How to clean the hob on a cooker?

clean the hob on a cooker

Whether it’s an unbridled passion for food or a simple need for survival, whether even the most refined gourmets follow you on Instagram or whether your highest gastronomic aspiration is to heat your mom’s mess, your kitchen must always be clean and sanitized. However, the issue gets hot when it comes to the hob.

How to clean the hob on a cooker?

On any surface, whether steel, ceramic or tempered glass, encrustations often make cleaning the hob a boring and frustrating affair. These are formed due to the prolonged presence of food residues on the surface of the same. Splashes of sauce or oil, scorched crumbs, and remains of jam – rich in sugar – become one with the elements that compose it.

Put away the notebook with the apologies and justifications of the case: below, you will find some simple tricks to make the cooking plates shine again and to prevent grease and stains from making them a cause for shame and home dinners postponed until a later date.

1) No scratches

The stove top’s brilliance and cleanliness also depend on the products and methods you use to care for it. For example, metal wool pads and powder detergents which, due to their abrasive properties, can permanently scratch steels and enamels, are to be avoided.

You can never use cutlery or sharp objects to remove particularly resistant food remnants; you can intervene with a scraper – found in all supermarkets – on ceramic and glass tops, then wipe a rough cloth with water and neutral detergent and complete the operation with a softer one.

2) To each his own

On the steel plates must be used soap or neutral detergents, avoiding products that contain chlorine – as muriatic acid and bleach – that could spot. It is advisable to rub in the direction of the satin finish. The best result is obtained on glass-ceramic hobs by applying professional cleaning creams with a damp cloth to be polished with a soft cotton cloth. Soap and water are equally perfect for enameled and tempered glass tops.

3) Pay attention to accessories

A separate discussion should be made for the hob accessories, which are often washed in the dishwasher for convenience. This habit is harmful to grills, flame spreading plates, and burners because cast iron and steel are materials that must not stay in contact with water for prolonged periods.

You can start by clearing the holes in the flame spreaders with a toothpick and then immerse them in hot water – in which a specific product for these components can be dissolved.

The burners can be treated with a dedicated product; the important thing is to make sure that they are perfectly dry before switching on in order not to risk compromising their operation.

If you prefer an “all-natural” intervention, white vinegar will allow you to free each component from fat. Immersion for a few minutes in a container containing a solution of 3 glasses of white wine vinegar and 1 glass of water, previously brought to a boil, will be sufficient.

In the most difficult cases, the definitive solution is to let the components soak in water and caustic soda – handling everything with extreme care and suitable gloves – for a few hours.

Why can I look at myself on my grandmother’s stove?

Because with a toothbrush, the inevitable white or lemon vinegar and bicarbonate, even the most hidden corners can be freed from grease and encrustations. It is a simple but very effective trick, especially if repeated at regular intervals.

Start with the right tool

To make your life easier, when you cook, try to handle ingredients, pots, and dishes in the right way and with the correct accessories, thus limiting food spills and the consequent deposition of dirt on the surface and in the most difficult to reach corners. An example above all? The various types of pliers allow a firm grip, prevent burns and limit stains. It may seem trivial, but it is always better not to dirty before than to clean after!

Precautions

After cooking, it is good practice to pass a sponge soaked in water and neutral detergent on the hob’s surface to remove any liquid or solid residues, while stains and residues of eggs and milk can also be eliminated with common laundry detergent. By doing this, you will avoid the formation of lasting dirt and facilitate a subsequent deep cleaning which will certainly be more effective.

Remember to dry everything well to prevent the proliferation of molds, the formation of unpleasant halos, and, in the case of a steel surface, any oxidation due to contact of the surface with water.

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