No matter how clean you think you may be while cooking, it’s likely that your gas stove grates are picking up some leftovers. Over time, this build up gets pretty nasty looking. Here are some tips to help keep your gas stove looking pretty and how to clean stove grates.
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Safety Tips
Before you get started, be sure that you are aware that your electric starter will be sensitive to any chemicals that you use to clean your stove. Avoid spraying any chemical cleaner directly onto your burners as the starter will burn it off until it’s gone.
You may need to leave your starter on for up to two days to burn off the chemicals or completely replacing the starter. So proceed with caution whenever you are spraying chemicals directly on the surface of your range.
How To Clean Stove Grates With Baking Soda
First, remove all of the grates from your stove. To help loosen up the grime that builds up on the grates, you should give each grate a wash with lukewarm water and a dish soap of your choice. This step will help get rid of that film that builds up on your grates and gives them that greasy feeling.
After you have washed your grates, prepare a cleaning paste with baking soda and water. Add just enough water to some baking soda to create a thick paste. Spread this thickly over your grates, making sure to coat both sides. Leave the paste on for about 20 minutes.
This paste can also be used on the top of your stove, but be careful not to get it into your burners, especially the starter.
After the 20 minutes are up, grab a clean cloth or sponge and scrub off the paste and softened grime on your burners. Rinse with clean water and wipe dry with another clean cloth.
How To Clean Stove Grates With Vinegar
Using a vinegar spray is a great way to regularly clean and maintain your stove top. I recommend making a mixture of 2 parts white distilled vinegar and 1 part water. Mix well in a spray bottle. I always keep this solution on hand, as it is a great cleanser for so many cleaning projects around the house.
As before, do a gentle wash with lukewarm water and your choice of dish soap to help loosen up the film that builds up on the grates. Then, spray your grates down with the vinegar solution and let sit for about 10 minutes, 15 minutes if they are particularly gross. Wipe down the grates with a clean cloth when the sit time is done.
This method works best when you have regularly cleaned your grates, whereas the baking soda method is better for those times when it’s been a while between cleans.
As mentioned earlier, be careful when spraying any cleaning solution on your range, especially near your burners. Whether you’re using an all-natural stove cleaner like the vinegar solution, it can cause issues with your starter. Spray with caution.