How to Clean the Burners on a Gas Stove
A gas stovetop is a nice luxury to have. Not only do gas stoves offer more precise temperature control than electric stoves, but they can also last for many years without needing major repairs or replacement when properly maintained. Still, gas stoves are far from maintenance-free compared to glass top stoves. One of the most important things you’ll need to do is to keep your burners cleaned and clear of food debris, grease, and other gunk.
When was the last time you cleaned your gas stovetop burners? If it’s been a while or if you can’t recall ever having cleaned them, it’s time to set aside an hour of your time to give them a thorough cleaning and de-greasing.
Reasons to Clean Your Gas Stove Burners
Gas stoves are quite simple in their operation, but burners can become easily clogged over time with food particles, grease, and other residue. As these burners become clogged, the flame may weaken or may die out completely—preventing you from using your burner. Even if you are able to continue using a burner with a weak flame, the quality of your cooking may be affected.
Clogged gas stove burners, in some cases, can even pose a fire hazard. This is most often the case when flammable grease and cooking fat becomes caked on the burner and catches fire when you attempt to light the burner. With this in mind, it’s important to keep your gas burners clean and clear of debris. Doing so will allow you to enjoy the most precise temperature control while cooking as possible and cut down on fire hazards.
How Often to Clean Your Gas Stove Burners
The exact frequency with which you should clean your gas stove burners will really depend on how often you use them and how messy you are when you cook! If you don’t use your stovetop often and tend to stick with simpler recipes that don’t involve a lot of food splatter or messes, then you can likely get away with only cleaning your burners every few months.
On the other hand, if you use your gas stovetop often and like to experiment with messier ingredients or adventurous recipes, then you’ll probably want to set aside time to clean your burners a little more often. If you’re like a lot of cooks who have a favorite burner, you may even find that you need to clean one burner more often than the others!
How to Clean Your Gas Stove Burners
Always begin by checking the instruction manual on your gas stovetop for specific instructions on how to clean and care for your burners. These can vary from one manufacturer to the next—and some stoves may require special steps (such as complete shut-off of gas to the appliance). Always defer to your instruction manual. If you’ve misplaced your instruction manual, research the model number of your gas stove online. There’s a good chance you can find a free digital copy of the manual for more information.
In most cases, you can clean your gas stove burners using supplies and ingredients you may already have at home. One of the best methods involves the use of baking soda. Simply begin by removing the ceramic cover that lies on top of most gas stove burners. You can wash these just as you would any other dish with warm water and dish soap.
Next, you’ll need to remove the actual burner heads, which can usually be done by lifting straight up on them. These tend to be dirtier than the burner caps themselves, so you may need to soak these in a mixture of warm water and your favorite dish soap for about an hour.
Meanwhile, create a thick paste using equal parts baking soda and water. You can apply this paste to the burners themselves; allow the paste to work its magic for 5-10 minutes before using a scrub brush to wipe away the paste and gunk it has removed. You may need to repeat this step a few times, depending on how caked-on the debris is.
Once you’re happy with the cleanliness of your burners and all accessories, all that’s left to do is to rinse them all with warm water and dry them. You can dry them yourself using a clean dish towel or set them out to air dry. It’s important to be sure that everything is completely dry before you re-assemble the components of your burners, as moisture coming into contact with the starters can cause damage.
After your burners are re-assembled, test-light them each to make sure they’re in working order. From there, you’ll be ready to cook again in no time.
Preventing Future Build-Up on Gas Stove Burners
The process of cleaning your gas stovetop burners can take about an hour or even more, depending on how dirty the burners and other components are. The good news is that you can make this cleaning task a lot easier for yourself in the future by wiping down your burners and burner caps after each time you cook. This should only take a few moments of your time, but can save you a lot of hassle down the road. With routine spot-cleaning, you can avoid a lot of the severe build-up that is difficult and time-consuming to remove.
There are also cooking accessories you can purchase that may reduce the amount of mess generated as you cook. Specifically, silicone pan guards can help to contain sauces and other messy cooking ingredients, preventing them from spilling out of your pans.
Time to Hire a Cleaning Company?
Caring for your gas stovetop does take some time, but it will be worth it when you’re able to keep your stove running smoothly for many years without needing major repairs or replacement. And when you consider the fact that even a basic gas stovetop can cost hundreds of dollars, it’s easy to see why a little care and maintenance is so important.
Still, if you’re feeling burdened by all the little cleaning tasks that are quickly adding up around your home, then it’s probably time to do something about it. Hiring a professional cleaning company to take care of some of your household chores is a great way to reclaim your free time without sacrificing cleanliness and tidy living in the process.
Maid Sailors‘ team of certified and insured cleaners is here to help you with everything from vacuuming and dusting to taking out the trash and disinfecting surfaces. Reach out to us today to schedule your first cleaning appointment or find out more about our services!