How to Easily Maintain Your Stovetop
Stovetops are one of those areas that we’re always cleaning. It’s a constant cycle…wash, rinse, repeat. Just like laundry and dishes seem to be never-ending, so it seems that stove top cleaning fits in this category, too.
Here’s some tips on how to give your stovetop a good thorough cleaning and to cut through grease, for streak free results.
Step 1: make a wet soapy terry cloth cleaning towel by saturating with dish soap and water and scrub stovetop and surround.
Step 2: rinse cloth and reapply soap or replace with a fresh towel until stovetop comes clean.
Step 3: polish with a dry terry cloth towel.
Step 4: finish of the surface with The Tidy People Glass Cleaner…yes, who knew that glass cleaner was the missing link in finding streak free results to finish off your stove cleaning?
Depending on the type of stove you have, there’s a variety of surfaces and spills that you might encounter. Here are some further tips on getting your stovetop and surrounding area clean:
Hardened Grease Stains
It’s likely that you cook with oil. As a result, a specific type of buildup can occur — it’s what I call hardened grease stains. Basically, the oil heats up at high temperatures, then splatters on the surfaces surround. It then dries at room temperature. The the longer it sits - it hardens.
How to clean: interestingly, the best way to break down hardened grease stains is with oil. The compounds / chemical bonds are similar. The two oils mix together and the softer oil helps break the looser oil down. I recommend using the standard process listed above (first) to see if the buildup can be easily removed. If there are remaining hardened grease stains, to use mineral oil on the surface. Let sit for an extended period of time before removing the oil from the surface.
Finally, to remove all remaining oil, use a wet dish soapy towel and scrub clean.
Food Baked on Stovetop
This is most common with tempered glass flat top stovetops. It can also occur with gas stovetops too.
How to clean: use a Skrapr or a razor blade (be careful, it can potentially scratch) and The Tidy People All Purpose Spray.
Stovetop Grates, Drip Pans, Filters, and Other Removable Parts
Most stovetops have a variety of removable parts that you can disassemble in the cleaning process.
How to clean: put in the dishwasher and run through a cycle. The high heat and dishwasher detergent will help break down the oil and make this task mostly hands free. If you have no dishwasher, you can soak in the sink for an extended period of time in hot water to loosen oils and then scrub by hand with a hard bristled dish brush.
