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Cleaning cast iron gas stove grates


How to clean cast iron stove grates to make them look brand new

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Cast iron stove grates (Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you cook regularly, you'll probably need to know how to clean cast iron stove grates. Grates tend to pick up caked-in food, grease and grime build-up over time if they're not properly cleaned. 

What’s more, grease and dirt residue can often dull the overall look of our grates, making stoves look lackluster. While the idea of cleaning cast iron stove grates seems time-consuming, it’s actually simple to do. So, for a gleaming stove, follow these top tips on how to clean cast iron stove grates to make them look brand new.

Do you have electric? Check out how to clean a glass stove. Also, if you want to keep the glass looking good, you'll also want to read how to prevent scratches on your glass stove.

How to clean cast iron stove grates with soapy water

1. First, allow the burners to cool completely before removing the cast iron grates. Place in an empty sink or tub. 

2. Fill the sink with hot water until they cover the grates, and add some dish soap into the water. Allow the cast iron grates to soak in the soapy solution for around 10-15 minutes. This will allow the soap to get to work in lifting and cutting through the grease or stuck-on food on the grates. 

Removing iron stove grate (Image credit: Shutterstock)

3. Then, use a non-metal, soft bristled brush, pad or sponge to scrub away at and remove any food residue or grease on the grates. Ensure to get into all the crevices and awkward places to get rid of dirt. 

4. Once the grates are all free from grime, rinse with warm water until there are no traces of soap. Dry thoroughly with a clean cloth before putting them back on top of the stove.

TIP: Cast iron grates can easily get worn down if using the wrong cleaning materials. Avoid using abrasive, metallic scouring pads or harsh cleaning substances like ammonia.

Soapy water (Image credit: Shutterstock)

How to clean cast iron stove grates with baking soda

1. First, mix three parts baking soda to one part water to create a thick paste. 

2. Take a soft, bristled brush or cloth to coat the cast iron grates with the paste, making sure to get into all the crevices and awkward spots. 

3. Leave to sit for about 15-20 minutes to allow the baking soda to get to work in lifting off any greasy residue. 

4. Next, use a soft scrub brush or toothbrush to remove caked on residue before rinsing off thoroughly in warm water. Finally, wipe down the grates with a soft, clean cloth.

Baking soda and water in glass (Image credit: Shutterstock)

How to clean cast iron stove grates with white vinegar 

1. First, mix one part of distilled white vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle.  White vinegar is a popular, natural cleaning product along with baking soda. If you want to know why, check out what makes baking soda and vinegar so good at cleaning. 

2. Next, spray the solution over your grates and leave it to sit for 15 minutes before wiping thoroughly with a clean damp cloth.

If you want a nicer smell, you can add a few drops of essential oil, but there are ways on how to clean with vinegar without the smell.  

White vinegar and spray bottle (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Do you need to season cast iron stove grates? 

Similar to knowing how to season a cast iron skillet, you would need to season your cast iron stove grates to prevent rust. After they have been cleaned, apply a light coating of cooking oil on the bottom of the grates. Next, bake the grate at 350°F for about 30 to 40 minutes. 

To keep your kitchen looking shiny and new, check out our guides on how to clean a microwave, how to clean an oven, how to clean a garbage disposal, and how to clean stainless steel appliances. Want to give your stovetop an upgrade? Invisible stovetops look like the next big thing — check out the benefits and drawbacks. 

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As the Homes Content Editor, Cynthia Lawrence covers all things homes, interior decorating, and garden-related. She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy ‘how to’ features. 

Her work has been published in various titles including, T3, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Livingetc. and House Beautiful, amongst many.

With a rather unhealthy obsession for all things homes and interiors, she also has an interior design blog for style inspiration and savvy storage solutions (get rid of that clutter!). When she’s not testing cool products, she’ll be searching online for more decor ideas to spruce up her family home or looking for a great bargain!

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How to Clean Stove Grates

By

Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40 years' experience; writing for over 20 years.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 06/03/22

Reviewed by

Katie Berry

Reviewed by Katie Berry

Katie Berry is a cleaning expert with 30 years of household management experience and 12 years of writing about cleaning methods and routines for Housewife How-Tos. She is the author of several books about homemaking.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

Project Overview

Nearly every time you use your gas cooktop, a few splatters of grease or food land on the stove grates that cover the burners. On the worst days, the grates catch the brunt of an overflowing pot of food. Cleaning stove grates regularly helps reduce the chances of smoky odors and kitchen fires, protects your cookware from hard-to-remove stains, and keeps your kitchen looking clean.

Today's stove grates for home kitchens are made from porcelain-coated cast iron. The cast iron conducts heat quickly and evenly and the porcelain coating makes cleaning easier. However, older gas stoves may have uncoated cast iron grates that require different cleaning steps. With just a few supplies and regular cleaning, you can keep either type of grates fresh and clean.

How Often to Clean Stove Grates

If you have a cooking disaster on your stovetop, the grates should be cleaned just as soon as they cool down. For neater cooks, weekly cleaning is recommended to prevent any excessive build-up which will be more difficult to remove later.

Equipment / Tools

Materials

The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

How to Clean Porcelain-Coated Cast Iron Stove Grates

  1. Start With Cool Grates

    Before cleaning any component of a gas stove, allow the burners, grates, and cooktop to cool completely.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  2. Mix a Soapy Solution

    In a sink or large bucket, mix one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid that contains a degreaser per gallon of water. Agitate the water with your hand to disperse the soap.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  3. Do a Quick Soak

    Remove the stove grates from the cooktop and submerge them in the hot, soapy water. Allow them to soak for at least 10 minutes. While they are soaking, it's a good time to clean the rest of the cooktop.

    Warning

    If the porcelain coating on the stove grates has chips and the base cast iron is exposed, do not place the grates in water to soak. Cast iron rusts when exposed to water for too long.

    Ideally, the chipped grates should be replaced or follow the steps for cleaning uncoated cast iron grates.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  4. Scrub, Rinse, and Dry

    After the soaking period has loosened any food particles, use a stiff-bristled nylon brush or scrubber to clean away any remaining food.

    Rinse the grates in hot water and dry them with a lint-free microfiber cloth before reinstalling them on the cooktop.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  5. Tough Stuck-On Food?

    If you haven't cleaned your grates in a long time—or ever—and they are coated with grime, start with a baking soda paste. Mix three parts baking soda with one part water to create a paste. Spread it over the grates and set them aside for 20 minutes.

    Rinse away the paste and then follow the remainder of the cleaning steps, soaking the grates until the paste softens.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

How to Clean Uncoated Cast Iron Stove Grates

  1. Mix a Cleaning Solution

    In a small bowl or plastic container, mix two cups of hot water and one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid containing a degreaser.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  2. Scrub the Grates

    When the stove grates are cool, remove them and place them in a sink. Dip a stiff-bristled nylon scrub brush in the hot, soapy water and scrub the grates. If there are any food particles that won't come off, sprinkle the damp grates with baking soda to act as a mild abrasive. Keep scrubbing until all of the grime is removed. Do not allow the uncoated cast iron grates to soak.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  3. Rinse and Dry

    Once the grates are clean, rinse in hot water and dry immediately with a microfiber cloth. Do not allow the grates to air-dry or rust may form.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  4. Reseason the Cast Iron

    After drying the grates, place a few drops of vegetable oil on a paper towel. Use the towel to coat every surface of the stove grate with a very thin layer of oil. Place on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at 450°F for one hour. Let the grates cool in the oven.

    This will season the cast iron and prevent rusting. Once the rest of the cooktop is cleaned, replace the grates.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

  5. Remove Rust Spots

    If rust spots have appeared on the cast iron stove grates, mix a paste of one cup baking soda and one tablespoon lemon juice. Apply the paste to the rusty areas and cover with plastic wrap. Let it work for at least 24 hours. Rinse and then scrub the grates with a stiff-bristled brush. Rinse, dry, and re-season the grates.

    The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo

Tips to Keep Stove Grates Clean and Lasting Longer


How to clean cast-iron grates on a gas stove

Periodically, the kitchen "nurse" becomes a source of negative emotions. This happens every time you need to clean the gas stove grate.

Preparation for cleaning cast iron grates

First go over the cast iron with a hard sponge, brush or cloth to remove the top layer of old deposits. The sponge will be covered with small particles of dirt. Periodically rinse it under running water until the top layer of plaque is removed.

Pay attention to dirt on gas burners: the cleaner the flame, the less soot will settle on the cast iron.

It is convenient to use a table covered with polyethylene to clean plaque. This will save the stove from additional contamination, provide easy manipulation when cleaning the corners, sides, and bottom of the grate.

Cleaning products

Modern household chemicals offer effective solutions to fight pollution. These are different in composition and cost gels, pastes, powders. Among them there are absolutely safe hypoallergenic products.

Folk ways are more diverse. Along with soda, mustard, soap, which effectively remove layers of grease, soot and plaque from the surface of the stove, ancient cleaning methods are also used.

Professional products

The most effective are liquids, creams, which are widely used for washing kitchen equipment in restaurants, bakeries . .. They are also used in cleaning. Someone who, and the workers of these services know a lot about choosing high-quality detergents. Among those in demand:

  1. Kenolux Grill - grease remover, soot from cast iron stove surfaces. The container has a dispenser. With its help, the liquid is applied to the surface, left for several minutes. It is removed with a rag along with everything that has settled on the grate. Does not require additional efforts to wipe off soot.
  2. Cream for cleaning kitchen equipment Cif Active Lemon. More affordable, but less effective than the first remedy. If after 2 minutes of application it was not possible to remove all contamination from the part, the procedure can be repeated: rinse well the cream previously applied to the grate, apply Cif “pointwise” to those areas from which the kitchen dirt has not come off.
  3. Tri-Bio biological agent. It can be used even by housewives who are allergic to household chemicals. Especially effective in the "fight" with old soot. Safe for cast iron.

These are some examples of modern household products. Their use allows you to easily clean cast-iron grates from grease and hard deposits.

After treatment, the surface must be completely rid of liquid, gel, falling off pieces of soot. To do this, wipe with a damp cloth or sponge. Then rinse the cast-iron part with running water, removing chemical residues.

Gels, pastes, creams for cleaning cast iron are based on a safe strong alkali, which is an effective grease remover that breaks down long-standing soot without residue. No less effective household chemicals based on various acids. But in the case of cast iron, it is inappropriate - under the influence of individual components, it becomes brittle. In addition, acid is powerless against fat.

Folk remedies and ways to combat pollution

Housewives with time often prefer effective "grandmother's" ways to remove soot, plaque. They are attracted by a set of components available for cleaning: ordinary water, soda, laundry soap . ..

Boiling

Prepare the solution by placing in a large basin or other container:

Immerse the cast iron part in the solution, put on a strong fire. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the flame, cover with a lid. Keep on the stove for at least half an hour, without stopping boiling.

After half an hour, remove the part from the solution, visually evaluate the effect of the procedure. If the places of soot, soot are not cleared, continue for another 15-30 minutes. Rinse when finished.

Ignition

An economical and effortless process. Make a fire, put a grate on the bricks pre-installed in it. Maintain a powerful flame for 30-60 minutes, observing that each part of the cast iron is ignited on fire.

Leave to cool after the time has elapsed. When the temperature allows, pull out the calcined object, lightly hit it with a hammer several times. If the calcination is successful, the soot will fall off the grate in large pieces. Pieces that have not flown off can be separated with a knife, a chisel. If the soot does not lag behind, then its layer is too large. Ignition is worth repeating.

Soaking

Effective for once a week treatments. Dilute the solution in a container, taking:

Mix the solution well, immerse the cast iron object in it. Soaking time is 5-10 hours. During this time, the fat will break down, the soot will become softer. Wipe the part pulled out of the solution with a sponge or cloth.

These recommendations are suitable for regular procedures. For old, ingrained pollution, such manipulations will not be enough.

Wrapping

Allowed with fresh plaque formed after a long one-time cooking (on the occasion of a holiday, anniversary . ..). Wipe the item with a damp sponge. Prepare a soap-soda solution, for which mix 3 tablespoons of dish gel with 5-7 tablespoons of baking soda. Coat the cast-iron product with a mixture, wrap with polyethylene, leave overnight. In the morning, remove the exfoliated soot with a coarse brush or sponge, rinse under running warm running water.

To enhance the effect, you can add 3 tablespoons of dry mustard to the liquid. This tool is great for breaking down fat.

General recommendations for care, cleaning

Cast iron parts of household kitchen appliances are difficult to clean from grease, soot during rare washes. It is better to eliminate traces of smudges every time as soon as the broth or milk has “escaped”. It will take no more than a minute, but everything will shine with purity.

When using a household stove, you can protect its parts from grease with food foil. During frying, wrap it with rods or spread it on the surface around the burner used. Splashes of fat will settle on the foil.

The care of cast iron products excludes the use of rough mechanical action. Scraping plaque, soot with hard or sharp objects will leave marks on the metal. The use of coarse powdered abrasives will do the same.

How often should I clean the stove?

The ideal situation is to wash the hob surface once a week. Better - on Mondays-Tuesdays. On weekends, you have to cook a lot, trying to pamper your family. This affects the cleanliness of the plate. In hot pursuit, it is possible to wash the grate within 10-15 minutes with the simplest means.

It is undesirable to leave dirt for more than a month. Then you have to mess around with soot for 2-3 hours or resort to the most cardinal method.

The quickest and easiest way to clean your cast iron grate

When removing stains, take into account the chemical composition of the gel or liquid used, do not rely on untested methods.

There are doubts about the safety of using liquid to clean the car engine, although someone convinces: as soon as you moisten a rag with it and wipe the cast iron, the plaque will begin to peel off. The surface of kitchen cast iron does not tolerate aggressive chemical solutions, which include auto fluid.

The same for methods using solutions with vinegar, ammonia; liquids, thick gels and creams containing acids.

But if you need a result and a quick disposal of the cast-iron grate from dirt, then contact us for cleaning your apartment. We will help you!

If you have any questions on the topic "How to clean cast iron grates on a gas stove" , then fill out the form below or dial 8 (495) 627-76-89 to contact our specialists. We will help you!

How to quickly clean the cast-iron gas stove grate from carbon deposits at home

Home » Cleaning

Cleaning

Reading 4 min. Posted by

For many housewives, cleaning the gas stove grate is the least favorite job. Often there is not enough strength for it - and then the layer of soot increases catastrophically, making the process of its removal more and more difficult.

But there are many elementary methods that will help to clean the entire structure without much effort, including hard-to-reach places. 9Ol000 from soot at home? To do this, you need to perform only two actions:

Determine the material of the product

It is problematic to determine the material from which the grate is made after intensive use of the plate. You'll have to remember what it looked like when you bought it. One of three options is available:

Cast iron constructions are characterized by high weight and quality factor. The cross-sectional profile of the lattice body is trapezoidal. Another difference between a cast iron product is that its elements do not cross the burner.

Expensive models of gas stoves are equipped with cast iron.

Cleaning methods

All known methods for removing carbon deposits from gas stove grates can be divided into three groups:

With household appliances

The structure can be cleaned using a dishwasher or steam generator. The dishwasher will do an excellent job if the fatty coating is not old.

In this case, one cycle of the machine in intensive mode is enough to completely remove carbon deposits. After washing, the grate, which is thoroughly overgrown with fat and soot, will have to be cleaned manually with a knife and a stiff brush.
If you use a steam generator, you can use it: choose a hard round brush as the working head.

Soak cleaning

How do I clean a cast iron grate if there is no steam generator or dishwasher in the house? You can facilitate the process by pre-soaking the structure in a detergent composition. To prepare the working solution, you can use gels and liquids intended for kitchen surfaces. The product has large dimensions, so you can soak it either in a large basin or in a bath. After a few hours, armed with a metal washcloth or brush (the bristles should be stiff), you can easily remove the soaked layer of dirt.

Cleaning without soaking

Not every housewife will risk her snow-white bathroom for the sake of cleaning kitchen utensils. You can refuse soaking by using aggressive detergents. They can be distinguished from conventional drugs by the label "Antifat".

The cleaning process is as follows:

  1. The grate is pre-moistened with water;
  2. The cleaning agent is then applied to its surface;
  3. After ten to fifteen minutes, the product is processed with a stiff brush.

If it didn't work the first time, you'll have to repeat the procedure again.

Folk remedies

There are two proven folk ways to clean the grate: