Deep Clean Your Electric Range

Whether you’re showing your home to sell, or simply want a cleaner kitchen to live in. It’s always a good idea to give your kitchen a head to toe cleaning. Since kitchen is one of those rooms that truely can turn a no into a yes in a sale.

A prominent feature in the kitchen is usually an electric range. Too often have I walked into a showing to see home owners who’ve wrapped their burner plates in tin foil. Eww! I understand why they did this… but seriously, tin foil anywhere in your home screams “no sale”.

So here’s how to deep clean your electric range to keep it looking new, extend its product life and boost your resell:

1. Pop off the elements
   Electric range elements are connected via two prongs. Simply lift the corner opposite to the connector and pull. The range elements will pop out without trouble. Do NOT use any tools for this. If you find the elements too hard to remove, consult a professional.
2. Remove the catch plate
   There are catch plates right under the elements to, well, catch any spills or drips. These are normally just sitting on a tip. Just lift, and they will come out.
3. Remove the retainer ring
   These are the decorative rings around your elements. They’re also there to hold the catch plate in place. These will also lift out of place
4. Clean the catch plate and retainer ring
   The easiest way to do this, is by poping them into your dish washer. Yes! You can put almost anything you need washed into your dishwasher. Saves you a lot of scrubbing and the skin on your hands
5. Scrub the cook top
   With the retainer ring removed, you’ll likely notice a yellow ring of cooking gunk. Use a bleaching cleaner with a non-abrasive sponge to remove the yellow rings the best you can. These left over food stains and hold bacteria and other growth. So it’s a good thing you’re getting rid of them!
6. Scrub under the cook top
   Depending on the age of your range, the cook top may be able to be lifted. Apply gental force right under the lip of the cook top to lift. If it doesn’t budge, it’s probably screwed in. Other wise, lift and again, clean with a non-abrasive cleaner
7. Put everything back
   When you’re done, put everything back where it belongs and your cook top will be shiny and new. Do this once a month and your range should look beautiful for a long time to come. And no tin foil! Thank goodness!

Tagged as: Clean, Cleaning, Cook Top, Deep Clean, Electric Range, How To, Kitchen, Resell