How To Clean Gas Stove Burner Caps

Nick Durante
by Nick Durante

Dirty burner caps don’t just make your stove look bad, but they can throw off the vibe in your kitchen. It’s hard to keep burner caps clean when you cook several days a week. However, it’s best to clean them as much as possible before stains form and it becomes harder to remove them. Many homeowners struggle with how to clean gas stove burner caps.

You can clean gas stove burner caps with a mixture of mild dish soap and warm water. Alternatively, you can remove the burner caps, place them in a dish of white vinegar for 5-10 minutes, and rinse them with water. Lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, and store-bought degreasers are acidic enough to remove stubborn stains from gas stove burner caps as well.

Use a microfiber cloth to clean your burner caps, as standard rags can leave fine fibers behind that may eventually burn. Follow along as we explore how to clean gas stove burner caps.

How Do You Clean Gas Cooktop Burner Caps?

Whether it be soapy water or lemon juice, there are several ways to easily clean gas stove burner caps. Acidic products often yield the best results, as they can break down stubborn stains. Let’s look at the best ways to clean gas stove burner caps.

1. Soapy Water

A mixture of mild dish soap and water is enough to clean gas stove burner caps in many cases. Pour a few drops of mild dish soap into a cup or bowl and dilute it with warm water. Carefully remove one burner cap at a time and put it in the bowl with dish soap and water.

Add more dish soap and warm water as needed as you let each burner cap soak. Each burner cap only needs to soak for 15-20 minutes. Dry the burner cap by hand before you put it back on your gas stove.

You can also soak a rag in the solution and clean the burner caps. However, you should still remove each cap before you scrub them, so you don’t get water in the burner.

2. White Vinegar

White vinegar is another household item you can use to clean gas stove burner caps. You can either remove the burner caps and place them in a dish of white vinegar or soak a rag in vinegar and scrub them. Only let the burner caps sit in white vinegar for 5-10 minutes so you don’t damage them, as vinegar is quite acidic.

Because of white vinegar’s strong odor, you must soak or scrub the burner caps with water after you clean them. This will remove the bad smell and any white vinegar residue. You can also soak a rag in white vinegar and scrub your stovetop if it’s dirty and stained.

3. Microfiber Cloth

Some homeowners understandably don’t want to use any chemicals to clean their gas stove burner caps. While chemicals can be quite effective, especially if they are acidic, they can leave behind a residue that is hard to wash away in some cases. Because of that, some homeowners want to clean their burner caps with a rag and some water.

The problem with using a standard rag is that they often leave small fibers behind. These fibers may burn the next time you use your stove, and it will make your kitchen smell bad. That’s why you need to use a microfiber cloth, so you don’t leave any remnants behind.

Remove the burner caps and dampen your microfiber cloth without soaking it. Thoroughly clean each burner cap and dampen the cloth as needed if it dries out. Leave the burner caps out to dry and then put them back in place.

4. Lemon Juice

Are your burner caps greasy and sticky? It’s hard to remove greasy, sticky stains from gas stove burner caps unless you use an acidic cleaner. Lemon juice is acidic enough to break down stubborn stains, burnt sugar, and thick grease.

You can either squeeze lemons into a dish to collect the juice, or you can buy lemon concentrate from the store. Remove the burner caps and place them in a dish of lemon juice one at a time. It helps to change out the lemon juice after each cap has been cleaned, as the juice will likely become quite dirty.

You can also soak a microfiber cloth in lemon juice and scrub each burner cap. Make sure to rinse the burner caps with water to wash the lemon juice off, as the acidity can damage them if it sits too long.

5. Hydrogen Peroxide

If all else fails, you can clean your gas stove burner caps with hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong chemical, so it’s important to use as little as possible so you don’t damage the burner caps. Make sure to wear gloves when you handle hydrogen peroxide, as it can burn your skin.

Remove the burner cap, soak a toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide, and scrub the burner cap. This will ensure that you don’t use too much of the chemical. You can soak each cap in hydrogen peroxide, but don’t let it sit for more than 2-3 minutes.

6. Degreaser

While there are many great household remedies, store-bought degreasers are often the best way to clean gas stove burner caps. You can buy them at most hardware stores for $5-$12, and they feature strong chemicals. It’s important to adhere to the directions on the degreaser bottle as each brand varies in strength.

Remove the burner caps and spray them with the degreaser. Only let the degreaser sit on the burner caps for as long as the directions say to. Otherwise, you risk damaging your burner cap’s metal and finish. Most brands recommend letting the degreaser sit for 15-30 minutes, but it varies.

How Do You Remove Rust From Burner Caps?

You can remove rust from burner caps with water and household items like white vinegar and baking soda. Pour 1 part water to 3 parts baking soda into a container and stir the solution. Stir it until it becomes pasty, and carefully brush the paste onto your rusty burner caps.

Let the paste sit for 5-10 minutes. If the rust is stubborn, you can brush some white vinegar onto the baking soda and water paste. However, baking soda and water are enough to remove rust in many cases.

Now, run water over the burner caps and scrub the baking soda paste off them. Carefully dry each burner cap with a microfiber cloth and put them back on the stove.

Summing It Up

The best way to clean your gas stove burner caps is to soak them in a mixture of mild dish soap and warm water. You can also soak them in a dish of white vinegar or soak a microfiber cloth in vinegar and scrub them. Acidic household items like white vinegar can help break down tough rust, grease, and burnt sugar or cheese stains on your burner caps.

If nothing else works, you can use a store-bought degreaser or hydrogen peroxide to clean your burner caps. Make sure to rinse your burner caps with water after you clean them with any acidic solution so you don’t damage them. Clean your burner caps weekly so tough stains don’t accumulate.

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Nick Durante
Nick Durante

Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.

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