5 Ways to Clean Your Stove Grates

Gas stoves are often preferred by culinary enthusiasts, but those grates can get nasty quickly. Over the years, really smart people have figured out easy hacks for cleaning stove grates and stovetops.

Here, we break down some steps and basic materials on how to clean a stovetop to perfection. Just so you can mess it up all over again.

Clean stove grates the easy way

First and foremost, always wait until grates are totally cooled before removing them from the cooktop. There's no sense in ending up in the ER with major burns.

1. Cleaning stove grates with dish soap

This is probably the easiest and most basic method for cleaning stove grates.

Materials: dish soap, water and a soft cloth.

1. Fill up the sink with hot, soapy water.
2. Soak the grates for at least 20 minutes (do not do this for un-coated cast iron grates, see another method).
3. For really gross grates, make a paste using one part water, three parts baking soda. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes.
4. Using a soft cloth, wipe down the burners (rinse first if you used baking soda paste)
5. Dry thoroughly, then replace on the cooktop.

Although this method does require some elbow grease, it's still a fairly low-key way to clean stove grates until they reach sparkling status.

2. Cleaning stove grates with ammonia

If you're not a fan of strong chemicals like ammonia, keep on reading. If you hate scrubbing, however, this could be just the grate cleaning method for you!

Before you begin, here are some safety items to note. Never let ammonia get in your eyes. Wear gloves to protect your skin. Never ever mix it with bleach or anything that contains bleach. Doing so turns toxic quick!

Materials: ammonia, Ziploc bags large enough to fit your grates, rubber gloves. If you have large grates substitute kitchen trash bags in place of Ziplocs.

1. Place one dirty grate per bag.
2. Add one-quarter to one-half of a cup of ammonia to the bag.
3. Seal the Ziploc bag. Tie the kitchen bag closed. Make sure there's some air left in the bag because it's the air that circulates the ammonia and helps it work its magic.
4. Keep the grates in the bags overnight.
5. In the morning, open some windows or otherwise make sure you have plenty of ventilation.
6. Open bags and dump liquid contents into the sink.
7. Rinse grates under warm, running water.

Now, marvel over how clean they are!

Again, take care to avoid any chemical exposure when cleaning the stove grates this way. Safety first!

3. Cleaning stove grates with vinegar

It's much easier to avoid a huge mess if it's handled a little bit every day. To prevent unsightly pileups use a daily vinegar spray to keep stove grates clean. It's cheap and non-toxic.

Materials: spray bottle, white vinegar, gloves and a clean cloth

1. Put on the gloves.
2. Fill the spray bottle with white vinegar.
3. Spray the grates.
4. After about 15 minutes, wipe the grates with the cloth. Repeat if necessary.

Doesn't get much easier than that!

4. Cleaning stove grates with baking soda

Much like white vinegar, baking soda is widely beloved for its cleaning capabilities. Try using a simple baking soda paste to get those grates back to good.

Materials: 3 Tbsp baking soda, 3 Tbsp cold water, gloves, paper towels or a clean cloth and a soft-bristled scrub brush

1. Mix water and baking soda in a bowl to form a paste.
2. Apply the baking soda paste to the grates.
3. Let sit for about 20 minutes, then scrub with the brush.
4. Using the cloth or towels, wipe the grates clean.

The bonus thing about baking soda is that it is a really great scrubber but won't damage any surfaces.

5. Cleaning stove grates with degreaser

It's not necessary to use homemade cleaners on stove grates. Plenty of commercial products are available that do a bang-up job, as well.

Materials: a non-toxic degreaser

1. Place the stove grates in the sink.
2. Spray liberally with a non-toxic degreaser.
3. Let soak for about 15 or 20 minutes.
4. Rinse the grates with hot water.
5. Scrub with a nylon brush and tackle any stubborn stains as needed.

Remember to let the grates dry completely before putting them back on the stove.

How to clean the rest of the stovetop

Clearly, a stove is more than just grates. When they get dirty, the rest of the parts tend to, as well. Here are a few steps to getting a fully clean gas stovetop:

1. Make sure the stove is totally cooled off. Remove the stove grates and set them aside.
2. Wipe up crumbs or other food particles from the stovetop.
3. Pull off burner caps and set them aside.
4. Spray with your cleaning agent of choice. Use a soap/water combo, liquid degreaser or vinegar/water mixture. Let soak in for a few minutes.
5. Use a soft scouring pad to scrub. Throughout the process, use a clean paper towel to lift out the grime and remove it. Repeat as needed.
6. If anything refuses to come off, use a nylon scrub brush or toothbrush for a little more oomph.
7. Wipe off the stove surface with clean paper towels until dry. Then, use glass cleaner to do another once over to bring back the shine and remove degreaser leftovers.
8. Clean burner caps in warm, soapy water. Once the cooktop is clean, put burner caps and grates back on.

An electric stove top usually needs only some warm, soapy water and a sponge. Use a baking soda paste or commercial cleaner, if necessary, to get rid of stubborn stains.

The cleaner the stove grates, the cleaner the kitchen

Obviously, this process doesn't need to happen after every single cooking session. But it is a good idea to keep an eye out for stovetop grate buildup to make it a less laborious process.

Spend less time cleaning stove grates and more time eating and enjoying the fruits of your labors!