Clean your Kitchen Range Without Heavy Chemicals

One way to help remove grease as well as sanitize your range is with the use of vinegar in a spray bottle. Mix 1 part water to 1 part white distilled vinegar and spray the range top. Let sit for about ten minutes then wipe down with a cotton cloth (a knobby cloth works better - the texture also helps scrub away food particles). You can also add a few drops of any liquid soap to the spray bottle for increased grease-cutting. It's usually easiest, and faster, to pull the knobs off, spray, then wipe and replace the knobs than to carefully try to clean around the knobs.

Another natural sanitizer is tea tree oil, which can be purchased from most health food stores. Use a few drops in a bottle with water, spray the range, and then let sit. Be aware that tea tree oil has a strong odor (similar to turpentine) that may be unpleasant for some people. There is also some recent research that tea tee oil may cause undesirable hormonal changes in boys, so it might be best to avoid this natural product if there are children in the house.

For stuck-on food particles, a little baking soda works well as an abrasive. Be gentle when scrubbing - although most stovetops can take an abrasive cleaner without scratching the enamel, some cant - so it's good to make sure the enamel will not be affected. It helps to allow the vinegar solution to soak for a few minutes before beginning to scrub. Cleaning the drip trays can be very challenging if food has been repeatedly exposed to heat and has burnt. One method is to remove the drip trays, soak in the sink with vinegar and water, then scrub. As a last resort, drip trays can be cleaned with an oven cleaner (following the directions on the oven cleaner just as for the oven) - although many people prefer to simply replace the drip pans rather than use oven cleaner.

Prevention goes a long way towards keeping the range clean. You can buy replaceable drip pan liners or line them yourself with aluminum foil. Use splatter guards when cooking (these mesh-like covers allow air and circulation while cooking but prevent grease and food particles from becoming air born).

If you have a stainless steel, stovetop fingerprints are often a challenge. Rubbing the range frequently with a very small amount of coconut oil will help. Other oils have a lower smoking point and if you accidently get them on the burners will cause smoking when you use the burner.