If you’re a food enthusiast, chances are your stove grates often become oily or dirty. As most stove grates are cast iron, they need to be cleaned with care to keep them looking brand new. If you use any abrasive cleaners and cleaning methods, they may become damaged. How do you clean your cast iron stove grates with baking soda?
You can clean cast iron stove grates with water and baking soda to form a thick paste. Apply the paste, scrubbing any residue. You can use the aluminum foil and baking soda method to scrub any caked-on residue. The vinegar and baking soda method is also effective and will require no scrubbing.
Cleaning your cast iron stove grates doesn’t have to be a dreadful experience. If you do it correctly, it’ll become a satisfying experience as you see their original shine again! If you’re on the hunt for the three best ways to clean cast iron stove grates, this is for you!
Cleaning Your Cast Iron Stove Grates With Baking Soda
You don’t need to go to the local supermarket to purchase expensive chemical cleaners to clean your stove grates, even if it has become smothered in grime and grease. Baking soda is an excellent cleaning agent, and it is a natural product that is used in many foods.
Baking soda acts as a cleaning agent as it is a mild alkali and could cause any grease to dissolve in water for effective removal. Unlike many other household cleaners, baking soda is non-toxic.
Let’s take a look at three easy ways you can use baking soda to effectively clean your cast iron stove grates:
1. Using Baking Soda And Water To Create A Cleaning Paste
For this method, you will need nothing more than baking soda, warm water, and an old cloth or soft-bristled brush to eliminate any caked-on residue.
How to clean cast iron stove grates using a baking soda and water paste:
- Wash your oven grates using warm water. This initial wash will remove any residue on the surface that can easily be rinsed away. This will allow your baking soda to work better on the tougher residue underneath.
- Create a thick paste by mixing three parts baking soda and one part water.
- Take your cloth or soft-bristled brush to apply a thick coating to your cast iron grates. Make sure to get into all the corners and hidden areas. Your goal should be to have a paste thick enough that it will stick to your oven grates.
- Let the paste remain on your stove grates for an hour. Your mixture will start to erode any build-up as it sets in.
- After an hour has passed, use your brush to remove the residue.
- After most of the residue is removed, rinse the grates thoroughly using warm water. Make sure to wipe them with a clean and soft cloth before placing them back into your oven.
2. Using Baking Soda And Aluminum Foil To Clean Oven Grates
For this method, you’ll only need your baking soda, a brush or sponge, and aluminum foil.
How to clean your oven grates using baking soda and aluminum foil:
- Create your baking soda and water mix with half a cup of water and half a cup of baking soda, by pouring it into a small bowl. The consistency of your mix shouldn’t be as thick as with the first method.
- Using your sponge or brush, cover all your oven grates with your mixture, allowing it to sit for between 15 and 20 minutes.
- Take your piece of aluminum foil and form a ball using your hands.
- Scrub your baking soda covered grates with the aluminum foil ball, working it up and down on each wire as well as across
- Rinse your grates and return them to your oven!
3. Using Baking Soda And Vinegar For A No-Scrub Cleaning
If your oven grates have become especially dirty, they won’t loosen in a couple of minutes, as explained in the previous two methods. Soaking them in vinegar and baking soda overnight will save you the labor of scrubbing. All you need is a garbage bag, a cup of baking soda, and roughly two cups of white vinegar.
How to clean stove grates using vinegar and baking soda:
- With your oven grates inside of your oven, turn the oven to its highest setting, allowing the grates to heat up.
- Allow them to cool until they don’t burn your hands, but don’t allow them to become completely cooled.
- Remove your oven grates from your grill and place them in a large garbage bag that is large enough to hold all of them. Pour some hot water into the garbage bag, submerging the oven grates but ensuring there are no holes that would cause the hot water to leak out.
- Combine two cups of white vinegar with one cup of baking soda, and throw them into your warm water containing the oven grates.
- You will notice your mixture foaming right away. Seal the trash bag using a knotted string or a tight rubber band.
- Place the trash bag in a safe area where no animals or children will get to it. Allow your oven grates to stand in the solution overnight or anywhere between eight and twelve hours.
- After the time has passed, remove your oven grates from the trash bag and rinse them in your kitchen sink or with your garden hose if your sink is not large enough. The grime should fall off the grates.
- If any stubborn residue remains, you may scrub them away with a soft sponge or aluminum foil, as it would be much looser and easier than before the soak.
- Make sure the garbage bag is disposed of safely, and return your oven grates!
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s not difficult to clean your cast iron stove grates with baking soda, and it requires you to use no harsh or harmful household chemicals. If you follow the steps correctly and practice patience, your oven grates will be good as new!