Expert Tips to Clean Behind and Under Your Stove

It can feel like a daunting job, or at least an oversized one compared with other tasks, but getting in a rhythm of cleaning behind your stove ensures your health and cleanliness in one of the most important rooms of the home. 

“The best way—meaning the most effective way—is to slide the oven out, vacuum up debris [such as] dust and crumbs, and clean the floor, the sides of the appliance, and the wall that it had covered with an all-purpose cleaner,” says Murphy. She recommends “something that cuts grease,” such as a degreasing spray, and letting it dry before plugging the oven back in and returning it to its typical position. 

Those with a gas range might have an extra step or two to safely disconnect the gas in order to pull the range away from the wall, though you might not need to if you can access the areas you need to clean with it still attached. 

You’ll probably find a gas valve behind the stove, according to home services website Angi, or located within a few feet of it, which you’ll need to turn to the off position before disconnecting. You can use your favorite all-purpose cleaner to wipe down the outside of the appliance and nearby surfaces. Don’t forget to remove the bottom drawer of your oven, and check it carefully for food, bugs, or vermin as well.

Practice care when pushing the range back against the wall when you’re done. “Check to see that the cord isn’t twisted/pinched, or the flexible gas line isn’t kinked as you push the range back,” says Yooshin Kim, a senior manager of quality engineering at LG Electronics, a brand that makes many major appliances including stoves.