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Keeping your stove clean is crucial for your health. You might want to clean it every moment something spills on it while cooking.
However, that may not be easy to do every time. That’s why you need to learn the easiest way to clean it after cooking. There are various methods of doing it, as discussed below.
Most of these methods involve using homemade ingredients that you can easily prepare in your kitchen. Let’s start with vinegar.
Read Related Article: How To Deep Clean Your Kitchen | Spring Cleaning Tips
Table of Contents
1. Cleaning it using vinegar
Vinegar is a valuable source that helps you to clean your grates with easily and quickly. Besides being excellent and typical for cooking, it does wonder when it comes to cleaning, as well.
Vinegar is acidic, and that’s why it can attack stubborn stains. Let’s find out more.
What do you need?
- Elbow grease (not a must though)
- Sponge
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Dishwashing liquid
- A toothbrush or soft scrub
- Mineral or tap water
Preparing the ingredients
- Mix 2 portions of baking soda with one part of the vinegar.
- Add some dishwasher to make the mixture cakey.
Now you have what you need to take away the grease. Next is to prepare the stove to be ready for cleaning.
To clean the grates thoroughly, you want to remove the grates from the top of the stove. Lift the burners cap away from the head and put everything in the sink.
Check if the grates are relatively clean. You only need to use a non-abrasive sponge with soap to wash the grates.
Solid dirty grates will need more cleaning effort. In this case, sponge and soap are not enough. You will need to use vinegar paste you prepared.
You can then apply vinegar on the grates using a clean toothbrush. Allow it to stay there for 15 minutes. Use elbow grease and a soapy sponge to wash it off. Rinse it, and you will love the results.
If your stove top is coated with enamel, you should be extra careful. Clean it thoroughly with a soapy sponge then rinse it. Confirm whether all grease is gone or not.
2. The overnight cleaning method
Would you like to try a simple way of cleaning your grates with fewer efforts? The overnight process is only applicable to small grates only.
Put the vinegar paste you made earlier in a freezer bag. Put the parts of your stove inside this freezer bag and seal it. Allow the bag with the grates in the past to remain overnight.
Immediately when you wake up in the morning, remove the stove parts from the freezer bag, and clean them with a soapy sponge. Rinse it, and you will see how the dirt is all gone.
Once you clean your grates, dry them thoroughly using a kitchen cloth. Wipe the water gently to avoid scratching the grates.
3. How to clean stove grates using Ammonia
Aside from vinegar, Ammonia can also thoroughly clean your stove grates well. You don’t need to scrub anything. Besides cleaning your grates, Ammonia can clean the inside of your stove and leave it sparkling clean.
However, you should be aware that Ammonia is a strong chemical. You should handle it with much care. For example, don’t allow it to get in your eyes.
Before using it, wear protective gloves.
What do you need?
- Rubber gloves
- Ammonia
- Ziploc bags (gallon sized)
Procedure
Put the grate in a Ziploc bag and add 1/2C of Ammonia inside and seal it. Ensure that there is some air before sealing the bag to allow Ammonia fumes to move around.
The Ammonia fumes will clean the grates and not the Ammonia liquid. Do this for all of the stove grates. Let them sit overnight.
Wait until morning. Ensure that you have enough air circulation in the room before you open the bag. So open all your windows. Alternatively, you can go outside and do this where there is enough air.
Take the grates and rinse them using warm running water. You will see flakes coming off the grate. In case the gunk is sticky, consider using a scrubbing sponge to remove it.
Ammonia cleans off the gunk so well you will be left with sparkling clean grates.
4. Clean your grates using Oven cleaner
Did you know that commercially sold oven cleaners are another excellent way to thoroughly clean your grates?
What do you need?
- Safety glasses
- Microfiber cloth
- Gloves
- Commercial oven cleaner
- Scrub pad
You want to wear your safety glasses and gloves before you spray the oven cleaner on your grates. Allow it to stay according to soaking time recommended by the product’s instructions.
Use a brush or scrubbing pad to scrub the grate. Do this for all of the grates until they are clean. After they are sparkling clean, dry them by wiping with a piece of absorbent cloth.
5. Using water and baking soda
Baking soda is an excellent ingredient of cleaning many stains, including those on grates. It can even clean teeth, dishes, and clothes due to its abrasive power.
The best thing about it is that it doesn’t damage surfaces.
What you need
- Gloves
- A clean paper towel for drying
- A soft-bristled scrub brush
Ingredients for paste
- 3 tablespoons of cold water
- 3 tablespoons of baking soda
Procedure
Make a paste using baking soda and water. Apply this paste on your grates and let it stay for 20 minutes.
Use the brush to scrub the paste. Wipe the grates with a towel and repeat this if needed. That’s how it’s done, and everything will be good.
Cleaning your grates shouldn’t be stressful anymore. As you can see, there are various ways to do it. If one method doesn’t work, try the other one.
I’m a professional cleaner with over 13 years of hands-on experience cleaning homes, a published writer, certified money specialist, and the founder of A Mess Free Life. After paying off over $50,000 in debt, I dedicated myself to helping others master their homes and their money — proving that a clean, organized, stress-free life is possible no matter where you’re starting from. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me cooking, playing bocce, sipping an extra dirty martini, or enjoying the ocean with my cats nearby. I’m also a proud mom and grandma who cares deeply for my mother at home.
