How to Clean the Burner Elements on Electric Stoves

Clean burner elements on electric stoves with warm, soapy water.

Many electric stoves have burner coils and drip or reflector bowls that catch grease or crumbs. When food catches on the burner coils it burns off into small ashes caught by the reflector bowls. If food does not burn off and continues to accumulate on the coils, it can keep burners from heating properly. Clean burner elements and reflector bowls regularly to keep your stove in good working order.

Things You'll Need

• 1 tsp. mild dish soap
• Dishrag
• Nylon cleaning pad
• Cloth

Instructions

1. Fill a sink with hot water and 1 tsp. mild dish soap. Lift the coil burners up to remove the reflector bowls underneath. Place the reflector bowls into the sudsy water to soak. For non-removable coil burners without reflector bowls, soak the cooled burners with the dishrag, allowing the soapy water to soak stains for 20 minutes.

2. Wet a dishrag with the soapy water and wring out the excess. Wipe the top and bottom of the burner coils with the dishrag. Saturate stains with the water from the dishrag, and allow them to soak for 15 minutes. Wipe the burners again, removing the stains from the coils. Rinse the dishrag with warm water and wipe over the coils to remove soap residue.

3. Wash the reflector bowls in the sink. Scrub stubborn stains with a nylon cleaning pad. Rinse the reflector bowls with warm water. Dry the bowls with a clean cloth and replace under the burner coils.

Tips & Warnings

• Wipe cooled burners and reflector bowls with a wet dishrag daily to keep stains from developing.

• Always wait until burners are cool before cleaning.

References

• Pioneer Thinking: Stove Cleaning and Care