How to clean cast iron stove grates with baking soda and vinegar

It is best to wipe up cooking spills as you make them, but that doesn't always happen. No matter how carefully you try to clean as you go, you sometimes have to clean burnt on food and grease from the grates and burners on your gas stove. Fortunately, you don't have to turn to chemical cleaners. There are natural options available.

Supplies

Vinegar
Water
Spray bottle
Shallow pan
Soft scrub brush (a toothbrush works well)

Instructions for Grates

Fill a shallow pan with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water.
Fully submerge the grates in the solution. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes.
Pull the grates from the solution and use the scrub brush on them.
Rinse the grates.
Repeat the vinegar soak followed by more scrubbing as necessary.

Cleaning Burners

While the grates are soaking, mix 50/50 water and vinegar in a spray bottle.
Spray down the burners carefully. Give them a nice coat so the acid can eat at the grime, but do not saturate the burners.
Allow the mixture to sit for 15-20 minutes.
Use a scrub pad to wipe off the grime.
Repeat as necessary.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

If your gas stove's grates and burners are covered in crusted on food, you may need baking soda in addition to a vinegar and water solution. The acid in the vinegar will help to break down the grease, while the baking soda will work as a gentle scrubbing agent to remove the dried food.

Materials

White vinegar
Baking soda
Shallow dish
Water
Soft bristle brush
Spray bottle
Microfiber cloth
Scrub pad

Method for Grates

Fill the shallow dish with a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar. Use enough to cover the grates when you put them in the pans.
Place the grates in the vinegar solution.
Allow to sit in solution for 30 minutes.
Pull out the grates out of the mixture and rinse them.
Mix the baking soda and water into a nice thick paste.
Coat the grate in the baking soda paste.
Allow them to sit for 15-30 minutes
Use the scrub brush to remove caked on food and grease.
Rinse and spot clean as necessary.

Method for Burners

Spray down the burners carefully with the 50/50 water and vinegar mixture, coating them well without saturating.
Allow the mixture to sit for 15-20 minutes.
Apply a thin coat of the baking soda and water mixture to the burners and allow to sit.
Use the scrub brush to scrub away the caked-on food.

Lemon Juice

If you don't have vinegar on hand, you can use lemon juice to remove caked-on grease from your burners and grates.

What You Need

Lemon Juice
Water
Plastic zipper baggies that fit the grates
Soft scrub brush
Dish rag

Cleaning Grates

Place the grill grates in the plastic bags, making sure they are completely covered.
Fill the bags with lemon juice and allow the grates to sit in them for 30 - 60 minutes.
Pull out the grates and scrub them with the brush, focusing on the corners.
Rinse with water.

Scrubbing Burners

Soak the dish rag in lemon juice and rub it on the burner.
Allow the juice to sit on the burners for 15 - 20 minutes, or even longer for really stuck on particles.
Take the scrub brush and scrub the burner to remove the baked-on grease.

Spot Cleaning

Depending on how much crusted on grease or burnt on food is on your stove, you may need a more stubborn cleaning method. To get a little extra scrubbing power, all you need is a toothbrush and salt or baking soda. To use this method, simply:

Dip the toothbrush in the baking soda or salt
Scrub the area with the toothbrush.

Cleaning Your Gas Stove

Cooking is an art form that sometimes leaves your kitchen in dire straits. Fortunately, there are several natural methods you can use to clean your gas stovetop. Once the grates and burners are clean, it'll be time to move on to your oven!

One of the greasiest things you will find in a kitchen are the grates on the stove. Perhaps the reason why is because they are often overlooked even when cleaning a stovetop. Unfortunately, overtime, the buildup of spills, grease, and burnt-on foods cover the cast iron and form a rather thick layer of black gunk on your stove grates. Obviously, the longer you wait, the harder greasy grates are to clean; however, with that said, if you have left them in a dirty state for a while now, there is a fairly simple way to clean burnt cast iron stove grates with a little effort and patience.

First, let’s talk about the importance of keeping your stove grates clean.

Dangers of Greasy Stove Grates

When you see your cast iron stove grates looking dirty and messy from the grease and charred food spills that are sitting on it, your reaction may be limited to thinking that they are unsightly and probably unsanitary too. Well, while that is true, the real concern here is safety.

Allowing grease to build up on the stove can be a fire hazard because the substance is flammable. Although this is not the number one cause of house fires, it is better to be safe than sorry by simply cleaning and maintaining grease-free cast iron stove grates.

Things to Keep in Mind When Cleaning Stove Grates

Cast iron grates typically have an enamel coating which must be cleaned carefully so as not to damage it. Harsh cleaning tools such as metal scrubbers or steel wool are not advisable, even though it may be tempting to use such scouring pads to remove stubborn, burnt-on grease. Instead, non-abrasive sponges and scrubbers along with gritty cleaners such as salt or baking soda to create a safe abrasion for cleaning your cast iron stove grates are all favourable options.

If you are using any type of chemical cleaner, even ammonia, it is critically important that you rinse and wash the stove grate with hot water and dish soap to ensure that there are no traces of the chemical left on the surface.

Keeping these dos and don’ts in mind, learn how to clean stove grates by following the simple cleaning guide from Maid For You below.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Clean Cast Iron Stove Grates

As always, natural cleaning solutions are preferred wherever applicable due to their eco-friendly nature. Moreover, it is important to reduce the usage of chemicals in your home for health and environmental reasons. In this all-natural method to clean burnt cast iron stove grates, you can use ingredients and products that you likely already have at hand.

What You’ll Need

Heat-resistant bucket/basin
Grease-fighting dish soap
Vinegar
Baking soda/salt
Stiff cleaning brush
Non-abrasive scrubber
Clean dry towel

Gather up the items listed above and move on to the step-by-step guide below.

Step One: Remove Loose Debris

When the stove grates have cooled down completely, use the stiff brush to remove charred bits and other loose debris by brushing them onto a pan or sheet of newspaper. Collect the rubbish and dispose of it in the bin when you are done. At this stage, it helps to get off as much debris as you can so that there is less gunk to scrub off later on. Nevertheless, there is no need to use too much elbow grease here as the next two steps will help loosen the stuck-on debris thus making it easier to scrub off.

Step Two: Spray With Vinegar

Pour full-strength distilled white vinegar in a spray bottle, place the grates in an empty sink, and spray them generously on both sides. Make sure that you don’t miss any spots and that the stove grates are completely dampened by the vinegar so that it breaks down the hardened gunk. After spraying them, leave the cast iron stove grates aside for 10 minutes and then proceed to the next step.

Step Three: Soak the Grates

In a heat-proof basin or bucket, add a squirt of dish soap and pour in boiling hot water (enough to submerge the grates). If needed, stir the water with a wooden spoon to combine the soap and water. Then, carefully place the stove grates inside, ensuring that each one is properly submerged. Use tongs if you need to spread them around as opposed to piling them one on top of the other. Allow the cast iron grates to soak in this hot soapy water for at least 15 minutes.

Step Four: Scrub With a Natural Abrasive

To scrub the stoves grates clean after the cleaning solution has loosened the gunk, a mild abrasive like salt or baking soda is advised. The added benefit is that these ingredients also have cleansing properties so it’s win-win! Before you begin, drain the water out and refill the basin/bucket with cold water to cool down the grates. When cool to touch, clean them individually by dipping the dampened non-abrasive scrubber or stiff brush in the powdered scourer, and scrub the grates with a good amount of elbow grease.

NOTE: For very stubborn grease or burnt-on foods, soak the grate in hot soapy water for a second time before scrubbing again.

Step 5: Rinse and Dry

After successfully scrubbing your cast iron stove grates clean, rinse them under running water to remove grease or food remnants and all traces of the cleaners used. The last thing you need to do is wipe the grates dry with a clean towel as opposed to leaving them to air dry. This is because the longer cast iron stove grates remain damp, the higher the chance of them developing rust. Once completely dry, put them back in place. Don’t forget to clean the rest of your stove so that it is not just nicer to look at but more sanitary while eliminating the risk of a fire hazard.

Remember, regular upkeep is much easier and faster than having to clean off weeks of buildup on your cast iron stove grates. Of course, if that’s what you are dealing with, all you need to do is follow the cleaning guide above to make your stove grates look great again!

How do you make cast iron grates look new?

Let the grates soak in a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water for at least half an hour, then scrub the grates to remove any residue. Repeat the process as needed until your grates are clean.

What is the best way to clean cast iron stove grates?

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.

How do you deep clean cast iron grates?

When cleaning cast iron grates, burn off any food left over on the grates. Then let the grates cool and scrub them with the nylon cleaning brush. After cleaning the grates, dry and saturate the grates with vegetable oil to prevent rust from forming.

How do you clean cast iron grill grates on a gas stove?

Soak grates and caps in a slightly diluted solution of liquid cleanser and scour with a non-metallic soap filled pad. Place the grates and caps in a sealed bag or covered container with 1/4 cup of ammonia. Let this sit for 3 hours up to overnight to loosen soil. Rinse thoroughly and dry with a soft, clean cloth.