What to clean electric stove top with

• Kitchen

Your stove top shouldn’t reveal forensic evidence of everything you’ve recently cooked. Discover five easy steps to keep your electric range from exposing your culinary spills and missteps.

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Like most home cooks, you probably love whipping up meals but hate cleaning up afterwards. If you neglect tidying up your trusty electric stove top, however, the leftover grime, grease, and dirt will build up and harden over time—and trying to chip it off could damage the coils and the surface. Fortunately, electric stove tops are easier to clean than their gas-fueled counterparts, plus you needn’t worry about clogging the igniter. Glass-topped versions respond to a quick swipe with a dish soap-soaked rag and a baking soda scrub. One with metal-coiled burners require a bit more attention—especially if it’s been a while since you’ve tackled it—so we’ve outlined the best way to go about it. You’ll be done in no time and ready to try out a new recipe, no matter how messy it might be.

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Step 1

Electric stove tops are designed to be self-cleaning. To banish spills, first wipe gently with a clean, lint-free cloth damp with water (an old T-shirt works great!). Then remove all cookware from the stove, turn burners to high, and leave them on for two to three minutes. The high heat will burn off most of the mess. When the stove top has completely cooled, wipe off any remaining residue with a fresh cloth.

Step 2

Next, remove the burner coils from the socket with a quick tug and lift motion. If they don’t come out easily, refer to the cooktop user manual for removal tips. (Don’t despair if you can find it, since most manuals are available online. Simply search with the stove’s make and model number.)

Step 3

Soak a dishrag in a solution of warm water and dish soap. Squeeze out excess and gently scrub the burners, taking care to avoid wetting the socket—it is electric, after all! Follow with a swipe of a clean, moist, lint-free rag to rinse. If your burners look spic and span, go to Step 5. If not, continue to Step 4.

Step 4

Still confronted with crud? Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 3 to 4 tablespoons of water to create a thick, spreadable paste. Coat the burners with this gentle scouring agent and give it up to 20 minutes “dwell time.” Then moisten a clean, lint-free cloth and use it to remove the paste, rinsing after every few passes and making sure to avoid the socket.

Step 5

While the baking soda paste is doing its work, clean the surface below the coils. Carefully remove food residue with a cooktop scraper if necessary, and then scrub the surface with a gentle cleaning pad and a bit of baking soda paste (see Step 4 for quick instructions on how to whip this up). Remove the paste with a clean, moist rag, and dry with a fresh cloth. Finally, plug the clean, dry burners back into the sockets, and you’re ready to cook!

Get in the habit of wiping up spills as soon as the cooktop cools, and give it a thorough cleaning once a week. This way no one will know your messy little cooking secrets—unless, of course, you accidentally spill the beans!

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Even though the coiled burners of most kinds of electric stovetops are designed to be self-cleaning, some spills and messes might require more thorough efforts. Not to mention, your burners will accumulate buildup over time. Pre-treat your stovetop by wiping it with a damp rag and turning the burners on high. Remove dirtiness from your stove by scrubbing burners clean along with the areas beneath burners. Maintain your stovetop by using liners and wiping up messes immediately.

1. 

   1

   Wipe your stovetop with a water dampened rag. Burners should be cool to the touch. Use a clean, lint-free cloth, like an old t-shirt or dish towel. Thoroughly dampen it with water. Wring out any excess moisture. Lightly wipe all surfaces of the stovetop, including the tops and sides of coil burners.[1]

   • In some cases, you may only have a flat stovetop without coiled burners, like a glass topped stove. Generally, these stoves are simply wiped clean with a suitable cleaning agent, like window cleaner.[2]
   • Lint left behind on coil burners will smoke unpleasantly when you turn these on later. For this reason, only use lint free cloths to clean your electric stove.

2. 

   2

   Turn burners to their highest setting. This is a self-cleaning measure designed into electric stoves. The high heat will burn off much of the remaining dirtiness on the coiled burner. However, in many cases, this feature only reduces dirtiness. A thorough cleaning is required for heavy dirtiness or stubborn buildup.

   • This technique will likely cause smoke to rise from the burners. This is natural. Prevent your smoke detector from going off by turning on a stovetop fan or opening a window.
   • When the smoke stops rising from your burners, they have burned off what they can. Turn off the burners at this point.
   • Refrain from touching the burners with your bare hands shortly after turning them off. Doing so could result in burns.[3]

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3. 

   3

   Remove the burners from the stove. Allow the burners to cool fully before handling them. Most coil burners can be removed by tugging the burner in the opposite direction of its connection to the stove and lifting. Some stoves may have extra fasteners. Consult your user manual if you have difficulty removing your stove's burners.[4]

   • If you don't have the manual for your stove, look up its make and model number online. Most appliance manuals can be found in digital format online.[5]

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1. 

   1

   Scrub burners with a rag dampened with water and soap. Hold coil burners so the end that connects to the stove and supplies the coil with electricity does not get wet. Rinse your rag in warm water and wring out excess moisture. Apply dish soap to the rag and use it to scrub the coil burners.

   • For especially dirty burners, you may need to “rinse” surfaces while cleaning. Wipe dirty burner surfaces down with a separate clean, lint-free, water dampened dishrag.

2. 2

   Use Bar Keeper's Friend and a scouring sponge for very dirty burners. Sprinkle the Bar Keeper's Friend over the burner. Then, wet the scouring sponge. Rub the sponge against the burner to remove any debris.

   • This is an effective treatment for burners that you can't clean with just soap and water.

3. 

   3

   Break up stubborn buildup with baking soda. In a small bowl or cup, combine a half cup (118 ml) of baking soda and 3 or 4 tbsp (44.4 or 59 ml) of water. This will make a thick paste. Apply this paste to dirty burners for about 20 minutes.

   • When the baking soda paste is through, remove it by wiping it away with a damp, clean, lint-free cloth. Rinse this cloth often to remove paste from it.
   • This baking soda cleaning paste can be used to clean much of the stove. For example, you might want to save some to clean the areas beneath burners.[6]

4. 

   4

   Clean the areas beneath the burners. Use a clean dishrag, warm water, and a little bit of liquid dish soap to wipe down these areas. If any baking soda paste remains, this can be used as a soap substitute. Lightly scrub dirty areas with a cleaning pad. Avoid getting the socket (connecting) end of the burner wet.[7]

   • In some cases, you may need a cooktop scraper to remove stuck-on gunk. These are usually made of a hard plastic to prevent scratches to your stovetop.[8]

5. 

   5

   Reassemble the stovetop. Wipe all surfaces of your stovetop and coil burners with a dry, clean, lint-free dish towel. Reinsert your burners into their positions on the stove. Run each burner to verify you've installed each one correctly, then use your clean stovetop as you please.[9]

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1. 

   1

   Prevent messes by using liners beneath the burners. The sunken area beneath coil burners is called the drip pan. This part of the stove tends to get dirty quickly. Save yourself time and effort spent cleaning by using drip pan liners, which are available at most supermarkets and grocery stores.

   • Save money by making your own drip pan liners out of aluminum foil. Layer the bottom of your drip pan with the foil and discard the foil when it becomes dirty.[10]

2. 

   2

   Wipe up messes as they occur. Every time the cooktop cools, you should wipe it with a clean, lint-free cloth. This will keep your stove looking neat and well maintained. It also helps to prevent heavy buildup that can be time-consuming to remove.

   • Set a time every day you can make it a habit to lightly clean the stove. This will make it easier for you to remember to do regularly.[11]

3. 

   3

   Deep-clean your stove regularly. Even cleaning messes as they occur, over time, spills and spatter will build up on the surfaces of your stovetop. Keeping up with your day to day light cleaning, however, should make a once a month deep-cleaning fast and relatively easy.[12]

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Add New Question

• Question

  How do I clean the scorch marks on an oven door?

  

  Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016.

  

  Founder, Mulberry Maids

  Expert Answer

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

  Try mixing dish soap, water, and baking soda. Rub the mixture onto the oven door, then let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Use a scrubbing pad to scour the area, working the mixture into the scorch marks. This should remove them. Alternatively, you can try scraping away the marks and grime with a razor.

• Question

  How do I make an electric stove top shine?

  

  Michelle Driscoll is the Owner of Mulberry Maids based in northern Colorado. Driscoll received her Masters in Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016.

  

  Founder, Mulberry Maids

  Expert Answer

  Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

  Make sure you are performing regular stovetop cleaning and always wipe up messes right after they happen. You should also use the information in this article to clean your coils regularly. It may take a lot of scrubbing with soap and water or baking soda and water to remove stuck on grime. You can also use a degreaser to remove stuck on grease.

• Question

  How do I prevent spillage onto a flat glass electric stove top so it doesn't spill all over the floor from the sides?

  

  Be more attentive and learn from your mistakes. You have the heat up too high, the pot is too full or you're just throwing a lid on and thinking it will retain everything. Lids allow the pot's contents to heat faster and therefore boil-over, most specifically directly out and over the pot's/pan's sides.

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• Never touch hot burners with your bare hands. This can cause burns.

  As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

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Things You'll Need

• Dishrags (lint-free kind preferred)
• Liquid dish soap
• Baking soda
• Cook top scraper (optional)
• Mild cleaning pad (or mild kitchen scrub sponge)
• Small bowl (or cup)

References

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To clean an electric stove with metal coils, first heat the coils on high for a few minutes to burn off any grime. Then, let them cool and wipe them down with a damp cloth. To clean the drip plates underneath the coils, unplug the coils, then remove the drip plates and wipe them down with a wet, soapy sponge. For extra dirty drip plates, soak them in 2 parts baking soda, 1 part vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap for 20 minutes. Once you’ve cleaned those, lift the front of your electric stove up and wipe down the inside with a damp cloth to remove any pieces of food. You can also use a vacuum to suck up loose crumbs. Finally, use a soapy sponge to wipe down the stovetop. Use the vinegar and baking soda mixture for stubborn stains. If you have a glass top electric stove, start by wiping off any crumbs on the stovetop. Then, sprinkle some baking soda over the stovetop and spritz it with vinegar. Cover the stovetop with a damp, soapy towel, and let everything sit for 15 minutes. Finally, wipe off the stovetop with the damp towel and dry it off with a clean towel. For more tips from our Cleaning co-author, like how to maintain an electric stovetop, read on!

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