It is important to keep your kitchen impeccably clean, as it is a place where food is handled on a daily basis. The kitchen is also the heart of the home, its hub, so we cannot allow mess, dirt, and unpleasant smell to settle in it. One of the devices that require special care is the stove, which is used every day, and which is the most exposed to moisture, dirt, and damage. In this post, you will find the answer to the question: How To Clean A Glass-Top Stove? Can you do it yourself, or would it be better to hire the best Chicago cleaning services?
Prevention Is Key
Cleaning the stove is easy as long as you do it regularly. Food remains lying on the stove for weeks are yucky and difficult to remove, but also provide an ideal environment for bacteria to grow, which in turn can lead to food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses.
It’s easier to wipe away food and grease from the stove-top after every cooking session. This way you don’t have to choose strong chemicals that irritate your skin and lungs. All you’ll need is warm water with a little dishwashing soap.
Regardless of what type of stove you have in your kitchen – whether it is an electric stove-top or an induction cooktop – daily care and regular cleaning will keep it looking pristine and polished. It is best not to let the food boil over when it’s cooking, which is really not as difficult as it may seem – all you’ll need is a little will, consistency, and common sense. It’s important to cook the food on low heat (in the case of gas stoves) or on a low-power hotplate, where the diameter of the hob and the diameter of the base of the pot should match (in the case of electric and induction stove-tops). Most dishes taste better if they are cooked longer on low to medium heat. This way, not only can we minimize the risk of overcooking, but also boiling over and spilling the food all over the stove top.
Glass and Induction Stove Tops
Glass and induction stove-tops are the easiest to keep clean. Just like a ceramic stove, they both have a smooth surface, but without the unnecessary nooks and crannies where dirt can accumulate. What’s more, an induction stove-top’s surface remains cool, while heat is generated within the cookware, so even if something spills over it, it is unlikely to burn. Nevertheless, if something spills over during cooking, it’s a good idea to remove the pot as quickly as possible and wipe off the loose food with a paper towel. The induction hob, like the ceramic hob, should be cleaned regularly, even several times a day, no matter if it gets dirty or not. Even if we don’t see it with the naked eye, some traces of moisture can remain on the surface after each cooking session. If uncleaned and left to dry, they can turn into hard-to-clean stains, which in the future may hinder the proper functioning of the plate. In order to keep the beautiful, shiny appearance of the induction plates for a long time, we should regularly use soft cleaning cloths that perfectly care for and maintain its surface, preventing them from tarnishing or discoloring.
Safety
Remember that regular glass hobs must cool down completely before you start cleaning them. Of course, there is no need to check their temperature manually – just look at the heat indicator. If it’s not lit, you can start wiping. Otherwise, you have to wait a while until the heat indicator of the glass or induction hob goes out.
To remove dirt from the surface of an induction or glass hob, you just need to soap it thoroughly. Regular dishwashing soap will do a perfect job. After applying the soap with a bit of water, wait a while, then wash off the foam with clean water and a cloth. Finally, just dry the hob with paper towels. All done!
What Products To Use?
As stated previously, regular dishwashing soap will do a perfect job, however, you can also use vinegar. Just spray the surface of your cooking stove with regular white vinegar and wipe with a damp cloth to remove any residue, and dry with a paper towel. Another option is using special store-bought detergents that are convenient and cost-effective, but more intense.
What To Do When Food Boils Over On An Induction or Ceramic Hob?
If, while cooking, the food boiled over and spilt over onto the stove top, you should act immediately. Turn off the hob as soon as possible and remove the cookware from its surface.
The induction hob should cool down in a few moments, which makes cleaning it relatively easy – just use the methods mentioned earlier.
Cleaning a regular glass hob will be a bit more challenging, as it cools down much slower, and therefore creates the risk of burning the food that has just boiled over. In this case, after switching off the hob, you should wait a while for it to cool down, then, very carefully, start wiping the surface with a water damp cloth. If water by itself doesn’t work – use one the cleaning products suggested by us earlier.
Best Chicago Cleaning Services
If you did not clean the hob right after cooking, the food most likely burned or dried out. This type of dirt is not easy to remove.
