Gas stove danger: How neglected burners risk fire and cost
Gas stove burners are areas that seldom remain spotless. The stove surface inevitably becomes covered with grease stains and food remnants when preparing dinner. To effectively remove these, it's worth using tried-and-tested methods.
12 December 2024 12:57
Not everyone realises that neglecting stove cleaning increases the risk of fire. Grease and dried food residues can easily ignite, posing a danger to the home. Many people neglect regular cleaning because they do not want to spend time and effort scraping off dried-on dirt. They do this because they use ineffective detergents that require intense scrubbing. Here are a few easy-to-prepare mixtures that can help solve this problem.
Do dirty burners damage the stove?
It's important to know that burners clogged with residues lose efficiency. Excess deposits block the vents, making gas escape difficult. As a result, the flame is smaller and takes longer to heat a pot, which increases gas costs by several pounds annually. Dirty burners and clogged nozzles can also cause gas to back into the stove's interior, leading to faults and the need for professional repairs.
The kitchen's aesthetics should also be considered, in addition to technical aspects. Dirty burners negatively affect the kitchen's overall appearance, even if the rest of the kitchen is clean. During cooking, grease-covered surfaces start to heat up, which may result in an unpleasant burnt smell lingering in the room for a long time.
Cleaning gas stove burners
Cleaning burners may not be the simplest task, but a few home methods can significantly simplify it. There is no need to invest in specialised chemical agents; just a few ingredients we usually have at home are sufficient.
The first proven method involves combining salt and lemon juice. Mix both ingredients to form a paste with the consistency of wet sand and apply it to dirty burners and other stove surfaces. After a few minutes, simply wipe away the paste, and the dirt will disappear effortlessly. A similar effect can be achieved by using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, which can also be applied to the entire stove, left for a few minutes, and then cleaned.
For particularly stubborn burnt residues on burners, removing them and soak them in a solution of water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio is recommended. They should be soaked for at least an hour and then thoroughly scrubbed with a wire sponge or a brush with hard bristles. After that, they should be rinsed thoroughly and wiped dry to prevent water from entering the stove's interior.
