Are gas stoves supposed to produce a sticky residue?
Hey, I’ve seen that bathroom goo! I never stopped to think about it, though. FWIW, it’s not even vaguely like what I’m describing here—that stuff is basically liquid, whereas the residue that we’re all describing here is more of a film. But, hey, thanks for the semi-derail about bathroom goo. That’s really interesting.
Are there any cleaning tips for cleaning the grease off? 1) Don’t cook with oils or fats as often. good for other reasons too. In addition to oils and fats, anything saucy in an open pot – like tomato sauce or curry – sends out tiny globulets of liquid that settle onto your surfaces. Cover pots while simmering if you don’t need to reduce the sauce. 2) Wipe down every day after cooking, and give things a good scrub once a week. It takes maybe 10 minutes to remove the stove burners and wipe the whole stove down with an abrasive cleanser. I like Soft Scrub but if you don’t like bleachy chemicals, Bon Ami or plain baking soda made into a paste with water does the trick. 3) If you have buildup that happened over months or (ick) years, then you need degreaser solvent. Simple Green is good on light buildup. So is Citrol. For anything that doesn’t respond to that you might want to head to a hardware store and get something for industrial or restaurant use. The easiest thing is just not to let
@waldo, so does my bathroom… only room in the house that does it…. crap seeps out of the walls, covers everything, drywall isn’t immune, you have wood behind it. This has been pissing me off for ages, I’ve seen it in many houses… my bathroom bleeds like a bad horror movie. Dripping from the wall, only seen in bathrooms and kitchens, it’s using the wrong wood and bleeding through the paint.
Well first of all, I’m not really sure, but I dont think that’s a case of gas – hehehe. Or at least not necessarily. That’s just normal cooking residue (oils mostly that precipitate out from steam). It may be that gas stoves (where you have a lot more control over the heat) tend to heat up quicker, causing more steam or smoke – heck I dunno. Sounds more like a cover-up of a poor cleaning schedule of the stove and hood. I wouldnt worry about it overly much as long as you arrange to have good ventilation and clean your area well. Or what Nelson said.
I think a good vent hood — not just present , but effective — makes a difference. I used a small electric stove (next to a wall, weak little vent hood) for over 10 years in an apartment. The walls and ceiling would get quite greasy if they weren’t cleaned regularly. I’ve been cooking on a large gas range in a house with a decent vent hood for over three years now. My cooking includes stir-frys and other high heat dishes, as well as gentle stews. The hood itself certainly requires regular cleaning, but the tile backsplash, cupboards and ceiling don’t get that residue. Get a gas range! Cooking is a lot more fun that way.
