With every meal you make, your stove likely gets a story to tell with unsightly remnants all over the top. Even if you make it a routine to wipe down the surface daily, grease and grime have a way of making the chore notoriously difficult. But did you know that you can actually clean a dirty stove without breaking a sweat? Well, here are five handy tips to get your stove looking good as new every time:
Separate and Clean the Main Components
Most stoves consist of four main components that you will do well to handle separately. These are the grate, burner caps, burner heads and the top surface. Last time, when I talked with Hoang from Simplymaid which is ranked as a top cleaner suggests me to follow these steps:
- After ensuring that the stove has cooled down sufficiently
- Start by removing the first three components and soaking them in warm, soapy water.
- This step will help to dislodge any caked-on particles and make the cleaning process easier.
- Use a wash cloth or soft brush to clean them thoroughly and then rinse them off.
- Be sure to dry the caps off before putting them back on since wet caps can damage the ignition mechanism.
Choose the Right Tools
The secret to getting perfect results every single time you clean a dirty stove is choosing the right tools to handle the specific type of mess. Grease is one of the main culprits you may have to deal with on a daily basis. Both dish soap and lemon have what it takes to cut through grease. Squirt a little of either on a wet sponge and wipe the greasy surfaces down.
For caked-on gunk, mix equal amounts of baking soda, salt and water, then smear the paste on the stains. Try to scour the gunk away without scratching the surface. Use a clean cloth to wipe off the surface once you are done.
Dealing with Stubborn Residue
For a really messy stove, you might have to call in the big guns to get all the residue out. White vinegar is one of the best solutions for stubborn stains. Thanks to its high acidity, it can break down grime and loosen virtually any kind of residue. To create the cleanser, mix two parts water to one part white vinegar. Spray this mixture onto the affected surfaces and wipe it off.
As a bonus, vinegar has disinfecting properties and you can therefore use the solution to clean all kitchen surfaces.
Finishing Touches
After ensuring that everything is clean, use a dry towel to buff the surface. This step will not only ensure that no water remains on the surface, but will also give your stove a good shine. You could even go a step further and polish the surface with rubbing alcohol to get it looking even shinier.
Once you are done, check that everything is back in place and that there are no particles blocking the holes through which gas flows.
Maintain a Regular Cleaning Routine
A crucial point to note is that the more often you clean a dirty stove, the lower the probability of having a high residue build-up or stubborn stains. Therefore, after this thorough clean-up process, try to maintain a regular routine of cleaning up after every meal, or at least once a day.
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