One of the most problematic places in the kitchen is the stove. It can be gas, electric or induction, but all require careful care, regardless of brand or type. During the cooking process, splashes of boiling fat, broth, and various liquids fall on the cooking surface and sides, and pieces of solid food become stuck. From time to time, milk or porridge floats onto the stove due to incorrectly selected temperature conditions or ordinary absent-mindedness. The result is usually not pleasing, because all this has to be thoroughly cleaned.
Unlike the inner walls of an oven or microwave, which are covered with glass, the stove is always visible. And its untidy appearance can ruin the entire impression of a well-groomed, beautiful kitchen set. In addition, burnt organic matter emits an unpleasant odor and, over time, turns into black scale that firmly adheres to the parts of the stove. Therefore, cleaning should be done when soiled, following fresh traces. How to do this as quickly as possible and without expensive purchases? Let's listen to the advice of experienced experts.
Tools that are always at hand
Any person who has experience cooking on a stove and then cleaning it knows: it is better to remove dirt immediately before it sticks to the metal or glass from the heat. With modern hobs, which are a solid glass-ceramic surface without cracks or additional parts, it’s easier: just wash them with a mild detergent and wipe dry. The touch control panel is also easy to use. But with a gas stove or electric stove with burners you will have to tinker, scrubbing all the structural elements, cracks and gaps. That is why it is so important to choose the right product that will make your work easier and will quickly remove all stains and deposits.
There are several general safety rules that should be followed when starting cleaning:
- to protect the skin of the hands, use household gloves;
- You should carefully handle caustic substances and solutions - acids, soda, vinegar, and follow the instructions for use;
- during general cleaning, which affects all elements of the stove, it is necessary to turn off the power and shut off gas access;
- For cleaning, sponges, special microfiber cloths, and smooth cotton fabrics are used;
- On a gas stove, first remove the grates, then the burners and valves. Install after cleaning in reverse order;
- Gas stove burners require special attention. All openings through which the flame escapes must be clean, without burnt crust. To clean them, you will need a needle or thin awl, an unbent paper clip, or a pin;
- Before applying the cleaning agent, sweep away dry crumbs with a soft brush or dry cloth.
Cleaners with abrasive particles, as well as the abrasive side of sponges, are not recommended: they can leave scratches even on hardened steel, not to mention glass or enamel.
What to do if there is a dense layer of fat?
What products do you use to clean the stove?
FolkChemical
If we are talking about old fat deposits that have almost never been removed, before cleaning you should:
- Take a narrow spatula and, using light pressure, remove the fat, getting as close to the surface of the slab as possible.
- Using a wide brush, distribute boiling water evenly in particularly difficult areas, let stand for 20-30 minutes.
- When the grease coating becomes soft, repeat the procedure, but be very careful, as careless movements can scratch the slab.
If there is no opportunity or time to tinker, and the result is needed in the shortest possible time, you can use heavy artillery in the form of special equipment.
Grease remover "Unicum"
It is necessary to distribute the product over the surface of the stove, leave for a few minutes and rinse off with a damp sponge. The product is recommended to be used only for difficult stains, since it contains aggressive substances that can destroy the protective enamel with frequent cleaning.
Advantages:
- Has a convenient sprayer.
- Does not require additional effort in the form of friction.
- Residues are easily removed.
Flaws:
- Relatively high cost and fast consumption.
- Unpleasant pungent odor.
It can be used not only for the stove, but also for ovens, where greasy deposits are especially difficult to remove.
Mr Muscle kitchen expert
This product is suitable for all slab surfaces, as well as adjacent surfaces. Does not contain harmful and highly toxic substances.
Advantages:
- Sprays easily and quickly breaks down grease.
- Suitable for daily cleaning.
- The smell of freshness and cleanliness.
- Destroys bacteria (up to 99%).
Flaws:
- Relatively high cost.
The cleaning agent is sprayed onto the surface, allowed to soak in for 5-10 minutes, after which the remaining dirt is removed with a sponge.
Cillit Bang anti-fat
The product contains a complex formula that can remove greasy deposits and deposits not only on the stove, but also in the oven, microwave ovens, and baking dishes. Easy to apply to the surface, the foam does not spread.
Advantages:
- Reduces cleaning time.
- There is no unpleasant chemical smell.
- Leaves a glossy surface.
- Has a large bottle volume.
Flaws:
- Not identified.
Suitable for daily cleaning, easily copes with dirt. The product does not cause chemical burns upon contact with skin.
Cif anti-fat
An ideal product for everyday cleaning of the oven, but it will not cope with heavy fatty deposits.
Advantages:
- Easy to apply.
- Leaves a streak-free shine.
- Nice smell.
- Relatively low price.
Flaws:
- Small volume.
- Not suitable for marble and painted surfaces.
The composition of the product is gentle, but for safety you should use rubber gloves.
Soda
Sodium bicarbonate is a real housewife's assistant in the kitchen. It perfectly degreases, eats away dirt no worse than patented products, and brings shine and beauty. At the same time, soda is delicate enough not to spoil induction hobs, enamel and individual structural parts.
- Ordinary powder is diluted with a small amount of water to a paste and applied to dirty areas, left for half an hour. You can lightly rub the surface with this mixture, but be very careful not to leave microscopic scratches. Then the pulp must be removed with a dampened cloth, wiped clean and dry. In addition to the hob, handles and electric stove burners are treated in the same way. If the handles are not removable, for convenience, use small brushes with long handles - dental or specialized. In addition, soda gruel cleans smoked gas stove grates well. To do this, leave the product for 2-3 hours, and rinse it off under the tap, rubbing vigorously with the hard side of the sponge.
- Baking soda with vinegar is another effective remedy in the fight to keep the stove clean. First, 6-9% vinegar is applied to the contaminated surface, then covered with soda. The resulting reaction effectively removes all unsightly stains. After this, just remove the foam and wipe dry.
- Soda and soap remove grease and stubborn carbon deposits well. To do this, ordinary liquid soap is mixed with powder in a 1:1 ratio and applied to problem areas for ten to twenty minutes. Then all that remains is to wash off the slurry along with the dirt.
- To quickly clean old carbon deposits and stains, you will need 3 tbsp. l. soda ash, 100 ml washing powder, 1 tbsp. l. stationery silicate glue and 200 ml of water at room temperature. The mixture is applied to the stains, left for twenty to thirty minutes, and washed off.
How to clean the oven
Soda
A soda solution is applied to all internal surfaces, except heating elements. If in certain areas the mixture darkens and turns brown (from soot and grease), you need to treat them more carefully.
In this state, open the oven slightly and leave for 12 hours or overnight. After time, use a damp cloth to remove as much dirt as possible. If necessary, use a plastic scraper.
For areas with difficult-to-remove dirt, spray a vinegar solution , which reacts with baking soda to form a soft foam. Next, everything is wiped off from plaque and foam.
Lemon acid
If time is short, there is a faster way to clean your oven. It is turned on and heated to a maximum of 200 degrees. Pour water with citric acid dissolved in it (10-20 g) into a container suitable for high temperatures or onto a baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet or container in a preheated oven on the lower level and leave until the liquid boils. Next, turn off the oven and leave for 30 minutes, then wipe thoroughly.
Salt
The baking tray, where the salt is evenly scattered, is placed in an oven preheated to 100 degrees for half an hour. After cooling, the salt is scraped off with a plastic or silicone scraper, and the baking sheet is wiped with a damp cloth or sponge.
Dishwashing liquid
Fresh stains can be easily removed with regular dish gel. To do this, pour a little soft product onto a damp sponge or napkin and foam. Then applied to the surface. If the dirt and grease have already dried, you need to leave the foam for 10-15 minutes. Then wipe everything off by pressing the sponge to the surface. Walk with a clean, dampened cloth several times and wipe the stove dry.
Results
All of the cleaning methods listed are suitable for both gas and any other stoves used in modern kitchens. Let us only add that for induction hobs, it is effective to use, in addition to the indicated folk remedies, ordinary vegetable oil ; it is perfect for caring for glass-ceramic products. A napkin soaked in oil should be held briefly on the stained area and then wiped with a soft sponge.
Once again, please note that the use of metal objects, including sponges, as well as powders and other abrasive materials when washing kitchen stoves can lead to scratches and other damage.
Laundry soap
For glass ceramics and enamels, a product based on ordinary brown laundry soap is excellent. Mix 2 tbsp. l. soda, 40 ml. vinegar and 1 tbsp. l. grated soap. You can add a little hot water to help the mixture dissolve better. The resulting slurry is left on the stove for 1-2 hours and washed off.
Stainless steel and enameled grates are immersed in a soap solution poured into a wide basin for ten hours, after which the soaked carbon deposits are well scrubbed off with a hard sponge. Removable verniers that are not too dirty can be soaked in a warm solution for twenty to thirty minutes, then wiped with the abrasive side of the sponge.
Useful tips
- Enameled and steel grates can be washed in the dishwasher.
- Glass ceramics cannot be wiped with soap and other solutions, because they become discolored when heated.
- Sugar stains on the cooking surface are easier to remove after heating.
- Stainless steel is resistant to bleaches, acids and abrasives.
- All work is performed with rubber gloves.
- You can clean the oven walls with a paste consisting of baking soda, iodized salt and water. The surfaces are generously coated with the mixture, then the oven is heated for half an hour and turned off. To remove the paste you need water and a cloth.
- The oven glass is cleaned with soda.
Lemon acid
Use fresh lemon, lemon juice or citric acid powder dissolved in a small amount of water. The acidic composition is left for twenty minutes and removed with a damp cloth. A bonus from using this product is a pleasant lemon aroma in the kitchen.
Features of cleaning depending on the type of surface
The appearance of the model and its service life depend on how to clean the stove. Surface types:
- enamel;
- glass ceramics;
- stainless steel.
Enamel is easier to clean; the second option is considered more capricious. You can only work with glass ceramics with soft sponges and napkins. Hard materials scratch the top layer. Treat the panel with liquid detergent bases.
Important! Powder products damage the surface of the device.
Ammonia
Ammonia does an excellent job of removing dried, old stains. 1 tsp. diluted in 200 ml of water and applied to the stove. After ten minutes, wipe the area with a sponge or soft brush. You can also use ammonia-anise drops. For stubborn stains, leave them for half an hour or sprinkle soda on top and gently wipe with a damp cloth.
Use a toothbrush or a cotton swab dipped in ammonia to clean the handles and burners. Removable parts are soaked in an aqueous solution in a 1:1 ratio.
In addition, ammonia allows you to tidy up the smoked grate of a gas stove. To do this, the solution is applied to all areas. The grille is folded into a thick plastic bag and sealed tightly for 3-6 hours, depending on the condition of the part. Then all that remains is to rinse under the tap with a sponge and dish gel - the carbon deposits flake off, leaving a perfectly clean surface.
Types of devices and features of washing them if they are burnt
Hobs are available in different modifications depending on the heat source, operating principle and base material . The most popular are gas, enameled, stainless, glass-ceramic and induction devices.
Each of them requires a specific approach to cleaning - the products must not only remove carbon deposits without a trace, but also not harm the coating.
Enameled
To add aesthetics, units of this type are coated with enamel in different shades - white, brown, black, beige. This is the most common type of hob, the most durable and relatively easy to maintain .
The main condition for cleaning enamel coatings is the use of gel and liquid detergents.
It is not recommended to use abrasive substances - grains will leave scratches, spoil the appearance and cause rapid contamination in the future.
It does not tolerate enamel or acid-containing compounds that literally corrode the coating. It cannot be rubbed with hard brushes, but you can safely use the back of the hard side of a dishwashing sponge. For the liquid product to be effective, it is left on the surface for at least 30 minutes (depending on the composition) .
Baking soda is the only abrasive approved for cleaning enamel and metal coatings; it is gentle and gentle.
Made of stainless steel
Stainless steel material in the kitchen always looks expensive and noble.
Stainless steel stoves are just as easy to clean from soot and dirt as enameled stoves, but they have one significant drawback: tiny splashes, drops of grease and stains are visible on their surface.
Therefore, stainless steel devices require frequent maintenance - old stains will be difficult to clean off.
For cleaning, it is recommended to use soft sponges, cloth napkins, microfiber cloths or rags to remove moistened stains and soot. You will also have to give up abrasives and hard brushes - only gel-like or cream-like household chemicals are suitable.
To clean, you can use a slice of lemon - wipe the stains with it, and then clean it with a dry cloth.
Stainless steel plates must be wiped dry after washing, otherwise stains will remain. Glass cleaning spray will help make your stove shine.
Induction and glass ceramic
This type of kitchen appliance is prone to rapid contamination - not only drops and splashes are visible on smooth ceramics, but also fingerprints. Maintenance of modern stoves must be regular. For daily cleaning, a glass cleaning spray is suitable - just spray the coating and wipe with a soft cloth.
It is advisable to allocate a separate cloth for cleaning glass ceramics, rather than using the same one you use to treat mirrors or glass.
Contaminants must be removed as soon as you notice them, but only after the heating element has completely cooled. You can clean dirt with regular dishwashing gel - foam it on a washcloth, wipe off the stains, and then wipe dry.
If the carbon deposits do not budge the first time, apply the gel directly to the surface, leave for 30-40 minutes, rub with a sponge, rinse with water and polish with a kitchen towel until shiny.
To clean glass-ceramic and induction hobs, it is advisable to purchase special scrapers complete with removable metal blades - they delicately remove plaque and dirt.
Cleaning products should have a paste-like texture without coarse particles or abrasives that can scratch the coating. Glass cleaning spray, regular dish soap, steel cleaner, baking soda, and lemon juice can all be used to clean ceramics.
Experienced housewives recommend rubbing the hob with any vegetable oil. It will create a protective film, and dirt will be removed much easier and faster.
Gas
A gas stove is considered the most difficult to clean , because in addition to the metal or enamel hob, the burners, grate and control knobs, which quickly become clogged with grease, must be cleaned. Many models also come with a rear guard and a glass or metal cover.
To clean the grill, you can use a variety of brushes, scrapers and abrasives - metal is not afraid of them. After mechanical cleaning, apply a paste made from baking soda and water to the rods and leave it for at least an hour.
During this time, the carbon deposits will soften and final cleaning can be carried out.
The burners and handles are soaked in soapy water; the burners can simply be wiped with a damp cloth. If the handles are not removable, they are treated with a solution of water and vinegar or water . It is convenient to work in hard-to-reach places with an old toothbrush.
The method of cleaning the working area of a gas stove is chosen in accordance with the base material - metal or enamel.
Dish gel, soap solution, baking soda and soda ash, and lemon juice are suitable.
Method 4. Modification of the first method
A zip bag will also come in handy here, but in order to save budget, we will do without the use of expensive imported special equipment in the process. We will use ammonia. We dilute it with water and pour the resulting ready-made solution into the grate in the bag and leave it to soak.
Attention! Do not leave the bag with the lattice open, be sure to tie it tightly! Contact with air must be prohibited. Especially if there are small children at home.
After a few hours of exposure to the potion, you can take out the grate and wipe it with a dry cloth. By the way, you can also wash metal hood grates with ammonia in the same way, this will help remove fat accumulation.
Benefits, use in the kitchen
Sodium bicarbonate is a fine-crystalline, odorless, snow-white powder. It is difficult to list all the properties of this substance, since there are so many of them.
The most common schemes for using baking soda are as follows:
- getting rid of odor (sweat, food);
- relieving itching, antiseptic effect;
- removal of fluid from the body, elimination of heartburn;
- removal of age spots, freckles;
- baking powder for the dough;
- meat tenderizer;
- Cleaning agent for all surfaces except varnished and glossy.
The last point mainly concerns the use of soda for the bathroom and kitchen utensils: stove, microwave, oven, sink, hood, dirty dishes, etc.
The advantage of sodium bicarbonate is its cheapness, safety and absence of scratches on a smooth surface, since the solution can be prepared in such a way that the soda will not be an abrasive, but, on the contrary, will have a gentle effect on burnt fat.
