Clean Your Stove Grates! Tried & Tested.

I moved into my house a little while back, and before moving in we scoured the home, as it had been left a bit dirty. I had many areas of the home that took all kinds of cleaning supplies testing (Check out my shower glass cleaning article HERE) to figure out the right way to clean, and it has taken me the longest to figure out the stove.

The stove had this greasy, brown gunk on it, and that crud was not coming off, despite my many efforts. I tried basic household cleaners, I did long, hot water soaks, baking soda, vinegar, literally … tried. it. all. Then I heard from a friend who had the same issue that she had heard that letting them sit with ammonia for a long period of time will clean them.

I was desperate, folks. Desperate.

So I did it. I have never owned ammonia myself, because I have never needed it. But seriously?! The ONE DOLLAR (yep, you read that right!) that I spent on a jug of it was the best dollar spent in a long time!

Here’s the trick!

*Let me preface this by letting you know that ammonia and bleach create deadly fumes when mixed, so PLEASE be careful when using ammonia to make sure there’s no bleach nearby. There’s my disclaimer.*

Take each grate and place it into a freezer gallon-sized ziplock, including the burner covers.

Pour about 2/3 cup of ammonia into each bag, making sure to seal each immediately after pouring … those fumes are a little intense. The ammonia DOES NOT need to cover the grates, it’s the fumes that do all the work!

Let them sit, sealed overnight (or all day).

Open one at a time and dispose of the ammonia bag, then wipe the grate with a simple sponge under a little running water. Watch as it just wipes right off the grate, with no damage to it! (the wearing on top of the grate was already there)

It was really that easy. I didn’t really have to scrub hard, and my stove looked ALMOST new … I just needed to find a miracle way to clean the stove top (same gunk on it, too!). That post will come soon!