Kitchen assistance
2Sooo… a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, my husband thought it was a brilliant idea to purchase me a 5 burner gas stove. It has a black porcelain top that seems to attract goop. I spend hours trying to get this goop off the stove top. I have tried vinegar and baking soda, goo gone, a scrub daddy sponge… etc. Some limited success with the grime boss wipes, but they get destroyed in no time. Oh, and it has this “power burner” that seems to be the worst to get clean. Not sure if it is the extra btu’s or the fact we use that burner more often.
Is there some way, other than expecting the heathens in my house to clean up immediately, to break through this gunk without scratching the stove top? I have googled it, but none of the remedies get through that last layer. I am about to blow torch it!!! I am not opposed to hard work, but darn it, this is exhausting.
P.S. I do love my stove and we are happily getting old together.
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I use a magic eraser with some Kaboom cleaner on mine. I spray the cleaner, let it sit for a bit, then use the cleaner sponge.
@therealjrn hmm haven’t tried that brand yet…
@therealjrn oh and my stove eats magic erasers
I think they now sell a heavy duty type.
Sometimes vinegar and cream of tartar will work on my stovetop. I will dampen a dobie sponge with some white vinegar, sprinkle the cream of tartar on the baked on sludge and scrub.
@cf1 how is cream of tartar different than baking soda?? Just wondering, not challenging.
@cf1 @mikibell that made we wonder as well! I found that when combined you have baking powder. But I also found this interesting tidbit…I’m gonna try some of this
https://maplemoney.com/cream-of-tartar-uses/
@cf1 @llangley I did try it… finally using the cream of tartar!!
Will see how it does.
@mikibell I really don’t know. I remember seeing it on some “amazing” cleaning tips show. It does usually seem to work on baked-on grease and grime.
@mikibell I buy bulk spices so I already had a 1 lb. bag of Cream of Tarter that I can experiment with.
@cf1 I hear you… I have a 5lb of baking soda, that is why I was willing to use it to try first
@mikibell I am not sure how much the monster bag of baking soda I bought from Costco weighs but it is ridiculous. I’m constantly looking for ways to use it.
@cf1 Exactly! We were going to make bath bombs – in my spare time!
@cf1 @mikibell wow you have a one pound bag of cream of tartar??
@mikibell @moonhat Yes, I really do. I buy bulk spices and the place sells everything by the pound. Works great for pricey or heavy stuff, not so great for light stuff. A pound of marjoram could be used for a pillow. A pound of CoT is currently around seven dollars which is a pretty good price but I need to use it up faster than I have been.
@cf1 @mikibell are you a baker?
@mikibell @moonhat I guess so. I haven’t been lately but now that the weather has finally switched from Summer to Fall, I think it might be safe to turn on the oven again. I’ve got a stack of recipes I’ve been wanting to try.
I have a porcelain electric stove top that I have been unable to clean. I’ll be trying any ideas too. And mine is white. Well parts are white.
@sammydog01 I only mentioned it is black, because no one else seems to SEE the crud
I am sure you know what I mean. Your kids being of a similar age.
@mikibell @sammydog01 Trust me kids don’t see crud on a white stove either.
Have you tried oven cleaner? It should be safe on most porcelain surfaces and it cuts through crap pretty well with a little dwell time.
@duodec Hmm I have not, I wasn’t sure if it would be safe for the top surface.
@mikibell They make ‘light’ stuff that doesn’t smell as much and the traditional stuff that has (I think) strong lye in it. I’d read the labels to be certain but I know we used to use it on white porcelain stovetops without any problems.
You will want gloves; its nasty stuff.
The ‘light’ cleaner may also work but we didn’t think it did a good job on oven interiors compared to the regular stuff.
Weiman Ceramic and Glass Cooktop Cleaner. On Amazon
I use it when Method and elbow-grease aren’t cutting it.
@KNmeh7 I have seen that recommended, I might get that too.
@KNmeh7 That’s what we use. Spread it out in the burner covers and the grills and tough spots where the stovetop got splattered. Let it sit and dry like car wax and then rub off with a dobie or non-scratch scrubber sponge.
The burner covers might craze the ceramic from the heat, but there shouldn’t be anything stuck to them. We do have some discoloration from things splattering on the cast aluminum burners, but that is only because the surface is rough and porous (compared to ceramic). Those are a bit harder to get into the nooks and crannies because they tear up the sponge/dobie.
Also available at Target. The Weimann’s stainless cleaner is also quite good.
Barkeepers Friend is also very good. It will eat sponges so use it with paper towels or rags.
When you wet it it turns to oxalic acid so if you don’t have tough hands, wear gloves. And don’t forget to rinse.
@djslack I have seen that is good for removing scratches from dishes too… my poor Christmas dishes are so scratched. My husband uses them to whisk eggs for breakfast; I have taken to putting the really scratched one on top so he won’t ruin the rest!!! (honest, I am not THAT particular, but we have bowls for that which I don’t care if they are destroyed
)
@mikibell it’s supposed to be less abrasive than comet or ajax but boosted by the acid produced to dissolve things, and seems especially good at burnt on crud. I’ve never used it to take out scratches but i bet it would do it.
@djslack @mikibell I definitely like Barkeeper’s Friend.
@djslack Barkeepers Friend works wonders on our stainless steel cookware and (now departed) burner covers, as well as porcelain, but we prefer to do the degreasing part of the cleanup first.
@duodec oh yeah i didn’t state that but i only use it when there is stuff (usually burnt on) that other methods have not succeeded in removing. A can of it lasts me several years at the rate i use it.