How to Clean Gas Stove Burners in 7 Steps

You clean your gas cooktop regularly, but what about your burners? These components can get dirty over time, which could affect their performance. Learn how to deep clean your gas stove top burners, including how to clean burner heads and caps. For spills that uncontrollably overflow and are causing leftover food and grease to build up under your burners, review this step-by-step guide from KitchenAid to clean your stovetop drip pans.

Instructions for How to Clean Stove Top Burners

It’s important to properly clean your gas cooktop burners and ports. Failure to do so may result in flames that will not cook evenly. Before you get started, make sure all of the controls are off and the cooktop is cool. Next, gather the materials you’ll need for cleaning the burners and ports.

Supplies:

• A mildly abrasive cleaner
  
• Soap and water
• Cleaning solution or vinegar

Tools:

• A non-abrasive, plastic scrubbing pad
• A straight pin, needle or small gauge wire
• A damp, soft cloth
• A cooktop scraper
• Flathead or Phillips screwdriver, if necessary

IMPORTANT: Do not use oven cleaners, bleach or rust removers when cleaning your gas burners. Also, don’t use a wooden toothpick in place of a pin, needle or wire to clean the burner ports. The toothpick can break off in the burner and prevent proper gas flow.

Step 1. Remove the Burner Cap and Burner Base

Before removing the burner cap or burner base, make sure the gas stove top is cool to the touch and the appliance is unplugged. Then, simply remove the grates and lift the cap off of the burner.

For some burner bases, you may need a screwdriver to remove the screws. If necessary, remove the screws, then gently lift the base and disconnect the wires.

If you have a model with a standing pilot light, make sure to turn off the gas valve prior to removing any parts.

Step 2. Clean the burner cap and base

It's best to use a non-abrasive, plastic scrubbing pad and a mildy abrasive cleaner when cleaning the burner caps and base. Use the following tips to help you clean these parts of your gas stove top:

• The cooktop is easiest to clean as soon as the top, grates and caps are cool following cooking.

• Do not clean burner caps in the oven during a Self-Cleaning cycle.

• Do not wash burner caps in the dishwasher.

Step 3. Clean the gas tube opening under the base

You may need to remove your cooktop surface to access the gas tubes. These tubes are located underneath the burner base and serve as the connection to the gas valve. 

Once located, unscrew the tube from the base and carefully clear any debris in the tube opening with a straight pin, needle or small gauge wire. Be mindful to not damage the tube in the process.

After cleaning, reattach the tube to the base and replace the cooktop surface.

Step 4. Gently Clean the Igniter with a Damp Cloth

The igniter is a small port located underneath the burner base. Gently remove any debris from the igniter with a damp cloth.

Step 5. Clean Clogged Burner Ports

Use a straight pin, needle or small-gauge wire to clean clogged burner ports. In order to clean the ports correctly, avoid doing the following:

• Do not attempt to clean the burner ports in the dishwasher.

• Do not enlarge or distort the port.

Step 6. Reinstall the burner base and cap

If your burner base was attached with screws, tightly reattach the base. After the burner base is secure, place the cap on top of the base. Caps must be seated upon the base in order for the burner to ignite properly.

• Make sure the alignment pins (if present) are properly adjusted with the burner cap and the correct burner cap is on the correct burner base. 

• The burner cap should fit flush with the burner base and have very little side-to-side movement.

Step 7. Turn on the Gas Stove Burners

After securely attaching and aligning the base and cap, turn the stove knob on to activate the igniter. If the burner does not light, check the cap alignment and if the correct burner cap is on the correct burner base.

Tips for How to Clean Gas Stove Burner Caps

If your stove top caps are looking dirty or dingy, try to follow these tips to help clean them:

IMPORTANT: Before cleaning, make sure all controls are off and the cooktop is cool. Soap, water and a soft cloth or sponge are suggested first unless otherwise noted. If you are interested in electric or induction models, KitchenAid has a wide variety of cooktops to match your personal needs. Learn more tips for cleaning induction cooktops.

• Use a non-abrasive plastic scrubbing pad and a mildly abrasive cleaner. Clean as soon as the cooktop, grates and caps are cool.
• Do not clean burner caps in the oven during a Self-Cleaning cycle.
• Do not wash burner caps in the dishwasher unless noted in your Use and Care Guide.
• Food spills containing acids, such as vinegar and tomato, should be cleaned as soon as the cooktop, grates and caps are cool. These spills may affect the finish.
• To avoid chipping, do not bang caps against each other or against hard surfaces, such as cast iron cookware.

How to reinstall burner caps after cleaning

Be sure the correct burner cap is on the correct burner base. The burner base and underside of the burner cap may have a mark indicating which burner cap and burner base match.

When reinstalling the burner cap, make sure the alignment pins are properly aligned with the burner cap. The burner cap should fit flush with the burner base and have very little side-to-side movement. Do not reinstall caps on burners while wet.

The cap must be seated on the burner base to light and perform properly. Because gas burners come in a number of configurations, it’s important to become familiar with your appliance’s design by reviewing your Use and Care Guide. Some examples of typical burners are shown below:

Always keep the burner cap in place when using a surface burner. A clean burner cap will help avoid poor ignition and uneven flames. Always clean the burner cap after a spillover and routinely remove and clean the caps. 

If you would like to download or view product literature for your appliance, please visit our Manuals and Literature page.

How Do You Get Baked-On Grease Off Stove Burners?

The best method to remove baked-on grease from your stove top burners is with a cleaning solution and damp cloth. Follow our simple steps to learn how:

• Make sure the stove top is cool to the touch.

• Remove the grates and cover the ports on your stove top.

• Generously spray the affected areas with a cleaning solution. For stubborn messes, let it soak for 10 minutes.

• Thoroughly wipe the surface with a damp cloth until clean.

How Do You Get Melted Plastic Off Stove Burners?

Utilizing a soft cloth and a cooktop scraper to loosen the melted plastic is an effective method to clean your stove top burners. Learn how with our best practices for cleaning your cooktop:

• Make sure the stove top is cool to the touch, and turn on the overhead vent, if possible.

• Gently loosen the debris with the scraper.

• Wipe away the remaining residue with a soft cloth.

Shop Popular KitchenAid^® Cooktops