Clean a Stove Spill Quickly and Safely

I always thought the reason you should attend to a spill on your stovetop right away was because it's harder to scrub off once it has dried. Although that's very true, a better reason to attend to it promptly is safely. Did you know that the #1 cause of kitchen fires is food spills on the stove or oven? The following tips will help make your stovetop cooking safer and more convenient.

If you have an electric coil stove, I would recommend wrapping the drip pans in aluminum foil. Those things can be such a pain to clean, especially when spilled food gets baked on to them. The foil will provide a barrier, and when something spills, all you have to do is remove and dispose of the foil. Cleanup is as easy as that.

I'd also recommend keeping a damp rag or sponge close to the stove when cooking. That way, if there's a spillover, you won't have to take the time to hunt down and dampen a rag. The faster you can wipe up the spill, the better. Just be very careful not to touch the heat source or let the rag touch it.

If food spills directly onto one of the electric coils, turn off the burner and move the pan. Wait until it has cooled before you attempt to wipe it clean. (If only a little food spills on to the burner, it will burn itself off, so don't worry about wiping it.) Remove the coil so that you can remove the drip pan. This you can clean with hot, soapy water.

I'm sure you won't always be able to wipe up spills immediately. Once a spill has dried, it will probably have to be scoured off. Be careful not to use abrasive cleaners or tools that may cause damage. Also avoid using strong chemicals on your stove top because of its close proximity to food. The cleaning method I'd recommend uses items most people already have some on hand. Mix baking soda with equal parts water. Rub the mixture onto the spill with a cloth. Scrub it until the spilled food loosens, then pour some vinegar over it. The vinegar will clean and disinfect as it fizzes. Wipe everything up with a damp rag. This is a great natural cleaning method that can be used on other kitchen appliances as well.