The stove and oven are two of the most used appliances in the home—and often the most neglected. While the stove and oven tirelessly delivers snacks and meals seven days a week, it also receives a constant cascade of grease splatters, boil overs, and food fragments. And cleaning up the mess is no fun, which is why many stoves are caked with grime. But there are ways to ensure a gleaming cooktop and a sparkling oven that don’t involve agony. So, put on some rubber gloves and follow these tips:
- Strip it down: The dirtiest places on a gas stovetop are around the burners and behind the knobs. Fill the sink with hot water and a good squirt of detergent. Remove the burner caps, grates, and control knobs and deposit them in the sink. (For a coiled electric range, soak the drip pans and knobs but do not remove the burners, which are self-cleaning.)
- Degrease without elbow grease: Use a Soft Scrub® Cleanser. With the abrasive cream, the formula breaks down the grease and grime off of your stovetop with ease. Even for dried on grease and gunk, Soft Scrub® cleansers are able to remove with ease while still being safe on you surface. Wipe down the now degreased stove with a damp wet rag and polish to a glimmering shine with a dry towel.
- De-muck the oven: A mucky oven bottom can pollute your kitchen with odors and smoke. If you have a self-cleaning oven, turn it on and go for a nice relaxing walk. If not, use a metal spatula and Soft Scrub® with Bleach to gently scrap off the spills. Wipe away stains with a large damp sponge.
- Glass is last: The oven window gets covered with a brown, baked on film. To remove this ugly film, mix a ¼ cup baking soda with just enough water to make a paste. Spread it over the glass and oven door and let it work for 15-20 minutes. Wipe it off with a damp cloth and your oven window will look like new.
- Prevention and maintenance: As they say, the best offense is a good defense. Prevent messes in the first place by covering the oven bottom with aluminum foil or a cookie sheet when baking. If you’re cooking foods that splatter on the stovetop, place large pan lids over adjoining burners. And if you clean the stove with an all purpose cleaner at least once a week, the stains will be easier to remove. That’ll have you singing “Home on the Range.”