have to try different products to remove leftover stains and burnt-on food. Always try dish soap and water first, but if that doesn’t work, you can use ammonia to soak any particularly crusted spots. After a few hours of soaking, the debris should come off with a little bit of scrubbing.

Another excellent product to try is Arm & Hammer Baking Soda. If you apply a baking soda and hot water paste and then let it soak, the stains should come off. For those of you that have an electric ceramic stovetop, try wiping it down with a product that is especially meant for cleaning ceramics, such as Cooktop Magic Cream.

For the element rings and the drip pans, you might have difficulty removing tough stains just by soaking them in hot water with dish soap. If that is the case, try boiling a large pot of hot water. Then stir in Cascade dish washing solution and watch  it dissolve. Place the rings and the drip pans inside the hot water one by one and boil them for a few minutes. After up to ten minutes has passed, cover the pot with a lid and then you can let it sit through the night. When you remove the parts the next morning you should be able to easily scrub off any residual stains or crusted food.

While cleaning, you should never use cleaning products by spraying them directly on the elements. Always take them off and soak them.