Cleaning Cast Iron Stove Grates

When cast iron stove grates are kept clean, food spills wipe up more easily.

Cast iron stove grates on your kitchen stove or outdoor cooking area provide a sturdy, non-stick cooking and baking surface, if they are cared for properly. In order for your cast iron stove grates to last a long time, they must be cleaned without harming the surface. While cleaning your cast iron stove grates can be a messy job, there are simpler ways to remove stains and burned on food. Clean cast iron stove grates are easier to cook on and do not create burned-food odors in your kitchen.

Things You'll Need

• Old newspaper
• Rubber gloves
• Oven-cleaning spray
• Large trash bag
• Bucket
• Liquid dish-washing soap
• Plastic mesh dish scrubber
• Garden hose
• Paper towels
• Clean towels

Instructions

1. Bring your cast iron stove grates outside and lay them on a thick layer of old newspaper.

2. 

   Rubber gloves protect your hands from the chemicals in the oven cleaner.

   Coat your cast iron stove grates with a thick layer of oven-cleaning spray. Wear rubber gloves and turn the cast iron stove grates over so you can spray both sides.

3. Place your cast iron oven grates in a plastic trash bag and seal the bag. Allow the cast iron oven grates to sit in the bag overnight. Sealing the grates in the trash bag keeps the oven-cleaning chemicals in contact with the cast iron stove grates and helps to remove caked-on, burned-on food.

4. 

   Plastic mesh scrubbers clean cast iron without scratching the surface.

   Remove your cast iron cooking grates from the trash bag and discard the bag. Fill a bucket with hot water and a few squirts of dish-washing liquid. Use your plastic mesh dish scrubber and the soapy solution to scrub any remaining stains on your cast iron stove grates, as well as to remove the oven cleaner.

5. Rinse your cast iron stove grates with your garden hose, making sure to rinse both sides. Dry your cast iron stove grates with paper towels. Lay towels down on the ground or an outside table and prop your cast iron stove grates on their sides, in the sun, so excess water will drip off and the grates can dry quickly and completely.

Tips & Warnings

• Rub cooking oil into your cast iron grates, once they dry completely, to help season the cast iron.

• Avoid using abrasive cleaners on your cast iron stove grates as small scratches can develop in the surface of the cast iron and create places for dirt to hide.

References

• Appliance Factory Parts: How to Clean Grates, Drop Pans or Grills
• What's Cooking America: Cast Iron Pans