How To Clean Gas Stove At Your Home?
Gas stoves are essential cooking appliances in the kitchen. When it comes to preparing an array of delicious food, there is no match to our good old gas stoves. While making our delicious meals, these stoves also withstand spills, splatters, overflows, stains, and messes every day.
Hygiene is crucial when it comes to food, and for that, your gas stove needs to be squicky clean. A dirty stove is also prone to faster wear and tear. As the gas stove is the most important appliance in the kitchen, it also deserves routine maintenance. But gas stoves are generally comprised of several parts, and figuring out the right way to properly clean each of those can come across as a little tricky.
Worry not! We have assembled a comprehensive guide to walk you through the correct approach when it comes to cleaning your gas stove.
How Often Should You Clean Your Gas Stove?
No rule book states the correct frequency for deep cleaning a gas stove. It mostly depends on whether you wipe the mess away every day right after cooking. When it comes to cleaning your beloved gas stove thoroughly, the rule of thumb is to disassemble and proceed with the process at least once a month.
It also depends on each part of the gas stove. While the dripping tray should ideally be washed at least once every week, cleaning the gas pipe need not be cleaned more than once a year.
Last but not least, clean the pipe or hose connected to your gas stove. Before cleaning it, take proper safety precautions and turn off the gas regulator. Next, prepare a 50% vinegar solution, coil up the pipe, and rinse it into the solution. After 15-20 minutes, take out the pipe, coat it with a paste made of baking soda and water, and leave it for 10 minutes. Now use a soft brush to clean up the pipe, followed by rinsing in water.
How To Clean The Gas Stove Top?
Modern gas stoves are available in both stainless steel tops and glass tops. While both do the job quite well, cleaning processes are not exactly the same.
Soap and lukewarm water work fine for stainless steel tops but can prove to be too rough for glass tops. Also, scrubbing a glass top is never a good idea as it can leave scratch marks and damage the surface material. So, let’s explore!
Cleaning Stainless Steel Top Of A Gas Stove
- Difficulty: Easy
- Things You Need: Dishwashing liquid/ washing powder, lukewarm water, a sponge, a kitchen towel, a wet cloth, and a brush (optional).
- Cleaning Time: 10-20 minutes
Step-By-Step Cleaning Process:
- First, you need to take off the grates and burners of your stove.
- Wipe down the stove’s surface with a damp cloth. This way, you can remove the bits and pieces of food.
- All you need is some washing powder, lukewarm water, and a kitchen towel for deep cleaning. You can also mix some dishwasher liquid in a small tub of lukewarm water and use that as the cleaning solution.
- Spread some washing powder throughout the stove top evenly.
- Wet the sponge with lukewarm water/the prepared solution.
- Now it’s time to start scrubbing.
- Working the sponge in a circular motion will do wonders.
- An old toothbrush would come in handy to get rid of stubborn stains. Make sure you check all the corners of the stovetop.
- If the grease has solidified, whip up the vinegar and baking soda mixture in 1:2 proportion, spread it on the greasy spots, and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes. Then gently scrub it off with the sponge.
- Rinse the soap residuals thoroughly with a damp cloth.
- Wipe it dry with a clean kitchen towel.
Cleaning Glass Top Of A Gas Stove
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Things You Need: White vinegar, baking soda, lemon, warm water, a damp cloth, and a sponge.
- Cleaning Time: 60 minutes
Step-By-Step Cleaning Process:
- Spray some white vinegar all over the surface.
- Now spread some baking powder over it.
- Soak a clean towel in hot water and cover the stove top with it.
- Let it be there for 15-20 minutes to work its magic.
- Remove the towel and wipe away the remaining mixture with a kitchen towel.
- You can spray some more vinegar and wipe it with a dry cloth for some extra shine.
- We recommend wiping down the surface after every use. This would save you the hassle of frequent deep cleaning of your glass stove top.
Glass stove gas stoves need special care during cleaning and maintenance because it is more delicate. You cannot use abrasive materials as they might damage the surface. Follow this detailed guide for cleaning glass top gas stoves to get the best result.
How To Clean The Gas Stove Burner Head And Holes?
The heart of your gas stove is the set of burners. A clogged burner can turn into a severe kitchen hazard in no time. To avoid that, you should always invest a few extra minutes while cleaning them.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Things You Need: A tub of hot water, liquid soap, a brush, a pair of tongs, clean and dry cloth.
- Cleaning Time: 30 minutes
Step-by-Step Guide To Clean Burners
- Removing the burners from the gas stove should be the first step. If you were using them earlier, let them cool off completely.
- The burners need to be soaked in hot water for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If those have a lot of gunk clogged up in the holes, leave them in hot water for at least 20 minutes. You can use a tub or use your sink after plugging it.
- Use a pair of tongs to remove the burners from the hot water. Set them aside and let them cool off completely.
- Rinse the soaking tub and fill it with clean water. Mix two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid in the tub.
- Put the burners in the mixed soap water, take a brush and start scrubbing them thoroughly. For stubborn dirt, you can use ammonia-based cleaner.
- Rinse the burners well and wipe them with a dry cloth.
- Spraying some vinegar and wiping it away would make the burners polished and shiny.
- Let them get completely dry before using them again.
Cleaning The Gas Stove Drip Tray
Keeping the drip tray of your gas stove clean can be sometimes a challenging process. It catches keeps the overflow and keeps it from reaching the cooking table. But the residue sets in frequently while using the gas stove, and cleaning the tray becomes a daunting task.
While some people use aluminum foil paper to cover the tray, it is only a temporary measure. Cleaning the burnt-up mess on your gas stove tray is an equally important part of the whole process.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Things You Need: Vinegar, Baking soda, Hot water, a scrubber, and a dry kitchen towel.
- Cleaning Time: 15 minutes
Detailed Cleaning Guide For Drip/Spill Tray
- Place the drip tray in a tub of hot water and let it soak for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water and pour two tablespoons of white vinegar all over the caked-up gunk on the tray.
- Spread some baking soda thoroughly over the drip tray. Let the vinegar and the soda work on the spill tray for 5 minutes.
- Rub the residual mess with the scrubber when you notice the residual mess flaking away.
- Rinse the stove tray with hot water.
- You can repeat the process if the spill tray is not clean enough.
- Dry it with a clean kitchen towel.
Washing The Grates Of The Gas Stove
The grates of your gas stove constantly get showered with boiling food residue and oil. But oddly enough, the grates are the parts we neglect the most while cleaning our gas stoves. However, grease-free grates are as important for hygiene as a clean kadhai.
Leaving caked-on grime on the cast iron grates can also result in rust and ruin the grates. So the next time you start to clean your kitchen, remember that the stove grates deserve some attention too.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Things You Need: Hot water, liquid soap or detergent powder, a big enough tub or a plugged sink.
- Cleaning Time: 30 minutes
Cleaning Process Of Grates
- Remove the cast-iron grates from the stove.
- Fill a tub with hot water or use the sink by plugging it up. Mix some liquid soap in the water.
- Soak the grates in the hot water and leave them for about 20 minutes. This process with through the caked grease and grime.
- Use some detergent powder and a non-scratch scrubber to remove the debris if any are left after soaking. Remember to reach all the small creases and corners.
- Rinse the grates meticulously and then wipe them with a dry kitchen towel. Your stove grates are now ready to do their job.
How To Clean The Gas Stove Nozzle?
Your gas stove is just as good as a scrap of metal in the junkyard without the nozzle. The gas nozzles supply the fuel to the ignition system. As these reside underneath the burners, these nozzles can get clogged with gunk and debris over time.
This can cause an uneven flame or result in no flame at all. Deep cleaning every once in a while will renew the gas stove nozzles and add to the durability of your stove.
- Difficulty: Hard
- Things You Need: A screwdriver, a cleaning brush with thin bristles.
- Cleaning Time: 30 minutes
Step-by-Step Guide To Clean Gas Nozzles
- First, you need to ensure that the gas stove has cooled off completely. If not, wait for some time till it becomes so.
- Preventing gas from flowing while working on the nozzle is of utmost importance. Turn off the gas stove knobs and cylinder regulator before starting the process.
- Remove the burner caps. They should pop open without much effort. It’s important to remove them gently to prevent damage to the venturi tube underneath.
- Now you need to locate the gas nozzles in each burner.
- You will see that screws attached the gas nozzles to the inner support arm. With the help of a screwdriver, remove the screws carefully. Going through the instructions manual for the specific information on screws is a good idea before moving on.
- Pull the gas nozzles from the support arm and opposite burner valve port.
- Place the thin brush into the opening of the nozzle and maneuver it gently within the opening; this will help in loosening up the clogged-up debris.
- Get rid of the loosened debris by gently turning the gas nozzle upside down.
- To place the nozzle back into the port of the burner valve, press it down into its position on the support arm.
- Reattach the screwdrivers and repeat the process for each gas nozzle.
Cleaning Of Gas Stove Pipe
Using a high-quality gas stove pipe is safety 101. But maintaining them is also crucial for a longer life of the appliance. A dirty gas stove pipe would stop you from noticing any crack on it, posing a tremendous hazard.
Gas stove pipes go through wear and tear over the years and develop cracks. So, cleaning the stove pipes at least once a year would allow you to detect if there is any possible leakage.
- Difficulty: Hard
- Things You Need: Vinegar, baking soda, a bowl, water, a soft brush, a clean piece of cloth, and a shallow dish.
- Cleaning Time: 30 to 35 minutes
Step-by-Step Guide To Clean The Pipe
- Turn off the gas line and remove the gas pipe from the stove nozzle carefully.
- Take the shallow cookware and prepare a mix of 50% white vinegar and 50% water. Make sure that the entire pipe can be submerged in it.
- The next step is to bend the entire pipe into a coil and submerge it in the vinegar-water solution. Leave it there for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Make a soft paste of water and baking soda into a bowl. Take the pipe out and apply the paste to the outside coating of the pipe.
- Leave the paste on for 10 minutes.
- Now take a soft brush and gently scrub the residue off the outer surface throughout the length of the pipe.
- Wipe it with a dry cloth.
- Make sure to dry it out properly before attaching it to the stove system.
Tips And Precautions To Clean Gas Stoves
- Make sure to turn off the gas connection before you start cleaning and be extra cautious while washing the burners.
- Don’t have any vinegar, ammonia, or baking soda? Ran out of washing powder? No worries. Boil some water, pour it over the stubborn stain, and let it sit. After that, all you have to do is put a few drops of soap liquid on the spots and scrub them gently with a sponge. Wipe it away, and bingo! The stains would vanish in no time.
- Baking soda and a slice of lemon can scrub off even the gunkiest mess on your gas stove. Lemon has anti-bacterial properties. So it will also act as a disinfectant.
- If no amount of soap, vinegar, or baking soda can get rid of some nastiest grease, use a razor scraper as a last resort. Be mindful of using it at an angle without making contact with the actual surface of the stove.
- Some curry spilled over while cooking? Make it a habit to wipe the overflows right away. This way, stains won’t set on the stove parts, and you can be done with cleaning in no time.
- A thick paste made of salt and baking soda can also help you avoid stubborn spots.
- While cleaning the gas nozzle, never use any cleaning fluids to remove the gunk. This can leave moisture inside the nozzle, causing rust on the inside walls of the nozzles.
- Never try to wash the insides of the pipe of a gas stove.
- If you use harsh chemicals like ammonia to clean your stove, rinse it thoroughly with hot and soapy water.
- Avoid using steel grates to scrub cast-iron grates. Prolonged scrubbing can cause severe damage to the grates. Use nylon scrubbers or non-scratch brushes instead.
- After cleaning, make it a point to give the grates and burners enough time to dry off completely before using them again.
- Make sure to test the gas stove after you are done cleaning.
Everyone express love through food. Hence gas stoves in the kitchens often hold sentimental value. A little clean-up and maintenance routine every once in a while ‘cooks’ a long way. The best gas stoves are easy to clean and maintain. A shiny and spotless gas stove will not only add shine to your kitchen but also satisfy the chef within you while you prepare tasty and hygienic meals for you and your loved ones.
