How to Clean a Stainless Steel Stove

Stainless steel is a timeless finish for the appliances in your kitchen. There is something about walking into the room and seeing the shine that comes from this metal – rather than the traditional white or off-white appliances. It is downright classy. However, when it begins to lose its dazzle, would you know how to clean a stainless steel stove to restore the beauty?

Mess, Smudges… and Grease

Unfortunately, as you use your appliances, you may find that they end up looking a little messy from time to time. Have you ever been in the middle of cooking something greasy and floury on your stovetop – and you forgot you had biscuits in the oven that needed to come out? As you open your oven door, you leave behind a little smudge.

Now, imagine this over and over again. You – and your entire family – are in the kitchen every single day! You all can begin to slowly leave your mark on your stove and all of your other appliances left behind from making many delicious recipes.

Ready for some good news? You invested in a stainless steel stove. So that means you are not destined to have a crusty, ruined appliance for the rest of its life. You can bring back that beautiful shine it had when you first brought it home.

And we are going to teach you just how to do it. Surprise – it’s easier than you think!

Cleaning a Glass Stove

First things first, we are going to focus on the stove. You can make this easy cleanup and keep things looking fresh every day by using some glass cleaner each night after dinner. Though for stains that are a bit more complex, you will need to take a few extra steps.

You will need a few simple ingredients:

– Baking soda

– Vinegar

– Soft cloth

– Water

Create a paste with the baking soda and a little water (3:1 ratio) and apply it to your stove. Let it sit there and do its job for approximately two hours. Then, spray vinegar onto the stove and wipe it clean with a soft cloth. Use an additional, clean, soft cloth to dry off the stove.

Greasy Ovens and Stovetops

If you have grease on your stove, you can use the same ingredients to remove it. However, you are going to do things just a tad bit differently. Here you will create a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (again, 3 parts baking to one part peroxide). Spread it out onto the stove and use a sponge to gently remove the grease. It will eventually break down, and you should be able to wipe it away with a soft, dry cloth.

When you are through, dip another soft cloth into vinegar and wipe down the stove to get the ultimate shine.

Doing either of these methods is a great way to keep your stove clean – and something you can do easily every couple of weeks. Plus, while there are harsh chemicals on the market that you can use, this method doesn’t use them, which is safer for you and your family.

Cleaning a Gas Stove

Not every stove comes with a glass top. Some – especially gas cooktops – have the traditional burners that involve a little more in-depth cleaning. This involves a slightly different method of cleaning if you want to clean it effectively.

Let’s take a look at the steps to get this done. First, the ingredients you will need include:

– Baking soda

– Vinegar

– Soft cloth

– Water

– Plastic bags

– Dish soap

Remove the Grates

First, remove the grates and submerge them in warm soapy water to soak. Then, cover your burners with a plastic bag in an attempt to prevent any of your cleaner from dripping down into them.

Create the Paste Mixture

Make a mixture as above using baking soda and water (3:1) or baking soda and hydrogen peroxide if grease needs to be removed. Spread the paste over your stove. For water, let it sit for two hours before spraying it down with vinegar and wiping it clean. For the hydrogen peroxide mixture, spread it on your stovetop and use a soft cloth to clean the stovetop, and begin removing the mixture.

Spray it Down

Once it is cleared off, spray it down with vinegar and then dry it with another soft, clean cloth. This will leave your stove shining bright.

Wash + Rinse Burners

When you are finished, wash and rinse off your burners. Dry them off and assess how they look. This is usually all that is needed to ensure that you have clean burner grates to go on your clean, stainless steel stovetop. If they still have tough, stuck-on stains, you may want to consider placing them inside your oven on self-clean mode. This is an easy way to get the burners super clean.

Remove the plastic bags from the burner, careful not to let any accumulated water drip down inside. Then add your burner grates. Congrats – you are done.

A Few Extra Tips for Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances

You should never use the following on your stainless steel stove – or any stainless steel appliances:

– Bleach

– Chemicals that contain bleach

– Chemicals that have grit

– Steel wool

– Paper towels

Abrasive cleaners such as these can damage the finish and cause discoloration. Instead, you can always use baking soda, vinegar, Clorox wipes – or other antibacterial cleaning wipes, and Windex – or another glass cleaner. Each one of these is a great option and is all you need to keep your stove looking fresh.

Cleaning in the Same Direction

And finally, before we go, we want to stress how important it is to clean your stainless steel appliances going in the same direction as the grain. Take a moment to figure out if your grain is going vertically or horizontally. Then, as you clean, make sure you are going in the same direction. You should feel it nice and smoothly with no resistance. Always use a soft cloth so that you reduce any chance of scratching.

Not following this could cause damage to your finish – and nobody wants that.

No Stain, No Gain

What are you waiting for? Gather up your supplies and get to work. With just a little bit of effort, your stove can look brand new again!

To spruce up your kitchen and all things stainless steel, shop THOR Kitchen today. Visit us online to find a dealer near you.