When it comes to cooking, gas stoves are the choicest option for chefs and homemakers alike. As the flames do not consume much time to warm up or cool down, rapid exchange of heat takes place effortlessly. But the control and precision proffered by the gas stove start to diminish as grime and oil residue starts to accumulate in the gas ports. As the grease splatters get piled up with caked residue, it becomes even difficult to look at the gas stove.
How Often Should You Clean Your Stove?
The easiest and most straightforward answer to this question is to consider how much you use your stove burners. What you can follow is to check whether the flame is turning yellow in color or becoming irregular as when it happens it is probably time for a deep clean for your burners. But deep cleaning your gas stove once a month is enough when it is coupled with regular maintenance such as wiping with soapy water from time to time.
Tips for Keeping Your Gas Stove Clean
For cleaning your gas stove, you will need baking soda and vinegar which are easily available across all Indian households. White vinegar helps in breaking down grease and baking soda functions as a scrubbing agent for easy removal of caked up grease and residue. But before you start, you should allow the burners to cool down completely. Then, you must carefully remove the burner heads and caps along with the grates. You may also make use of a potholder if you think that any of these parts may be still warm. You will need a shallow bowl which should be filled with one part vinegar and one part vinegar. Then you will have to immerse the drip pans and iron grates in the mix until it's fully covered up. It should sit in the mix for about 30 minutes after which you can remove them and rinse in soapy water. If there is still visible grime on the surface, it can be cleaned with a scrub pad or toothbrush. Make sure your burner grates and heads are completely clean and dry before you reassemble them.
Brilliant Cleaning Tips That Will Make Your Gas Stove Sparkle
Besides cleaning your gas stove at regular intervals, you should also think of ways that will help in boosting the life of your investment. You should always attempt to keep the grates and stove burners clean so that it remains unclogged for a long. Some gas oven also comes with a self-cleaning oven and you should therefore check the user’s manual to know more. Using a removable gas range protector liner that can fit snugly over the burners will catch the boilovers and spillage so that they do not cause a mess at the foundation of the burners. Also, you should make sure that all your cooktop components remain dry in order to keep rust at bay. Even if the grime and spillage have hardened on the surface of the grates or burners, you should never clean the debris with any sharp object like a knife. You shouldn’t ever use steel wool or bleach for cleaning your drip pans or stove burners.
How to Clean Gas Stove Grates and Burners Naturally?
Many homemakers complain that the age-old trick of soapy water and scrubs do not always work fine on our gas stove. So, here goes a few other ways of cleaning your gas stove effectively.
- Ammonia: You can get some ammonia in your nearby pharmacy store and place it inside a flat-bottomed pot. You will have to remove the grates and burners when they cool down and soak them in ammonia for the whole night. The following morning, when you rinse away with water, you will see the debris and grime leaving the surface.
- Hydrogen peroxide: If you have failed at several methods of cleaning your gas stove, you are sure to find good results with this. All you will have to do is to sprinkle a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda over the burners and grates and give it some time to react. Gradually, you will notice that the debris and stains are breaking down, and then, rinse with water and clean it with a damp cloth to see your gas stove new again.
- Salt and baking soda: For this, you will have to make a fine paste with equal parts of salt and baking soda. Pour it in a kitchen rag and cover your burners in the cloth. Start wiping and scrubbing the burners and grates with the cloth to get your kitchen essentials shining.
The Ultimate Guide to a Sparkling Clean Stove Top
To start with, you will have to remove the burner grates and knock off any visible debris. Then you must place any of the mentioned solutions in a large sealable bag and leave your burners, drip pans, and grates in the solution for the whole night. This will surely remove the toughened residue when you scrub a little in the hot soapy solution. After that, you will have to rinse in clear water and rub with a clean cotton cloth. If you do not have sealable bags at your disposal, you may also use regular plastic bags and seal the open end.
When it comes to cleaning the drip pans, you should start with wiping off excess grease with a paper towel, particularly the corner areas which become filled with grease. Place these trays in the sink and allow hot water to run over. Next, you will have to place them in a solution of hot water and biological washing powder to get rid of stubborn stains within a few hours. With the help of a scouring pad, you can get rid of the remaining residue so that your drip pans shine like before.
Before you start cleaning your kitchen stove, it is imperative that you lay your hands on the instruction manual. This is because understanding what kind of care and maintenance is best suited for your kitchen appliance will go a long way in shielding your investment to a considerable extent. The manufacturer’s manual that you were given with the product is will help you know which products and methods are safe for the cooktop. Your manual may also suggest various cleaning tips and tricks along with how often you should opt for a thorough maintenance program.