Stoves make our lives easier, they enable us to cook, bake, grill, roast, and warm of favorite dishes. There are different types of stoves: Convention ovens, regular stoves, professional grade stoves and many more. Even the simplest or ordinary looking stove can cost you a few hundred if not a thousand dollars. In other words, a stove no matter how ordinary it looks, it is an investment and like any other investment, it requires proper maintains. If you want your stove to serve you for longer, you need to clean it thoroughly. Here are tips about caring for your stove:
Different stoves have different cleaning methods and procedures. Stoves that have flat tops are very easy to clean and they must be cleaned on daily basis. In fact, it is a good idea to clean the stove the moment it gets dirty. If you leave spills to stay on the surface, the spill will stick and may be a problem to get rid of it.
Use a neutral pH cleaner and a soft piece of cloth or sponge to get rid of food particles and spills. Remember to clean the surface immediately you are done with cooking to prevent the food and spill from becoming a stubborn stain that may require too much attention to get rid of.
If you have an electric stove, avoid using aluminum foil to cover or line the pans while cleaning the top. You will have to remove the drip pans in the case of a spill and thoroughly clean under the burners. You can use soft steel wool to remove stubborn cooked-on spills from the stove top and the burners. Then rinse with a damp piece of cloth.
How to clean your oven?
Ovens also require thorough cleaning if you want them to stay clean and fresh. Self-cleaning oven is easy to clean and it might take a few minutes to complete the task. All you have to do is to remove all the racks and set the self-cleaning cycle. This will take several hours and when the cycle is over, you will find a light ashy-like substance that can be wiped of easily. To clean the racks, you will have to put them in heavy-weight plastic garbage bag and spray inside the bag with oven cleaner. Then leave the bag in the sun for a few hours. Remove the racks and rise them off with warm water.
For the old fashioned ovens, you will need to soak a piece of cloth with ammonia and leave it to stay in the oven for about an hour. Ensure that the oven is closed and that it is inside a well ventilated room. Remove the cloth and properly discard it. Wipe the oven with a damp soapy cloth.
