As the center for all things food, the stovetop is a target for messes made in the kitchen. It’s always best to clean as you cook, but that’s not always an easy task.
It’s wasteful and hurts pocket and heart to dispose of an expensive appliance that is just a few years old because of lack of maintenance. So, we invite you to look through this list below and see if you are guilty of destroying your stovetop.
7. Not Reading the Instruction Manual
Yes, manuals can be long and boring, but they are essential! They contain useful tips on how to clean and care for your appliance correctly. These tips will help you ensure your stovetop lives a long and happy life.
It is smart to store all your user manuals properly in one place, so you can reach them easily, when and if the need arises.
6. You Don’t Watch the Pot
Sometimes it seems as if it takes forever for the food to cook or water to boil when watching a pot closely. So, you probably distract yourself by doing other tasks, and before you know it, your pot is emptying onto the stove.
Whether it’s a small spill or a large spill, it spells trouble for your stovetop. Spills and splashes should be cleaned up immediately with an absorbent cloth to reduce the risk of damage to your stovetop.
5. Clogged Burners
If you go to make breakfast one morning and a burner won’t light, don’t take it lightly. You can have a clogged burner, leading up to corrosion. Pretty soon, you will have to call in the repairman if you don’t take action to clean.
When you don’t clean the clogs, the openings get small, and their sizes get smaller. That will make your food cook slower, and your burners can stop working altogether. So, get out your best de-greaser and start cleaning to save the life of your burners and save yourself the money.
4. Rarely Cleaning
It is so important to consistently clean your stove top to avoid greasy build-up and stains. It will make your life so much easier. Just remember there are electric switches, control boards and high voltage wires running underneath the burners. So, hold off on the water and instead wet scrubbing cloth or pad, and let this be a routine cleanup job.
3. Ignoring Debris Left on Your Glass Stovetop
A glass stove top gives your kitchen a sleek, modern look but requires a lot of maintenance. Because it is glass, you cannot afford to have streaks, burn marks and bake-stains just lying there. Not only is it unsightly, but the whole purpose of looking modern is lost! Maintaining a brand new-looking appliance allows you to enjoy what you worked so hard to purchase.
Cleaning is not such a chore if you know what to do and how to do it properly. Have a Glass Cooktop Cleaner handy to wipe spills and keep your glass top shiny and spotless. It is, of course, best to use it after your stove top has cooled down.
2. Wire Brush Surface Cleanup
Some food stains and baked-on food is not easy to dissolve off of a stovetop, and using a wire brush or sharp tool to remove the build-up will only lead to further problems. You can damage the spark electrodes by excessive cleaning methods and abrasive cleaning products. Those delicate parts need mild, gentle cleaning.
You will need to get a Cooktop Cleaner Kit with a scrubbing pad, designed especially for this purpose. Some of them come with a razor blade but don’t use that blade as it can cause more harm than good to your countertop.
1. Ignoring Gas Leak Signs
A gas leak will shorten the life of your stovetop. The smell of gas coming from your stove is a sure indication that something is wrong. It can cause an explosion that will destroy the stove and could be life-threatening.
Yes, it is normal to smell a little bit of gas when turning on the stove, but if you smell gas while the stove is not in use, you have a problem.
