A kitchen stove is often one of the most expensive appliances in your home, yet it can be one of the easiest to maintain if you take proper care of it. Luckily, taking good care of your kitchen stove isn’t hard; all you need to do is follow these 6 best ways to take care of your kitchen stove and it will serve you well, cooking great meals and providing decades of service!
Clean Out Lint
Lint builds up in every stove over time. But if you clean it out regularly, it won’t build up nearly as much—or at all. Not only will that save you time, but also you’ll be able to see whether there are other problems with your stove more easily. Just be sure not to use any cleaning agents that contain ammonia while doing so; while they do remove lint nicely, they can also damage your stove’s finish over time. Kitchen oils should work just fine instead.
Remove Grease
If you’re looking for an easy way to keep your stove clean, try rubbing some soap on a dish towel and rubbing it across greasy areas. Once you do that, run hot water on those areas until they’re completely free of grease. Be sure to use rubber gloves so you don’t burn yourself. This is also a great way to get your kitchen appliances sparkling clean without using any chemicals.
Clean Burners
Burners are easily cleaned by unscrewing them from your stovetop and scrubbing with hot, soapy water. Some have knobs that come off for easy cleaning, but if yours don’t you can still take them off. Once you have them removed, give them a good soak in hot soapy water with a small amount of bleach added. Scrub using an old toothbrush or sponge that you don’t mind tossing after being used. Rinse well with warm water once all debris has been removed. Apply cooking oil on all metal parts before reattaching your burners to your stovetop. As long as there is no buildup on your burners, taking care of it shouldn’t be too much trouble at all!
Clean Walls
The walls surrounding your stove can get messy fast if you don’t wipe them down regularly. Grease, splatters, and spills can be a pain to clean up, but they’re easier to take care of when you tackle them right away. Grab a sponge and some warm water and give your walls a thorough scrubbing. No need for fancy cleaning products—just warm water and elbow grease will do. Be sure to check every corner, especially those that tend to gather spatters from pots and pans as they’re heating up on top of your stove. Using soap or ammonia could damage your stove’s surface, so stick with just warm water for basic cleaning tasks like washing away grease and other food particles.
Clean Glass Door
A dirty glass door can make your stove look like it’s dirty and full of grime, but it doesn’t take much effort to keep it clean. You can use a damp paper towel or sponge, ideally something that won’t scratch your oven’s surface. Look for products labeled as oven safe so you don’t accidentally damage them. Clean Glass Door: For more detailed cleaning, remove any built-up grease with some baking soda on a damp sponge or wet paper towel, then rinse with hot water and pat dry. A microfiber cloth is also great for cleaning glass doors since its fibers trap dust and debris without scratching surfaces.
Clean Exhaust Pipe
When cleaning your kitchen stove, don’t forget about that exhaust pipe! It can become very dirty and dangerous to operate if it’s not cleaned often. One easy way to clean it is by using a wire brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. After you vacuum out anything trapped in it, wipe down inside with dish detergent and a sponge or scouring pad and rinse well. Let everything dry thoroughly before you use it again. Be sure to keep track of when you last cleaned your exhaust pipe so you don’t let months go by between maintenance jobs! While we all know that no one should ever smoke in their home, many people don’t realize that cigarette smoke can seriously damage your stove.