How to Clean an Electric Stove

How to Clean an Electric Stove

Cleaning an electric hob or stove can sometimes be a messy job. Electric stoves are a staple of homes across the world, providing heat that is almost instant and evenly distributed. But, grime can quickly build-up on traditional electric stoves and glass stovetops. It only takes one spillage of spaghetti Bolognese to ruin the sparkle on your electric stove. How to clean electric stove top is tricky because there are so many different methods. We have put together a few of our favourites to make your life a little easier.

Safety first: Before cleaning an electric stove or oven, always make sure the stove is turned off and cold.

Before You Start Cleaning the Hob

There are a few things you need for cleaning a kitchen hob:

• A sink or bucket filled with hot soapy water to clean the hob’s removable parts
• Multi-surface cleaner, hob cleaning product or natural cleaner to loosen grime on the hob
• Soft microfibre or cleaning cloth, nothing that will scratch the surface of the hob
• An unused toothbrush to clean in the crevices the cloth cannot reach
• A soft scrubbing brush to remove dirt from the grate, burners and rings of the gas hob
• Clean soft cloth to buff the surface after cleaning the hob

Regardless of which products you use to clean the hob, always make sure your hob is turned off on the wall and completely cold before you start cleaning, safety first!

How to Clean Electric Stove Top with Burners

This type of electric stove top features burners, also known as coils or rings. These coils are constructed of spiral steel tubing that has a heating element, powered by mains electricity.

You will need: a cleaning cloth, washing up liquid, baking soda and warm water.

1. Ensure the stove burners are completely cool, before removing them from the electric stove. If you are unsure how to remove the burners, please refer to your user manual.
2. Wipe away any dirt from the coils with a damp cloth and washing up liquid.
3. Also clean any spills and grime from the stovetop with a soapy cloth, but be careful not to get the electrical connection wet.
4. If the grime is proving hard to remove, make a cleaning paste with baking soda and water. Rub this paste on the grimy section and leave to soak for 20 minutes.
5. When the time is up, clean the baking soda paste off the stove and as if by magic, all the grime should be gone.
6. When the electric stovetop and stove burners are all clean, make sure they are completely dry before returning the burners back to the stove.
7. Then that’s it, sit back and admire your sparkling clean electric stove.

How to Clean an Electric Glass Stove

Ceramic glass stovetops feature a type of toughened glass and have a hidden heating element below the glass, powered by electricity.

If your electric glass stovetop is looking a little worse for wear, then here are two easy ways to make the stove sparkle like new. Firstly, using a stove cream cleaner and secondly cleaning the stove with natural products.

Cream Cleaner Method

What is the best stove top cleaner?

You will need: 2 x cleaning cloths or paper towels, oven cleaning razor, warm water and cream cleaner of choice.

1. Wipe the glass stove over with a dry cloth or paper towel to remove any pesky food crumbs from the electric stove.
2. Carefully remove burnt on spillages with an oven cleaning razor if necessary.
3. Using a stovetop cleaner of choice, squeeze a few drops of the cleaner onto the stove and use a cloth or sponge to move the cleaner around the surface.
4. Once all the stains are loosened by the cleaner, remove all the product with a paper towel or clean cloth.
5. Then spray the glass stove with water to remove any remaining cleaner and buff up with a clean dry cloth, to get that showstopping sparkle!

Baking Soda and White Vinegar Method

You will need: 2 x clean cloths, baking soda, white vinegar, hot soapy water and a tea towel.

1. Remove any food from the stove with a dry cloth.
2. Then cover the glass stove with baking soda.
3. Spray the white vinegar all over the baking soda, and listen out for the cleaning fizz!
4. Now this is where the true magic happens. Fill a bowl or sink with hot soapy water, then place a tea towel into the water. Remove the towel and wring it out so it remains damp.
5. Place the damp towel onto the stove and leave for 10-15 minutes. The combination of the baking soda, white vinegar and hot towel will do all the hard work for you.
6. When the time is up, use the towel to rub away any remaining stubborn stains.
7. Then clean away all the baking soda with a clean cloth and dry your glass stove.

Now that your electric stove is sparkling clean, it’s good enough to eat off! Just remember if you want to keep your stove clean, it’s as simple as giving it a wipe over every time you cook.

If the natural cleaning method worked well on your stove, why not try cleaning your oven with a homemade cleaner too – find the method here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should you clean your electric stove?

The fact of the matter is – the best way to keep your electric stove sparkling clean is to clean the stove after every use. Use a damp cloth or sponge to remove any spills from cooking, every time the stove is used. These small cleans after every meal will reduce the need for a regular, deeper cleaning session.

If you are looking for more easy ways to keep on top of cleaning, read our Best Advice for Keeping your Kitchen Clean blog.

How do you clean a black glass electric hob?

1. Once the hob is completely cool, use a damp cloth or sponge to remove crumbs, dust, and any loose bits of food.
2. Apply cleaner – Use a few drops of glass hob cleaner, or sprinkle baking soda, then spray with white vinegar for a natural option.
3. Let the cleaner or baking soda/vinegar mix sit for 10–15 minutes to break down grime.
4. Use a soft cloth or non-scratch sponge to wipe the surface. For burnt-on bits, carefully use a plastic scraper at an angle.
5. Wipe off any leftover cleaner with a damp cloth, then dry and buff with a clean, dry cloth or paper towel.

How to get rid of ring marks on an electric hob?

To remove ring marks from an electric hob, first ensure the surface is cool, then apply a small amount of ceramic hob cleaner or a paste made from baking soda and water directly onto the marks. Let it sit for a few minutes to loosen the residue. Gently scrub with a soft cloth or non-scratch sponge, then wipe clean with a damp cloth and buff dry. For stubborn marks, use a plastic scraper at a shallow angle to lift the residue without scratching the glass.

How to clean rust off solid hot plates?

To clean rust off solid hot plates, use fine-grade steel wool or a scrubbing pad to gently remove the rust. Then wipe away the debris with a damp cloth. To protect the plates and prevent future rust, apply a small amount of hob cleaner or a light coating of cooking oil, then heat the plate briefly to seal it. Avoid using water on the plates during cooking, as this can cause more rust.

How do you clean a gas hob?

A gas hob requires the most amount of elbow grease to clean, but hard work will produce an extremely clean hob.

To get started, you will need to remove the metal racks and hob burner tops. Fill the sink with hot water and washing up liquid to let them soak while you clean the rest of the gas hob.

Hob Cleaning Tip: Although it may seem like a good idea to soak the hob racks overnight, leaving them in water too long could cause rust, so only soak them for a short period.

1. Using a damp cloth, remove as much loose food and grime as possible from the oven hob, paying careful attention to each gas ring as food can collect here.
2. Apply a hob cleaning product of choice directly to the hob and leave it for a couple of minutes before beginning to wipe it off with a damp cloth. Clean the cloth between wipes and repeat this process until all of the food grime has been removed.
3. Once the hob is looking clean and fresh, turn your attention back to the metal racks and hob burner tops that have been soaking in the sink.
4. These removeable parts should now be easier to clean with a cloth or sponge and use an old unused toothbrush to get into the hard to reach areas. Rinse the hob burners and racks in cold water and allow them to dry completely before returning them to the hob.
5. Finally buff the smooth surfaces of the gas hob with a clean soft cloth for an added shine.

Professional Deep Oven Cleaning

If you are dreading cleaning your stove, or are unsure how to clean an electric oven, it’s time to call the oven cleaning specialists. Ovenclean local specialists are fully equipped to put the sparkle back into your Stove, Hob, Oven, Range, Aga, Microwave and even BBQ! Our stove cleaning specialists aim to cause minimal disturbance to your home, so all removable parts are soaked in no-added caustic cleaning products outside, ensuring your home remains safe and mess-free.

Contact Ovenclean today for more information on 0800 840 7127 or get your free quote here.