How to Clean a Stove Top

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Let’s face it—no matter how hard we try, it’s tough to keep a gas stove top clean. Food particles get cooked on the grates, the top gets covered with grease and grim and before you know it, you have a mess on your hands.

Follow these 11 tips for a clean kitchen.

In addition to being unsightly, a dirty gas stove can also be a safety hazard. The Maids, a nationwide home-cleaning service, warn that a dirty gas stove top can be a fire hazard. They offer two methods for how to clean a stove top and keep it clean.

“Whatever natural cleaning method you choose, daily maintenance is the sure-fire way to never spend more time than you need to cleaning your gas stove top,” The Maids note on their website.

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First, Here’s What You’ll Need to Clean Your Stove Top

• Baking soda
• Dishwashing detergent
• Vinegar
• Scrub brush
• Cloth
• The Vinegar Stove Top Cleaning Method

To clean your stove top with vinegar, spray the grates and the top of the stove with vinegar and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, using a clean cloth, wipe down the grates and stove top. This process works best for regular maintenance to keep grease and grime at bay.

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The Baking Soda Stove Top Cleaning Method

If you have caked-on food and lots of grease to clean up, start by washing all the grates in lukewarm water and a little dishwashing detergent. This will help remove any greasy reside. Next, make a paste with baking soda and water (the paste should be thick) and coat all the grates with the mixture. Let it sit for 20 minutes before scrubbing the residue with a scrub brush. Finally, give the grates a good rinse, dry them and place them back on the stove.

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The Maids offers this safety note to consider before cleaning your stove top, if you insist on using a chemical cleaner: “If the electric starters (which sit on top of the stove under and to the side of the burner) get wet with any chemical it will fire constantly until the chemical is completely dissolved. Lighting the burner and letting it burn in most cases will not remove the overspray. Many times it takes either letting it fire constantly for 24 to 48 hours or replacing the starter. Use caution and avoid getting the electric starter wet.”

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