Need to learn how to clean a gas stove? You’re in good hands. Read on to how to clean gas stove top, burners, and grates!
If you’re looking for tips on cleaning burner caps and all areas of your gas stovetop, you’re in the right place! You’ll have a sparkling shiny gas range in no time at all. The simple steps below will have your gas cooktop clean and ready in no time at all. Check out my easy ways of cleaning!
This post is sponsored by Bar Keepers Friend but all opinions (and love of them) are my own.
How to Efficiently Clean Gas Stove Tops, Burners, and Grates
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One of my very favorite things about our new home is the gas stove that came with it!
We live in a rental house but totally lucked out with a beautiful black enamel GE gas stove and oven.
I grew up using and cooking with gas stove tops (we had a white enamel gas stove) and I loved how evenly it cooked and how fast it heated up. Course, as a kid, I totally took it for granted.
After I went off to college and had to use coil electric cooktops which had me scrambling to figure out how to clean drip pans so I would pass my cleaning checks and get my rental security deposits back, I realized they were far less awesome than what I grew up with, and I yearned for the day when we’d have a gas stove again.
It took 12 years.
But, who’s counting. ?
Of course, finally having my own gas stove top as an adult, I needed to teach myself how to clean a gas stove! I had seen my mother wipe down ours a hundred times as a kid, but I don’t think she ever asked me to help out with that chore!
So, at 30 years old, I learned how to properly clean a gas stove for the first time, and like a good blogger, am sharing what I learned with you, in case you also need to learn as an adult how to clean a gas stove top. You’re welcome.
How to Clean Gas Stove Tops
I realize that not every gas stove is the same. Every make and model will have slightly different features on them. Adjust the following instructions as needed for your gas stove, or find out the specific guidelines from your gas stove’s manufacturer.
But, regardless of the company who makes your gas stove, all of them get covered with dirt, dust, food, liquid overflow, grease splatters, and more and need a deep cleaning from time to time, especially if you find that your gas stove isn’t lighting as easily as before.
Cleaning a gas stove is a multi-step process, with different items to clean. The first thing we’ll clean is the gas stove top itself, then the burners and burner tops, and then the gas stove grates.
Materials Needed to Clean Gas Stove Tops
Thankfully, cleaning a gas stove top isn’t really all that complicated, though it is slightly time consuming. There are only a few materials you will need:
- Non-Scratch sponges (like these)
- Bar Keepers Friend (here’s where to find Bar Keepers Friend – I used both the classic powder Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser as well as the liquid cooktop cleaner which is great for cleaning glass cooktops)
- Bowl of Water
- Paper Towels
- Kitchen Towels
- Microfiber Cloths
- Rubber gloves (recommended)
- Paper clip (if needed)
Gas Stove Top Cleaner
I love Bar Keepers Friend for cleaning gas stoves because it does so much of the heavy lifting for you! Plus, it’s non-abrasive, isn’t a strong or harsh chemical, and is super affordable.
It’s the best cleaner for gas stove top!
You can learn more about Bar Keepers Friend ingredients as well as discover more than 30 amazing Bar Keeper Friend uses on my site. I’ve been using it for years for all sorts of cleaning jobs around my house and love it!
How to Clean Gas Stove Top
Let’s get started! If you a visual learner, or prefer video, check out the cleaning gas stove top video I made for Youtube or watch it below:
How to Clean Gas Stove Top
- Disassemble the gas stove.
Remove all the grates, gas burner covers, and lastly the burners. These should all just lift straight up (unless your stove comes apart some other way).
- Remove surface debris.
Take a paper towel and wipe off all the surface level dirt and food particles from the surface of the stove top.
- Apply a coat of Bar Keepers Friend.
Shake your bottle of Bar Keepers Friend cooktop (liquid) and then apply it directly onto a wet sponge, then apply it to the cooktop, covering the whole surface lightly.
Try not to get any product into the gas stove openings, or onto a granite or stone countertop (Bar Keepers Friend has a special granite cleaner should you want to clean your counters later).
Apply additional Bar Keepers friend around the burners or other parts with black or difficult spots.
Apply additional Bar Keepers friend around the burners or other parts with black or difficult spots.
- Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Clean the gas stove top.
Begin scrubbing with the scouring side of your sponge until all spots are removed, adding more Bar Keepers Friend as needed.
- Wipe up stove top.
Wet and rinse your sponge, then soak up the water and Bar Keepers Friend residue on your stove top. Keep rinsing your sponge and soaking up more.
When most is clear, wipe up with a dry paper towel or microfiber cloth until dry.
- Buff.
Take your dry microfiber cloth and buff the top of your stove top until shiny.
How to Clean Gas Stove Top Burners and Covers
After your gas stove top is clean, you’ll tackle the gas burners.
I recommend putting down a kitchen towel underneath what you are cleaning in order to protect your work surfaces and make for easier cleanup.
I’d also recommend wearing gloves as prolonged use is harsh on your skin (it is a mild abrasive after all).
Step 1: Soak the gas burners.
I didn’t do this, but it probably would’ve been wise.
Soak your burners and burner tops in some (dish) soapy water to lift off some of the stains and grease. If you don’t do this, no worries.
I simply dipped the burners and covers into
Step 2: Scrub the Gas Burners and Gas Burner Covers
After you’ve let the burners and tops sit, scrub them with the Bar Keepers Friend cleanser (powder) and a wet sponge.
Keep scrubbing until clean, rinsing them to check for spots, and reapplying Bar Keepers Friend as needed until clean.
Step 3: Check the gas burner for trapped particles.
If you see any pieces of food or other debris in the lines of the burner, take a metal paper clip and dig it out of the lines.
Do NOT use a toothpick as it could break off.
Step 4: Rinse and dry.
Once the burners are clean, rinse them well, then dry them with a hand towel.
Step 5: Reassemble the gas burners and gas stove covers.
How to Clean Gas Stove Grates
When it comes to the best method for how to clean grates on a gas stove, I’m not sure I used it.
I say this because I have seen some very impressive tutorials on cleaning gas stove top grates using ammonia. I didn’t use ammonia, but think, after I spent a good 20-30 minutes scrubbing all the different sides and nooks and crannies of my four gas stove grates, that ammonia may have saved me a lot of scrubbing time.
I would recommend using the ammonia method for cleaning gas stove top grates outlined in this article, and THEN using the following method for any remaining black spots or flecks, as it DOES work as well, but involves (I’m assuming) more elbow grease for the same (or better) results.
The instructions are practically the same as cleaning gas stove burners listed above.
Step 1: Soak the Gas Stove Grates
If you aren’t doing the ammonia bagging method overnight, it’s still wise to have them soak in some warm soapy water to help loosen and relax the grease and burns.
Step 2: Apply Bar Keepers Friend
The Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser (powder) is the best cleaner as it works well for the heavy duty cleaning you are looking for, but it’s also super messy to shake and hard to apply exactly where you need it, so be sure to have those kitchen towels down underneath the gas stove grates.
Be sure your grates are wet when you apply the powder to help it adhere.
Step 3: Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Step 4: Scrub!
Now take your scouring sponge and rub that Bar Keepers Friend into all the grease and grime built-up on your gas stove grates.
Keep working until all the edges and sides are clean.
Step 5: Rinse and dry.
Once they are cleaned (or clean enough if you’re tired of scrubbing), rinse them really well, then dry them really well.
Step 6: Place the grates on the gas stove over the gas burners.
And that’s it!! You’re done!! You now have a beautiful clean gas stove top!!
Now that it’s looking so pretty you may never want to cook on it again!! Ordering take-out for tonight may be a good reward for tackling this cleaning job!
Of course, I would advise you to always wipe up any spills and grease and food on your gas stove top as soon as possible after cooking in the kitchen (and your stove has cooled). This will make it easier to maintain the nice new clean stove you have now.
I prefer these cleaning methods to other commercial oven cleaner options. They’re a great way to clean the entire surface in a short amount of time. They work great to fight tough stains and can clean dirty burners fast. If you need to clean your stove parts, these methods work! Add a little elbow grease and the cleaning process is a breeze! You don’t have to dread cleaning the surface of your stove.
Enjoy cleaning!
If you love cleaning tutorials, be sure to check out my collection of cleaning tutorials in my ebook Speed Clean the Deep Clean and check out the following:
Kathy Gardner says
I like pipe cleaner for the grooves of the burner.
My dad was a gas company employee. He always had extra pipe cleaners to clean the stove.
Katelyn Fagan says
Nice! That’s a great suggestion too! As a parent I probably have a few little pipe cleaners around the house.
Jordan says
Love this article Katelyn, will need to try ASAP!
Just thought I’d add a bit of my expertise. hope it’s ok 🙂
When using microfiber cloths for wiping use a fluffier type since this will pick up the debris in the towel.
When buffing, use a flat weave microfiber cloth to get the shine!
Keep up the great tips!
Patricia Wesney says
Good suggestions !!! And very helpful.
One thing I have found with the heavy grates is to put them in the dishwasher along with my microwave filters . Run it on heavy, next morning you are ready to start cooking again. No elbow grease.
Greg Mohney says
Heh yeah… I think this guide is for those of us who don’t have dishwashers. Otherwise, I would imagine all these parts can just be thrown in the dishwasher. Also pre-soaking seems like a no-brainer.
LeAnn Pottebaum says
I have always used the ammonia method to clean my stove grates (as my Mom did). And I have always hated it. Next time I will try the Bar Keeper’s Friend cleanser(s) as I can’t stand the smell of ammonia. Ironically it was also my Mom who told me about Bar Keeper’s Friend to clean stainless steel sinks! I can’t wait to try it.
Katelyn Fagan says
Awesome! And yes, the smell of ammonia is STRONG!! Hope this works for you too!
Tricia says
An important visual part missing is where the knobs are. How do you get the grease of the stainless without scratching?
Betsy Cline says
What through advice. It is so rare to see people actually deep cleaning their stoves! I personally can not stand to have food burnt on to my burners. I am so OCD about cleaning my kitchen. I Will send this site to my clients, I often get asked how you get the stove top so clean! This is how!