How to Clean a Stove: Kitchen Home-Cleaning Guide

Cleaning a stove can seem like a daunting task, particularly if the stove has a lot of food, grease, and residue built up inside the oven and on the burners. However, it can indeed by a very manageable project. To make it easier, set aside one day just to tackle cleaning the stove. If you set out with the intent to do the stove, the refrigerator, the entire rest of the house and all the windows too, you're likely to get frustrated and never finish! So, today is just the stove. Already sounds easier, doesn't it?

Important Tips

Before cleaning a stove, always be sure that the stove is turned completely off. If you have recently cooked something inside the oven or on top of the burners, allow the stove to completely cool. It should go without saying, but it the stove is hot you can easily get burned! If you are cleaning a gas stove, be sure to turn off the gas too.

Always follow the manufacturer guidelines for cleaning. It is always best to follow these guidelines as appliances vary. Consult the product guide or owner's manual for recommended cleaners and cleaning products.

For example, many flat top ranges have certain products that are not recommended for use. Using products that are not recommended for some stove models may result in doing more harm than good to your stove.

If your oven is a self-cleaning oven, follow the instructions for running the self-cleaning cycle. A self-cleaning cycle runs a high temperature process that burns off debris and cleans it. Many self-cleaning ovens do not need other cleaning products. Again, always consult the product manual or owner's guide.

Gather the appropriate cleaning supplies ahead of time and use a new pair of gloves.

Cleaning Tips

If you will be using oven cleaners, always do so in a well ventilated area. Open the kitchen windows or door. The fumes from these products can be overpowering and if you're sensitive to any type of smell or have allergies, than you particularly need to use caution when using them. This applies to small children and pets too.

Always allow oven cleaners the recommended wait time to soak in and work. If the product says let soak 20 minutes or longer, than it's best to wait at least that amount of time. Don't think that cleaning a stove is something you can easily rush.

Be sure to clean the hood, the burners, the drip pans, the top of the stove, and the inside of the stove. If you use a lot of cooking oil, grease builds up in the hood. A good heavy-duty degreaser cleanser can make cleaning this area much easier. Most of the time, you can scrub the burners and they'll come clean relatively easily, and the same is true with the top of the stove. Remember not to let the electrical ends of the burners get wet.

If your stove has drip pans, remove them and try soaking them with cleaner before scrubbing them. You might find it cheaper and easier to simply replace these every so often. If you're cleaning the stove in a rental before you move out many landlords request or require you do this anyway.

It's a good idea to have a whisk broom handy to scrape off large pieces of food debris.

If your oven is not self-cleaning, then be sure to purchase a good high quality oven cleaner. When you'll be the "self cleaner" and doing most of the cleaning yourself, avoid the temptation of cheap oven cleaning products. You'll end up using a whole lot more of a cheaper cleaning product and doing a whole lot more scrubbing. So, save yourself some effort and spend a few more dollars. You'll be glad you did, particularly if the stove is really in need of a thorough clean.