How To Clean Enameled Cast Iron Stove Grates

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Managing Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was the founding Design and Lifestyle Editor for Kitchn and the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site, Re-Nest (RIP). After a few years offline and then working elsewhere, she’s back to share ideas about design, kids, and family life. It’s helpful that she now has two little kids and lots of thoughts about all those things. She lives with said kids and their father in St. Paul, MN.
updated Sep 4, 2019
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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

When was the last time you cleaned the grates on your gas stove? Like, really cleaned them? Hey, we get it. Due to their curves and crannies, anything more than a quick daily wipe-down can feel like a real chore. But grates get greasy, and when they’ve developed a sticky, spotty film that’s no match for your dish cloth, it’s time for a deeper clean.

Thankfully, it’s not that hard to get those grates looking clean and shiny again! Here’s how to do it.

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Let your grates cool: You should never wash cast iron stove grates while they’re still hot, as they could crack. Allow the grates to completely cool first, then place them in an empty sink. (Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

How To Clean Enameled Cast Iron Stove Grates

What You Need

  • Hot water
  • Grease-fighting dish soap
  • Nylon scrubber, like a Dobie pad
  • Bon Ami
  • Dish towel or paper towels

Instructions

  1. Let your grates cool: You should never wash cast iron stove grates while they’re still hot, as they could crack. Allow the grates to completely cool first, then place them in an empty sink.
  2. Add boiling water: Slowly pour the boiling water over the grates in the sink. This step will help cut the grease. (You might want to clean the grates two at a time so that you can boil water and to give yourself more room in the sink!)
  3. Fill the sink with hot water and soap: Fill the sink with very hot water and a squirt of grease-fighting dish soap. Let the grates soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Scrub with Bon Ami: After soaking and if necessary, put a little Bon Ami on a non-scratch nylon scrubber and scour away any baked-on food or leftover grease. Let the Bon Ami sit for 5 minutes for particularly tough spots.
  5. Rinse: Rinse the grates under warm water.
  6. Dry: Dry the grates thoroughly with a towel.
  7. Replace the grates: If you have time, you might want to clean the stovetop (Get the steps: How To Clean a Greasy Gas Stovetop with Just Soap and Water) and then put the grates back on.

Stories on Cleaning Your Entire Oven

(Image credit: The Kitchn)
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