how to clean gas stove grates

Learning how to clean stove grates and drip pans on my gorgeous gas stove has always been so frustrating for me. It is mind boggling how filthy they becomes on a daily basis. Stove cleaning happens at least once a day at my house, but that does nothing for the build up of grease and grime on the grates and drip pans. Those stove-top accessories get so disgusting and I was tired of using nasty oven cleaner on them. Read on for my no scrub cleaning method for a clean gas stove.

how to clean stove grates without scrubbing clean gas stove

After some research on how to clean stove grates and drip pans, I found a few sources online that swore by leaving your stove top accessories overnight in a sealed bag with some ammonia. I instantly had a preference to try this method because I love using ammonia to get the grease off the cabinets above my stove. Not to mention it is cheap…..less than $1 for a big bottle!

I got out a gallon sized Ziploc bag and put about a 1/2 C of ammonia in it. In went one grate and I zipped the bag close. 10 hours later, I took a peek and I thought it had failed because it looked exactly the same. However, once I opened the bag and touched the grate, my hand came away covered in nasty black yuck! Gross, yes….but I knew instantly this was the magic I had been looking for! I used my sponge to simply wipe off the surfaces of the grate then rinsed it clean. Yes, it was THAT easy.

This method is also how to clean drip pans as well. I had all the rest of the grates plus the drip pans left so I used a garbage bag this time around with all of them inside and a couple cups of ammonia. I knotted the bag itself so it would be an air tight closure and walked away. 10 hours later, my stove top grates and drip plates were as clean as the day I bought the stove. Not a single black mark on them! If yours are extra gross, you might need a bit more time but I promise you will not need to scrub. Cleaning a gas stove can now be an easy chore, which means I can outsource it to my kids!

How to Clean Stove Grates and Drip Pans

Use a Ziplock bag or garbage bag for a lot of pieces – if you are just doing one or two grates or drip pan, you can just use a ziplock style bag but if you want to do all your stove pieces at once, grab that garbage bag.
Add ammonia to the bag –if you are using a ziplock, use about a 1/2 cup. If you are using a garbage bag, add around 2 cups. The pieces do not need to be immersed in the ammonia. It is the fumes that do the cleaning, not contact with the cleaner.
Insert your stove grates and drip pans – place your stove top pieces to your bags and then seal them closed. You can simply knot the garbage bag tightly.
Give it time – depending on how dirty your pieces are will depend on how long the magic takes to work. I like to put mine in before going to bed and then giving it overnight to work. 8-12 hours is best so just walk away.
Rinse off the grime –all you need to do is rinse away all that nasty black grease and grime. If there happens to be a spot or two that don't rinse away, just hit them quickly with a scrubby pad.

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