Deep cleaning your range and cooktop
Many of us did a lot of cooking and baking over the holidays—and have a greasy, grimy stovetop and oven to prove it. You can give your hardworking range the post-holiday, deep-clean treatment with these tips from the experts at Consumer Reports.
Over time, leaving spills on your range can start to affect performance. On a gas range, it can clog the burners, which makes them tough to light and produces uneven flames in some cases. And on smooth glass tops, sugar-based spills – like chocolate or tomato sauce – that sit too long can damage the surface.
The cleaning pros at Consumer Reports have a simple, yet helpful, tip: Hot, soapy water is your friend. For gas ranges, you can use dish soap and water as your solution to clean everything from surfaces to grates to burner covers. Just remove, soak, and scrub.
If the grates and covers are really rough, slip them into a plastic bag or another sealable container, along with quarter cup of ammonia, which will break down the stains and make the grates easier to clean.
Sometimes burner ports can get clogged, so clean them with a paper clip or a safety pin. Don’t use wooden toothpicks or other materials that can break inside the ports.
You also want to avoid using steel wool or abrasive cleaners on a cooktop, and that’s especially true for glass cooktops. Instead, use a soft sponge or a wet paper towel to wipe away spills and stains. To remove heavy, burned-on residue on smooth tops, use a razor blade or a glass scraper made for this purpose. Carefully hold the blade at a 45-degree angle to avoid scratching the smooth top.
Finally, don’t forget your cooktop’s controls. Many of them can be removed and cleaned with hot, soapy water.
When it comes to cleaning the inside of your oven, if you don’t have the time for a lengthy self-cleaning cycle, use a scrub pad and soapy water to clean it out.
Files from Consumer Reports
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.