With every meal you cook, the heating coils on your electric stove are silently accumulating grease, grime, and burnt food on its surface. If you do not clean these deposits, they may cause smoke, nasty smells, and fire.
Luckily, this problem is easily dealt with given that you attend to it immediately; the longer they are left alone, the harder these deposits are to remove.
What you’ll need
- Any old rag
- Any old toothbrush
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
How to clean electric stove coils
Time needed: 20 minutes
This is a quick little chore to do. However, you should be gentle with your movements so as not to break anything. Please refer to the user’s manual when in doubt.
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Remove the heating coils from the stove
Important: wait for the coils to completely cool down first. You should also unplug your stove for safety.
The coil is attached to a receptacle inside the stove. Locate the receptacle and pull away from it gently. Some models may have a different way of detaching the coils; please refer to the user manual first. -
Rinse the coils with water and soap
Wet your cleaning cloth with soapy water and then try to wipe away as much grease and crud out as you can. Be careful not to splash water on the electrical parts of the coil, or submerge it in water.
Tip: you should also do the same for the drip pan as it may have accumulated impurities on it as well. -
Make a vinegar + baking soda paste to coat the coils with
No need for exact measurements; just eyeball the consistency of the mixture – not too thick and not too runny. Apply this to the coils and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. The vinegar and baking soda mixture will dissolve the grime and hardened deposits out of the coil.
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Scrub the coils with an old toothbrush
Now that the vinegar and baking soda have done their trick, removing the dirt out of the coils is now easier. Scrub the coils firmly but gently. Make sure to rinse off the paste once you’re done.
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Put the coils back in after drying.
Plug the coils’ prongs back in to their proper receptacles on the stove. Make sure that the coils are completely dry before putting them back in. Be gentle as well, as you the plug can bend if you are not careful.
FAQs
It is not recommended to soak or submerge your coils in water as this can damage its electronic parts. Use a wash cloth dipped in soapy water instead.
It is not recommend as you might accidentally splash water on the coils receptacle. It’s harder to clean the coils when it’s attached to your electric stove anyway.
You can, but you should also supplement it with the cleaning method above.
FURTHER READING: How To Buy A Cooking Range | Range Buying Guide
Miguel Mores worked for 5 years as a member of the product management team for a home appliance company in the Philippines. He started 101appliance to answer the most common customer questions that he has encountered during his time in the industry. He now works in the digital marketing field and manages a small online bookstore on the side.
