Kitchen cleaning is the toughest part of cooking, but it is essential to keep your home pristine and healthy. Food spills and grease splatters are normal aspects of food preparation, and these particles can eventually burn and harden on your stove top.
In this article, we'll provide you step-by-step guides to cleaning your gas, electric, or glass stovetops with ease! Keep creating culinary masterpieces as you enjoy cooking on a squeaky clean stove top.
What You'll Need
Cleaning a Gas Stove Top or Electric Stove Top
- Baking soda
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Dish soap
- Damp cloth or sponge
- Scrub brush
- Steel wool - optional; for cast iron stove grates
Cleaning a Glass Stove Top
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Spray bottle
- Scrub brush
- Damp microfiber cloth
- Razor blade - optional
How to Clean Burnt Stove Top: A Step-by-Step Guide
Cleaning a Gas Stove Top or Electric Stove Top
Step 1: Cool the Stove Top
First, make sure your stove top is cool before starting the cleaning process. A hot stove top is not only dangerous, but the sudden change in temperature may cause the stove grates and burner caps to warp. Let your stove top cool until it is cool enough to handle without the risks of burning yourself.
Step 2: Remove the Stove Grates
Remove the grates and burner caps from a gas stovetop. Electric stoves will have heating coils, and may or may not have stove grates, but it is easier to clean removable parts separately. Remove the stove grates and place them over the sink to clean.
Step 3: Mix Cleaning Paste
Mix your cleaning paste: add enough baking soda and hydrogen peroxide together to form a thin paste. Baking soda will work to lift the burnt food from your stove top, while hydrogen peroxide cleans and disintegrates stains on a burnt stove.
Step 4: Apply and Let it Sit
Apply the paste all over your burnt stove, focusing on the stained and discolored areas. Let the paste solution sit for at least 15 minutes. This will allow the paste to seep into burnt-on food, and clean the burnt stove top. Do the same on the grates and burner caps.
When cleaning your electric stovetop, take precautions to prevent the paste from passing through the heating coils as it will be difficult to remove the baking soda paste from inside the stove top. Use a thin brush to gently apply the paste all around the coils, and into hard to reach areas of your electric stove.
Step 5: Scrub Clean
After 15 minutes, take your scrub brush and start scrubbing your stove top clean. Scrub away the loosened grime to expose the clean stove underneath. Use steel wool or an abrasive scouring pad to clean the cast iron grates and burner heads.
Use warm soapy water, which is a combination of dish soap and water, to wash any removable parts for a deep clean. Dish soap has degreasing properties, so this cleaning solution should remove as much oils from your grates as possible.
Step 6: Rinse and Dry
Rinse off any residue from the removable parts of your stove, and let it air dry. Take a damp towel, cloth, or sponge, and wipe away any residue from the cleaning paste. Your stove top should look shiny and clean! Repeat the entire process as necessary if there are still stains remaining.
Cleaning a Glass Stove Top
Step 1: Apply a Damp Cloth
First, make sure your stove is turned off before you start cleaning it. Dampen a cloth, towel, or paper towels with hot water, being careful not to burn yourself. Lay the dampened cloth over the entire stove top. As the steam escapes through the cloth, it softens any stuck-on food particles on your burnt stove top. Leave the cloth to cool until just warm to the touch.
Step 2: Sprinkle Baking Soda and Vinegar
Remove the damp cloth, and sprinkle the surface with baking soda. Place vinegar in a spray bottle and spray a generous amount all over your stove top. The mixture should bubble and form a chemical reaction - this reaction will help lift the burnt food from your stove with ease.
Step 3: Let it Sit, then Scrub
Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes, then take a scrub brush to gently brush away the now-loosened grime. Scrub in circular motions to avoid streaks, and you may need to use a little elbow grease to remove particularly tough stains.
Step 4: Wipe Clean
Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away any residue without leaving fibers on the surface. Re-apply vinegar as a glass cleaner to give the stove top a shine, and use your microfiber cloth to wipe away excess vinegar solution. Your glass cooktop should have a shiny, glossy appearance to it without any scratch marks or etch marks.
Step 5: Remove Burnt-on Food with Razor Blade (Optional)
For particularly tough stains that won't come out, you may try your luck with a razor blade or butter knife to remove the stain. Scrape away the burnt food by applying gentle pressure, and avoid scratching the stovetop surface. A clean cloth with warm water will help soften the burnt bits, which may be easier to remove.
Choose Luce
Choose Luce Home as your trusted cleaning partner to bring back the shine to your kitchen and home surfaces! Lessen the work you need to do around the house as we tackle those chores for you, and find comfort in our tailored cleaning services perfect for any household.
Contact us today, and schedule your next cleaning session!
