Kelly's Korner - Cleaning Your Gas Cooktop

Hey, All,

Here is the last installment of stove cleaning - cleaning the top of your gas range.  Now as I have never had a gas range, I had to do some research on this.

First of all, if you wipe up the spills and spatters as they happen, then that goes a long way into keeping it clean - common sense, right?  But you still need to do some deep cleaning periodically.

Wait until your cooktop is completely cool then remove the grates.  Be very careful as these are really heavy.  If you have crusted, burnt on food you can put them in the sink to soak in hot water and dish soap.  W L May does carry a cleaner for them if you want to check that out.  DO NOT put them in your oven and turn on the self-clean!!!!  You will be buying new grates if you do this.  Gently scrub with a sponge to remove the crusties, rinse thoroughly and dry completely before putting them back on the stove.

Grates

CAUTION:  DO NOT TRY TO LIFT THE TOP OF YOUR STOVE!!!  I have had lots of people try to do this to clean underneath and they've had to replace all the gas tubing to the burners.  You can bend, twist or break these gas tubes and then you will have a major gas leak - NOT good.













Now remove the burner caps and wash in hot, soapy water, rinse and dry.  You can use non-abrasive cleaners on these, but make sure they are thoroughly rinsed and dried before replacing.

Burner Cap

For the burner bases, you can use a mild cleanser, hot water and a soft cloth to wipe them off.  You can use an old toothbrush or a piece of wire to clean the openings.  Be careful not to scratch or gouge the openings and don't use a toothpick - the wood can easily break off and get stuck.  Again, make sure everything is thoroughly rinsed of cleaning products and dried.  Carefully wipe the ignitor with a water dampened cotton swab - don't get it too wet or it may not light.  Using a wooden toothpick, gently scrap off any guck off the ignitor and remove any fibers left from cleaning.

Burner Head

Igniter is white circle on  right
Orifice is brass center circle

Now, give the cooktop a good wipe down with a mild cleaner and sponge - rinse and dry thoroughly.  If you have a stainless steel top, wipe in the direction of the grain and dry with a cloth to prevent spots.  Don't use abrasives or products that contain chlorine because both are corrosive to stainless.  You can use a stainless steel conditioner for a nice shine but do not use this on non-stainless surfaces like the control markings, labels, or touchpads.  Only use stainless steel cleaners on stainless steel.  There are many finishes out there made to look like stainless but are not.  How can you tell?  If a magnet sticks to it, it is not stainless.

W L May carries a bunch of different cleaners and conditioners for stainless steel appliances - come down and look.

Make sure everything is well dried before putting back together and be VERY CAREFUL setting the grates back on top.  These babies are very heavy and if you have a glass cooktop, dropping a grate on it will have you ordering a new top in short order.

Periodic maintenance will enhance the life of of your stove reduce repair calls.

To all my friends out there, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!