We all do it. Momentarily look away while cooking only to glance back just in time to see an avalanche of food overflowing onto the hot stovetop. What a mess! And of course the food is instantaneously baked on to the surface of the stove becoming this impossible mess to clean up. Even if you immediately remove the overflowing pot or pan, you will still have to wait for the spill to cool down before you can clean it up. Leaving you with a baked on mess to try and clean.
Most cleaners will work on fresh spills. You may even find one that will remove most of the baked on mess around the burners, but you will have to do a substantial amount of scrubbing to remove the entire mess. Too much scrubbing and you run the risk of ruining the surface of your stove. So what can you do? Will you ever have clean burners ever again? Try this simple solution and it will work wonders on this mess.
First, make sure the stovetop is cool to the touch and remove all the burner covers and drip plates from your stovetop. Remove the heating elements if at all possible in order to have clear access to the stained surface.
In a small bowl, mix baking soda with just enough hydrogen peroxide to make enough paste to clean around all the burners. Please use gloves if you have sensitive skin, because the hydrogen peroxide can be harsh on your skin. Apply the paste directly to the stained areas around the burners with a sponge. Gently work the paste into the cracks around the burners with an old toothbrush. Let this mixture sit for a few minutes. Remove the paste by wiping it with a clean sponge soaked in hot water. You should see the baked on mess easily coming right off along with the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Use the same mixture to clean the grates and burner covers if they are also a mess.
Keeping the stovetop clean is virtually impossible if you are cooking every day. With a little bit of time and not a lot of work, you can mix up this easy home remedy to keep your stove top looking like new.