RealEstateConsumerInfo.com: Staging Advice - For heaven's sake clean your stove!

Staging Advice - Clean that crud off your stove that buyers will notice!

Here's some easy solutions that I've found for you to get that burned on food and wrecked light colored stove tops clean!  I've tried a few of these steps myself with success!  If these tips don't work - then it's time for a new stove!  Gas masks are optional.

Method #1 – Stove Top

Remove stove elements, rings and drip pans. Scrub top with hot, soapy water then dry. Place paper towels over crusty spots and soak with household ammonia. Cover with plastic wrap or put in ziplock bags to keep paper towels moist, and leave sit for several hours. Scrub again with hot, soapy water and crud should wipe away.

Method #2 – Drip Pans, Rings

Take a large kettle, pot or roasting pan and fill with water. Bring to a boil. Add a cup of Cascade dishwasher detergent, stir until powder dissolves. Using tongs place the drip pans and rings in the pot of hot water. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat, cover with lid and let sit overnight. In the morning remove the drip pans and element rings and scrub in a sink full of hot, soapy water. The caked on crud should remove easily.

Method #3 – Drip Pans

Spray with oven cleaner, place in garbage bags, seal, then let sit over night. Remove them the next day, rinse, then scrub with hot, soapy water.

Method #4 – Drip Pans & Element Rings

Spray with household ammonia, place in garbage bags, seal, then sit over night. Remove from bag the next day and scrub with hot, soapy water. You can also first cover the pans with paper towels, then saturate with ammonia. If it’s a hot, sunny day outside–let the sealed bag sit in the sun to add heat to the process.

Method #5 – Element Rings & Drip Pans

Make a paste with cream of tartar and vinegar (50/50) and slather on rings and pans. Let sit for about 10 minutes, then scrub clean.

Method #6 – Drip Pans & Element Rings

Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil. Add 1/2 cup baking soda, stir to dissolve. Drop in the pans and rings, cover then let sit over night. Scrub in hot, soapy water the next day. If crud is really bad and won’t loosen, try scrubbing with a cleaning pad first dipped in household ammonia.

Method #7 – Stop Top

Generously sprinkle baking soda around the top of stove then spray hot water (boiling hot if possible) over it all–enough to dissolve baking soda without making it run all over. Let soak for about 30 minutes, then scrub clean.

Method #8 – Stove Top, Element Rings and Drip Pans

Cover everything with paper towels then soak thoroughly with white household vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap or put in ziplocks and then let sit for several hours. Remove the paper towels and start scrubbing, things should loosen up and wipe away easily.



Caution: Do not spray the elements themselves with any cleaners, just wipe clean with a hot, soapy cloth.

As always, first test a small area to make sure the cleaning method you use won’t cause any damage. Please be careful with some of these chemicals, don't mix all these chemicals together!