The Creek Line House

How to Really Clean Your Gas Stove

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A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

So, now you have a gas stove. Of course, you love it. There’s nothing better to cook on, right? And you wipe it down and keep it looking shiny and pretty, but when it comes to taking things apart and really getting it deep cleaned, maybe you get a little nervous about how to get a clean gas stove. Good, we understand each other. 🙂

We inherited a gas stove when we moved into this house and I loved it. After a few years, we upgraded to a fancier model and I decided it was time to really learn to do a good job of taking care of this thing and making sure I always have a clean gas stove. So I did!

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

Our Gas Stove

I thought I was buying just a fairly high quality gas range that would last us quite a while and do all the cooking my future little heart might desire, but I guess it turns out to be a really really good one. Who knew? When Chris was installing the range hood that goes with it, he went to Home Depot to find some parts he needed and the guy working there was shocked that they even sold such a powerful appliance there and had to send him to a specialty store to get the parts he needed. He said something about “restaurant grade”.

Does this mean I’m going to be a restaurant grade cook now too? Ha!

The stove we ended up getting is the GE Cafe:

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

What a beauty, right? So here are the steps I follow now to make sure she stays in tip top shape and I always have a clean gas stove.

First, begin with a messy stove, preferably one that has had pots boil over on it. This step isn’t totally necessary, but will make you feel like you’ve really accomplished something once you’re done. 🙂

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

Some nice crumbs and bits of this and that are helpful too. See? You’ve already got that covered too, don’t you? Look at you go! This isn’t scary or complicated at all!

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

Kinda gross though, right?

Cleaning Your Gas Stove

OK, now you’ll need to locate your grates and burner covers.

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

Awesome! Look how good you are at this!

Remove your grates and place them in a sink of hot soapy water.

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

After leaving them to soak for a few minutes, any burnt on food should just come right off with the help of a soft scrub brush or a wash cloth.  Also use a wash cloth to gently wipe any stains off of your burner covers. The covers can be soaked as well, but make sure you dry them really well before replacing them onto your stove or you’ll risk damaging your igniters.

If you’re finding that soap and water aren’t quite enough for the burnt on mess on your grates, you can soak them in a solution of half warm water and half vinegar for a few hours, or even overnight.

Once you’ve got those parts cleaned, you’ll want to make sure that everything is in good working order and there aren’t any little food particles blocking the gas flow.

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

See? It says so right there!

Just lift that whole part right off and examine everything to make sure it’s clean and all holes are clear.

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

Give everything underneath a quick wipe too with a clean damp cloth if it’s needed.

I find that the best tool for clearing the holes is just an unbent paperclip.

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

It’s the perfect size!

Putting the Finishing Touches on Your Cleaning Job

Once you’ve gone and done that to each one of your burners, you’ll find that you’re still left with a stove top that’s kind of shaped like a bowl and is full of crumbs and junk. If it’s nearby, I often grab the vacuum and just suck all of this junk up. If not, I just grab myself a stack of clean cloths and use a one slightly damp cloth to pick up all the crumbs, then a new one with soapy water to remove any bits of dried on food, and then finally a dry one to shine everything up.

Again, make sure you don’t get things too wet! On my last stove, I drowned my burners a few times. They did eventually work again once they dried out, but you don’t want to risk getting too much water into any computerized parts of your stove. I know I don’t! Just slightly damp is best.

The Best Part of the Cleaning Process

So now, here’s my favorite part! To remove any streaks and bit of greasy residue that might be left, I take a paper towel with a bit of rubbing alcohol on it and just polish everything right up! If you’ve never used rubbing alcohol for cleaning, you’re going to be so amazed. Just make sure everything is good and dry before you turn on your stove. Liquid rubbing alcohol is flammable! It should evaporate within about 3/4 of a second though.

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

I wrote a whole post about cleaning greasy kitchens with rubbing alcohol awhile ago too, so you can check that out as well if you’re interested. 🙂

Now all that’s left to do is put everything back in place, stand back, and admire your work and your nice clean gas stove!

A clean gas stove is so nice to cook on and not very difficult to achieve if you know what steps to take!

 

See? Totally easy-peasy! I knew you were going to be good at this! Now go enjoy your nice clean gas stove!

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Comments

  1. Erin says

    I have a gas stove, but it is black coated. I have actually taken wax and waxed the clean top to seal it and keep the inevitable boil overs from getting super stuck on. 🙂

    Reply

  2. Tanya says

    Just another FYI, the installer for all my new stainless steel appliances recommended I gently get the messy part off then wipe down with lemon furniture polish going with the lines of the stainless steel. Works like a dream. My housekeeper was a little leary of the idea

    Reply

  3. Nancy says

    Great tips we have the same stove but somehow the top got scratched…..any advice for getting those small scratches out or less noticeable? Someone told me Revere Copper cleaner but I can’t find that.

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hey Nancy, From what I know, Revere cleaner is pretty similar to Comet, so you might try a bit of that if your scratches aren’t too severe. I’ve also heard of sanding scratches out with a very fine grade sandpaper or sanding pads but I’d be a little hesitant to try that on the top of our stove since the stainless steel on the top isn’t very grainy. You can also find stainless steel scratch removal kits that can take you through the process of removing the scratch, so that may be the safest bet. Whatever you do, make sure you only clean or sand WITH the grain, even if it’s a very fine grain. Good luck! I’m sure I’m going to run into this same problem sooner or later because I’m using my stove all the time. I love it!

      Reply

    • Melonnie Johnson says

      Barkeepers Friend might work. I use it on my stainless sinks all the time. You will need to rinse really well and buff it lightly with a dry microfiber or other soft cloth, going in the direction of the grain of the stainless. If you have never used Barkeepers, you find in the isle with other powered cleansers like comet, ajax and others. I love this stuff.

      Reply

    • Diana Ramsey says

      I noted that paper towels were recommended for cleaning thestainless. Not a good idea. I was told NEVER to use paper towels on appliances. I use soft dish towels or rags. The magic eraser works wonders too. Wipe up the worst of the mess, put all parts in the dish washer, use eraser then spray with alcohol water mixture and buff with soft cloth. Afraid I have no idea about getting rid of scratches though, sorry.

      Reply

      • Kathy says

        That is new and I’m definitely going to try it. Nothing really works 100% so I’m always ready to try something new! Thanks!!

        Reply

  4. Kolleen says

    I have a black topped stove. First, I take the grates off. I take a clean rag, get it wet and wring out the excess water, toss it in the microwave and get it nice and steamy. If I have anything stuck on the stove top the steam lifts it right off. I repeat this process for the countertops, microwave and refrigerator.

    Reply

  5. Kim says

    Courtney, thanks for reminding me I need to do this again! Mine’s not that dirty except right around the burners. Lots of brown stains there…don’t know what it is or how it got there in that area. I wipe all under the grates inside the “bowl” after cooking. Any ideas how to get the stuck brown stains off of the stainless bowl? Thanks for all your tips. I’ll try the rubbing alcohol. Heading over to read your post about that, too! Blessings~
    Kim

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hi Kim! Cleaning my stove is actually on my list for tomorrow! I always just lay a wet soapy or vinegary cloth over the brown, baked-on stains and they always seem to come right off. If that doesn’t do it, I guess it depends on the finish of your stove top. You could use a scrubber, but if yours is like mine and really shiny, then that will just scuff it up. Maybe try that hydrogen peroxide and baking soda trick that I’ve seen floating around to clean baking sheets? Good luck!

      Reply

  6. Sofie says

    when i’m done cleaning i rub some olive oil onto the stainless steel, next time you cook it’s more easy to clean it of and makes it look perfectly clean and shiny.

    Reply

  7. Tori says

    Ahhhhh… cleaning with alcohol. Brings back childhood memories. Every Saturday morning, my dad had my sister and I clean every square inch of the bathroom with rubbing alcohol. That included tile walls, floor, and ceiling in the shower. Also shower doors, tub, shower stall, toilet, sink, mirror … everything! The tile went up to about 4′ all the way around the bathroom, except in the shower where it went clear up to the ceiling and even covered the ceiling! Let me say, I do believe we had the cleanest bathroom in town! Still not sure how we didn’t get asphyxiated from the strong alcohol scent!! =D

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Wow! That would be one clean bathroom! I don’t know if I could stick to that cleaning schedule, but I’m pretty impressed that you did it!

      Reply

      • Tori says

        Ha! Yes, it was a CLEAN – or should I say SANITIZED – bathroom! We really didn’t have a choice in the matter! We were kids and my dad was in charge! I can assure you, as an adult, I do not stick to a cleaning schedule like that! Now, I pay my neighbor to clean my house! =D

        Reply

  8. Gretchen says

    Thanks for these cleaning tips. I have a similar GE gas stove. But, what do you do to clean the grates? That is the hardest part for me to figure out.

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      I just like to soak them in a mixture of hot water, dish soap and vinegar and that seems to work really well, Gretchen! I’ve heard of people putting the grates in a plastic tub full of vinegar overnight too if your grates get to be really bad. Good luck!

      Reply

      • Carol Little says

        I would not recommend overnight soaking. When I did, I had some rusting occur. A few hours should be all that is needed to soften the food tuck to them. I like the vinegar idea, too, to cut the grease.

        Reply

      • Dottie says

        I put mine in a good strong plastic leaf bag, drop a good size wad of paper towels inside and pour the ammonia to it, tie it up tight and place it out where the sun can shine on it all day. Remove from plastic bag ( out side please! And hold your breath!!) place in dishwasher and run on longest cycle. All Done. Of course, if they aren’t in too bad a shape, you can just hose them off and they’re ready to go.

        Reply

        • Jackie B says

          I have done this ammonia trick many times and it works like a charm for me as well. I usually just pop them into the dishwasher and that is sufficient when they arent too badly soiled.

          Reply

    • Ronda says

      For the grates I found a cleaning tip in a Pinterest site take your grates put each one in a gallon ziplock bag with a couple of tablespoons of amonia in it seal and let sit for 12 hours make sure you put the bags in a dish it will leak a tad it works like a charm mine grates were nasty we are remodeling our kitchen so I let my sit for a couple of days took them out of the bag wash with hot soapy water all the crude came right off they look brand new.

      Reply

  9. Teresa says

    If you have cast iron grates and covers you can also deep clean them when you put your stove on self clean just place them inside while the stove is cleaning. All you need to do then is rinced dry and place.

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      That’s a really great idea, Teresa! I’m so lucky that I haven’t had to do a big cleaning of my oven yet, but I’ll definitely keep that tip in mind!

      Reply

      • Tracy says

        My appliance dealer told me NOT to use the the self cleaning part of the oven. She said it get so hot that it eventually damages your gas stove. I’ve found that Goo Gone makes a cleaner for gas grills and I squirt that on my oven floor, wait 10-15 min. and everything comes right off. It works on my stove grates and burner covers too! Good Luck!

        Reply

  10. Melissa says

    Hello I’m looking for some advice on how to clean my dark brown wooden kitchen hood. Its really bad. Shiny thick film of grease. I have tried soap and hot water. Vinegar in the water. Mineral oil. I just live with it and don’t look at it Any suggestions thank you

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hi Melissa! Rubbing alcohol is amazing for cutting through stubborn kitchen grease, but it can remove the finish from some wood cabinets. If there’s a hidden spot that you can test to see if your finish won’t be harmed, I’d try that one out for sure! Is the hood the same as the rest of your cabinets or is it different? If it’s different maybe you could just refinish it and try to keep more on top of wiping the grease in the future? I have wooden cabinets and I usually just use a rag with hot water and dish soap on mine and they come out really well. I get the rag really wet with the soapy water first and wipe them down with that, then I come back a few minutes later with a slightly damp cloth. All the grease and grime just comes right off! Good luck! That sounds super frustrating!

      Reply

  11. Marianne says

    Hi & Thank you for these great tips! I had a bad spillover on my long center burner and now the black cover is stuck to my burner. Do you think it’s ok to soak them together and see if they come apart? Or do you have any other ideas/suggestions? Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Wow! That must have been one bad spill! Since the way burner covers go on is different on different models, I’d say that you should use your best judgement. On my stove, the center burner is just one big solid piece with the black part and the silver part permanently stuck together. Whatever you do, just make sure that everything is thoroughly dried out before you put it back together!

      Reply

  12. Charity says

    When I need to clean the black grates on my stove, I take them off, stack 2 at a time on some newspapers which I place inside a plastic kitchen garbage bag, and spray them down with oven cleaner. I close up the bag, let them set overnight, and by morning, they come clean when I rinse them off with hot water! Amazing!

    Reply

  15. Caitlyn says

    Hi there! I had hot milk boil over onto my brand new stove top today, and while the stovetop was easy enough to to clean up, the burner covers have been left with these ugly stains! I am horrified. Any recommendations for how to clean them? They do not come off with warm water and mild detergent. I am wondering it it is a burn mark and will never come out. Any help would be so appreciated!

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hi Caitlyn! Arg! That sounds so frustrating! I would first try making a paste out of baking soda and dish soap, scrubbing it in and leaving it to sit for about half and hour or so. If that doesn’t help much, you can put the burner cover in a big ziplock bag with 1 teaspoon of ammonia and leave it to sit overnight and that should really help. Good luck with your poor stove!

      Reply

  16. Catherine says

    I have the exact same range. I haven’t read further into your blog, so I may find the answer to my question, but I’ll ask anyways: how do you clean the inside of your oven? Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hi Catherine! I really like to use a paste of baking soda and dishsoap for everyday cleanup in my oven, but mine’s still fairly new and I try to keep things pretty tidy in there so I haven’t really had to do a big deep clean on it yet!

      Reply

  17. Shweta says

    Its so irritating work to clean the stove. However, I need to do it in a proper way. I usually use cleaner liquid or detergent powder to clean my stove, but some areas of stove’s in which I cant use the water or chemicals. At that time these techniques will help me to clean the inner parts of stove. Thanks for sharing your stove cleaning experience.

    Reply

  18. Michelle says

    I have the exact GE Cafe stove and LOVE it! I can cook up a storm, make a huge mess, and then have it looking brand new in no time!

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Yay! It’s the best isn’t it? I almost always have a little spill of some kind, so I really appreciate the feature too!

      Reply

  19. Mellisa says

    How do you get those cast iron grates from rusting and getting the rust off. I thought of doing like you do cast iron pans when you season them, but I have rubber bottoms on mine. Thanks Mellisa

    Reply

  20. Janelle says

    I have a gas stove but it is not stainless. I have tried to clean the spilt over messes(after I first saw them a day passed). How do you get that burnt on mess and just from the heat????

    Reply

  21. Marilyn says

    Hi, I have a gas stove and I can get it all clean except the metal around the burners. Any suggestions? Marilyn

    Reply

  22. Betty j Guy says

    My gas stove oven has never been been cleaned by the previous home owner. The oven is the last major disaster. Sheer neglect resulted in baked on everything you could possibly bake and spill. What would be an effective cleanser a available for a mission impossible job.

    Reply

    • Fernie says

      I don;t know if this will work but worth a try; mix equal parts 3% peroxide with baking soda (a Paste) put this all over your oven floor, top. sides. and shelves. Leave for overnight, spray with white vinegar and use a green scrubby wipe use elbow grease and if this doesn’t get it all repeat and repeat if it is old cooked on stuff it will take some time. Then wipe well with soapy water and dry. I had to do this with nine as it kept setting the smoke alarm off so now I do this on a regular basis.

      Reply

  23. MrT says

    My wife works with me so home time is often a bit skinny so I help with pretty much everything. The stove is in need of some TLC and I was looking for some tips when I came across your blog. I have a few comments. As a former Firefighter, let me say liquid alcohol does not burn, its the fumes coming off the evaporating alcohol that burns. Automotive gas operates in a similar way. I had a high school auto shop teacher demonstrate this by pouring gas in a cup saucer, waving his hands over it (to remove the fumes) then plunging a lit match into the liquid gas and extinguishing the flame. He then let the dish sit for about a minute, allowing the fumes to accumulate and the fumes lit as the match got “close”. At first glance, without explanation, the test seems the same, however, the fumes are the key. Relevant to your note about waiting till all liquid alcohol is gone I would add wait til most of the smell is gone too. The strong smell of alcohol indicates fumes and the need for caution. Usually, only 5 minutes or so after all signs of liquid is gone.

    Reply

  24. MrT says

    I have several adult and young adult children living at home (while attending college) that share the cooking with my wife. She loves to cook and wants a turn but wants our kids to be part of the program to teach cooking skills and gain experience. One of the casualties in this program is the stove. I am somewhat surprised that no one has mentioned fabric softener sheets that have been moistened with water. This gets rid of all the harsh abrasives in cleansers or with backing soda and I think it works better than most items listed on this blog (most of which I have tried). Although there are few thing new to me that I would like to try for comparison (always looking for a better way… easier way to scrub).

    Reply

  26. Mary ann says

    This should be recommended reading for all who desire a powerful gas stove! A few more, before purchase, be sure you have tech support in your area to fix/calibrate your stove. I asked mine (a wife/husband team, no less!) to teach me calibration. Esp. True if you live in a ski resort area or remote situation..I’m not kidding here!
    Measure your doors!! Can your stove fit through? Fire hazard, sorry, but you need instant access to a very good fire extinguisher. Ask local fire department. They’ll help. Call your insurance co. First. Some companies won’t cover damage caused by fire from high end restaurant ranges. Restaurants have extinguishers built into the hood.
    Hope I’m not being a wet blanket here! Pretty kitchens are great, but a good working kitchen that cleans well is safer and smarter.
    And don’t ask your cleaning “lady” to accomplish more than you could!

    Reply

  27. Debbie Wells says

    I appreciate the cleaning tips very much. My question is the window of the oven door looks like something has spilled and run down the glass. I have cleaned it repeatedly and cannot get these long drip marks to come off. I’m not even sure what it is on there. Any suggestions?

    Reply

  28. Anne says

    Hi Courtenay, I have the GE Profile gas stove and my problem is getting the burner covers stains removed, would you have any suggestions for that problem?

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hi Anne! The first thing I would try is a paste of baking soda and water. Apply it over the top of the stained burner cover and let it sit for about 1/2 an hour, covered by a sheet of plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Wipe it away with a damp cloth when you’re done and gently scrub with the paste if the stain doesn’t lift right off. Hopefully that makes a difference!

      Reply

  29. Gail Magee says

    I have GE gas range, Bar Keepers makes a soft cleanser, I use that to help with grates, burner cover stains, and the top. Sometimes harder to find then the powder Bar Keepers, I find it at big box hardware stores. I do keep both as part of my cleaning arsenal!

    Reply

  30. Aimee says

    I have a black coated counter top gas stove. It is currently grease coated. I have tried everything from hot soapy water to vinegar to ammonia. Nothing has worked completely. Any ideas??

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      Hi Aimee! Have you tried the rubbing alcohol yet? That’s always my favorite for cutting through any kind of grease.

      Reply

  31. Shelleu says

    I can’t seem to get white spots off my burner caps …. any suggestions ??? I’ve tried soaking as well as scrubbing with baking soda … very frustrating!!

    Reply

    • Shelleu says

      As a side note … my stove top in fairly new with no major spills .. just seems like after every other use it has white spots … I desperately want to keep it looking New as long as possible !!

      Reply

  32. Virginia says

    I spray my black stovetop with WD40 when I’m done cleaning then wipe it off with paper towels. A trick I learned from my AGA installer many moons ago. Looks like new, many years later!

    Reply

  34. Ronnie says

    I’ve tried soaking mine in baking soda & ammonia. Put them in a zip lock bag & let them soak for awhile. You can see the muck in the bag as it works.

    Reply

  35. Maureen says

    We have the GE Profile, which is very similar to your stove. I have a little handheld steam-shot cleaner that I use on the surface of the range, and that works great. But not much luck getting off the burned-on stuff that collects on the metal part of the middle burner. I see in the photos that you have some of that on your middle burner, too. Have you found anything that gets rid of those hard-core stains? I tried steel wool on a tiny section, but that didn’t do it, nor did the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I’m afraid of using anything too abrasive.
    Thanks to you and all the other posters for some great suggestions!

    Reply

  36. Krista says

    Be careful using the alcohol on the lettering for the knobs. After a few uses it rubbed the lettering off.
    Rubbing it with olive oil makes it shiny but also makes spills easier to clean.

    Reply

  37. Jann says

    The dishwasher is my friend and I use Grease Monkey on the stove top but if I have a burnt on spill I just hit it with oven cleaner works a treat.

    Reply

  38. Kevin says

    Another person on the stove cleaning kick. I’ve found TSP works wonders for cutting kitchen grease. I’ve not used it on my black paint / gas stove top. Does anyone have any thoughts about this? I make a big mess sometimes, I’m not sure there is enough alcohol to clean it!

    Reply

  39. Susan says

    I recently moved into a house from an apartmenr & ended up buying a used older model gas stove that is really dirty. I cant cook on ir until Ive cleaned it! It stinks like old burned on grease. How do I tackle this stove? Would the rubbing alcohol deodorise it also? Thank you for your help.

    Reply

    • Courtenay says

      The rubbing alcohol is great for deodorizing because it basically just kills everything! Sounds like you’ve got quite the task on your hands, so good luck! I hope it turns out beautifully when you’re done. We actually had a really old gas stove (maybe 40-50 years old?) before this one and I really did like it a lot!

      Reply

  40. Bonny says

    My gas range looks the same as yours, except mine is a LG. My black cover plates have black / brown baked on grime. How do I remove it without damaging the surface?

    Reply

  41. Deb says

    I have an electric ceramic cooktop and it is a nightmare! Turns black just boiling water. Have to really scrub after every use. Ugh. I was thinking about getting a gas stove. But this sounds incredibly time-consuming too.
    When will they invent a truly easy-clean stove?

    Reply

  42. Mary Fowler says

    Thks. I have the hardest time cleaning my gas stove. I will keep these tips forever. Thank you very much.

    Reply

  43. Linda says

    Please explain how to clean in the back slots where the hot air escapes? Oil and particles and dust get in there. It doesn’t open to be cleaned, how does one clean that part?

    Reply

  46. bricker says

    Please explain how to clean the back slots where the hot air escapes? Oil and particles and dust get in there. It doesn’t open to being cleaned, how does one clean that part?

    Reply

  47. evelina says

    Please explain how to clean the back slots where the hot air escapes? Oil and particles and dust get in there. It doesn’t open to being cleaned, how does one clean that part?

    Reply

  48. christopher brock says

    I recently moved into a house from an apartment & ended up buying a used older model gas stove that is really dirty. I cant cook on it until I’ve cleaned it! It stinks as old burned-on grease. How do I tackle this stove? Would the rubbing alcohol deodorize it also? Thank you for your help.

    Reply

  49. lura powers says

    As a side note … my stove top in fairly new with no major spills .. just seems like after every other use it has white spots … I desperately want to keep it looking New as long as possible !!

    Reply

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