The Secret To Cleaning Your Stove May Be Just A Lift Away

Cooking your own meals can be a rewarding experience for the whole family. Unfortunately, a lot of enthusiasm in the kitchen means a big cleanup, which is definitely the worst part about cooking at home. Cleaning the dishes is simple with the help of a dishwasher, but cleaning the electric stove burners can leave even the most meticulous tidiers frustrated, especially for those who don't have a glass cooktop. If you have a stove top with electric coils, there's a trick to cleaning you probably have yet to unlock that will absolutely blow your mind and simplify your cleaning exponentially. It all starts with a lift of the stovetop.

Electric stovetops with coils are designed to lift up in order to facilitate an easier cleaning process. To lift the top of your stove, first, unplug your appliance for safety purposes. It's always a good idea to do this when working with any electrical appliance. From there, you'll want to remove each electric coil and metal drip bowl by lifting and pulling each coil out of its plug. Then, the metal drip bowls can be lifted out of the range top. Next, locate the space between the top of the stove and the body of the oven. There should be a small gap into which you can slide your fingers. From there, lift the hood of the range and lock the metal supports into place by carefully raising it to its maximum height.

Once you have successfully lifted the lid of your electric stovetop, the cleaning process is simple. Removing the electric coils makes them easier to clean. Over time, dirt, grime, and spilled food can accumulate on the surface, creating an unpleasant smell while cooking. Taking them out of the stovetop and cleaning them with hot, soapy water will remove any built-up grime. Be sure to dry them thoroughly before reattaching them to the electrical component in the range.

For the metal drip bowls, it's best to soak them in hot, soapy water to help break down any burnt debris coating its surface. After soaking, use a sponge or scouring pad to remove any additional grime. Dry them completely before reattaching them to the oven under the electrical coils.

Finally, cleaning under the hood is an important step that will complete the cleaning process. For mild grime and debris, hot, soapy water and a decent sponge should be enough to clean under the stovetop. For more serious situations, you can easily make a baking soda cleaning paste that's excellent at breaking down heavy grease collections. Mix three parts baking soda to one part warm water and spread the paste on the surface under the hood to attack the grease build-up. Let it sit for an hour, then remove it with a damp towel. Dry underneath and carefully slide the lid back in place, and voila! You'll have a brand-new-looking stovetop.