Whether you’re a keen amateur chef or just enjoy the occasional dinner party, your stove top is likely to show the aftermath of every time you’ve prepared a meal. A dirty stove top can immediately compromise the aesthetics of your kitchen and cleaning it can be a daunting task. Fortunately, we have some top tips to help you restore the factory shine to your stove top.
The main problem for porcelain coated stove tops or grates is acidic substances. Tomato, vinegar, and wine can create a massive problem if the spills are not cleaned up quickly. If you don’t get to the stains before they cool, you’ll need a special cooktop cleaner and non-abrasive scrubbing pad. If you have removable grates, you can easily clean them by putting them in your dishwasher on the hottest cycle. Just be sure to avoid putting caps in the dishwasher or try to reassemble the caps on your burners if there is any trace of water. If the caps are in any way damp, you will struggle to ignite the burners.
Sugary spills can immediately cause a sticky mess on electric glass stove tops. Syrup, candy or jellies need to be cleaned while the stove top is still warm as it can cause dark streaks, discoloration or specks that will compromise the aesthetics of the appliance. If you don’t get to these spills quickly, you’ll need to use soap and water or a polishing cream with a great deal of patience.
Another problem for glass stove tops is over boiling residue and burned on soiling. Unless the over boiling was extensive, a melamine sponge should eliminate the marks, but if the marks are serious or there is burned on soil, you’ll need a cleaning product and cooktop scraper. Keep the blade flat or as flat as you can to scrape away the heavier soil and use the cleaning product to remove any final traces of film.
If you have a pro-style range, you’re likely to have cast iron grates. These are incredibly durable and can look fantastic, but if there are tough stains or marks, it can compromise the aesthetic and cause odors when you use your burners. You’ll need to use a stove top cleaning product and go with the grain of the material for the best results.
While these tips can help clean up any stubborn messes, it is far easier to prevent them occurring in the first place. Of course, it is easy to say you should avoid allowing pots to boil over, but if you are leaving an unattended pot turn down the heat, so the contents are gently simmering. If you do have any spills or messes, it is best to clean them as soon as possible. Taking care not to burn yourself, cleaning a mess while it is still warm will be far easier than trying to remove it when it has gone cold and solid. So, keep a damp cloth handy and wipe up any messes as they occur to avoid the need for serious and intensive cleaning later.
There are a myriad of cooktop repair issues that you may face, and educating yourself on simple maintenance projects will help to keep your appliance in good condition. For more effective and long lasting solutions to your repair issues, you can rely on a professional home appliance repair technician to help you.
For help with any cooktop repair issues, ensure you speak to a professional appliance repair service.