9 Tips To Keep Your Kitchen's Stove Grates Clean For Longer

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Stoves are an essential part of the kitchen, allowing you to whip up comforting and nourishing meals for friends and family. One of the classic characteristics of many gas-powered stoves is stove grates, which are durable metal grates that hold your pots, pans, and skillets securely above the gas flame while you're cooking. As with all items in the kitchen, these stove grates are susceptible to getting dirty with use, requiring time, attention, and effort to restore them to their former glory. If you have stove grates in your kitchen and want to know how to keep them cleaner for longer, there are a number of steps that you can take to secure that end, and none of them are too difficult or technical.

While splattered sauces and everyday grime can make it tricky to get your stovetop grates looking clean, you can tackle these ordinary messes in a number of ways. Starting with wiping them down periodically to get ahead of the mess, you can also hit them with some all-natural cleaning solutions like baking soda and water paste, or even removing them from the stove (if they have this capability) and pouring boiling water over them. For the ickiest of stove grates, you can turn to oven cleaners that use chemicals to dislodge the grossness that is making them look so grungy. At the end of the day, you have a variety of solutions at your fingertips to help you keep your stove grates clean.

Whether you can see food debris and residue or not, chances are that there is some on your stove grates. Because of this, a regularly wiped-down stove grate is the best way to keep them cleaner for longer. Lump a daily wiping down of your grates into your nightly cleaning routine: this simple cleaning hack will keep your kitchen tidy without requiring much time or effort. 

You can bring your grimy stovetop grates back to life with a common kitchen staple: baking soda. Simply mix the baking soda and some water into a thick consistency, then use a rag or brush to apply it to your stove grates, scrubbing away any caked-on or baked-on residue. The abrasive and alkali nature of the baking soda will quickly work its magic, helping to lift the debris from the surface without requiring too much effort on your part.

Sometimes a stiff-bristled brush is the best tool for cleaning your stove's grates, especially if you're dealing with caked-on food residue. The best type of brush to use is one with non-scratching bristles, so that you don't risk harming the grates' surface. Nylon is a good synthetic option, or you can opt for a natural bristle brush, which tends to be a gentler choice for the environment. Remember to wet your brush before scrubbing for the best results — you may also get a better end product with a drop of dish detergent.

Sometimes your cooking doesn't exactly go to plan, whether your pasta boils over or you spill some marinara sauce on your stove grates, big messes can become stubborn to clean if they are left on the grates. You might not remember all of the residue that is lurking on your stove grates after the fact, so it's best to deep clean spills and splatters as soon as the grates cool. Remove the grates, then hit them with a scrubbing brush, or some baking soda paste to keep things easy.

No matter what level of home chef you are, pots that boil or bubble over are somewhat inevitable. If you're tired of the endless splatters and spills of your saucepans' contents, however, it might be time to start covering them when you're cooking. This will limit the amount of food that can escape from your cooking vessels, therefore protecting your stove grates from the constant generation of mess. 

A microfiber cloth can be your best friend when it comes to keeping your stove's grates clean for longer. Much of the power of a microfiber cloth comes down to what it's actually made of: lots of tiny synthetic fibers. Thanks to their composition, you'll be punching well above a normal rag's cleaning weight if you choose to employ a microfiber cloth. The best news of all is that you can pair the microfiber cloth with a little water for an effective clean, removing dust and grime that has accumulated on your stove grates at once.

If you are struggling with greasy messes and baked-on residue, sometimes the best approach is to place the grates in your sink and pour boiling water over them. This easy, though highly effective, method for cleaning your grates will sanitize any germs that are lingering on them, in addition to helping to lift stubborn bits of food. For an even more impressive result, you can pair the boiling water with some cleaning concentrate, then leave the grates to soak until the water has cooled down.

That pungent-smelling oven cleaning spray you dread using might just be the perfect solution for those especially disgusting stove grates. If you have tried many of the aforementioned tips and aren't getting the results you're hoping for, you can try busting out a can of oven cleaner, like Easy-Off. Remember to only use this cleaner in a well-ventilated space and to give it time to work away at the grossness that's baked onto the grates. You'll then want to wipe and rinse off the grates afterwards to reveal a newly-discovered level of cleanliness.

If you own a cast-iron skillet, you're likely aware of the periodic ritual of seasoning your pan. This is essentially applying oil to condition the pan, providing it with added protection that will prevent it from premature rusting. Some stove grates are made from cast iron, like your skillet, making a seasoning session something you should consider adding to your routine. Choose a food-grade neutral oil to lightly coat your grates in, then place them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow them to cool before returning them to the stove top.