Cleaning the burner rings on my stovetop is probably one of my least favorite kitchen cleaning jobs. Especially after I’ve been getting deep into the grooves of my stovetop and giving every edge and corner a good scrub.
It might be tempting to just give those dirty rings a light wipe and go on to the next task, but honestly, it’s not going to make your life any easier in the long run — I should know.
I’ve never cleaned my stovetop burners. Don’t judge me that hard as I’ve only lived in my house for 8 months, and I obviously wipe them down when I do my daily stovetop clean in the evening. But, I’m yet to actually give them a deep clean. And it’s getting to the point that you can see they need it, so it was time to find a fast hack to get this job done. Because I hate scrubbing, and I’m yet to invest in one of those electrical scrubbers.
@ao
♬ original sound – AO Lets Go
I’m a big fan of cleaning hacks that involve soaking. So, when I came across a TikTok that used just two ingredients to soak stovetop burner rings, and afterward it left them sparkling, I knew I had to try it.
And where better to test this than on my crusty stovetop? Does it actually do the job, without scrubbing and with zero chemicals? I put it to the test.
Everything you need
- One lemon
- Baking soda
- A bowl
- Boiling water
Prepare your burner rings
It’s a pretty simple method to clean your stovetop burner rings but first, you’ll want to boil your kettle. Then, grab a sizeable bowl and pop your rings in there.
Go ahead and cut your lemon in half. Squeeze half of the lemon over the burner rings in the bowl. Then, pop both the squeezed half of the lemon and the untouched half into the bowl. Sprinkle over a generous amount of baking soda until it starts fizzing.
Next, you’re going to fill the bowl with boiling water until all of the burner rings are covered.
Leave them to soak
Set a timer for 20 minutes. Once the timer has gone off, remove the burner rings, one by one, from the water and run them under your faucet. Then, clean them lightly with soapy water.
Lastly, dry your rings and pop them back into place.
Good to know
You’re going to want to make sure that all burner rings are covered in lemon juice and the bicarb initially, and that once the boiling water is added, they’re all completely under the water.
Baked-on grease might be harder to shift, I found that some of my rings were actually damaged rather than dirty so although they looked dirty afterward, they were smooth to the touch so I must’ve damaged them at some point.
After pouring the water away, you can use the lemon halves again, in your dishwasher, or for cleaning anything else like a wooden chopping board, before throwing them in the bin.
If you use a large enough bowl (which I didn’t) you should be able to use what’s left in the bowl afterward for your grates. You can let them have a soak and wash them with soapy water, too.