how to clean stove drip pans

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Frequent cooking on the stovetop can leave a big mess. This is especially true for your drip pans, which lie under the stove burners. They can easily accumulate burnt-on food, grease, and other food residues. Luckily, you can use products you may already have at home, such as baking soda, ammonia, and vinegar, to get your drip pans looking as good as new. With some scrubbing and a little patience, they will be spotless!

1
Rinse the drip pans with hot water to remove loose gunk. Before you start cleaning the drip pans, remove them from the stove and rinse them in the sink. Use hot water to loosen and rinse away as much debris and grease as you can.^[1]
- Make sure your drip pans are completely cool before you remove them from the stove.
- If there are any loose crumbs in the drip pans, shake them off into the garbage before rinsing the pans.
2
Fill a spray bottle with water, vinegar, and lemon essential oil. Vinegar works as a great cleaning agent because its acidity can dissolve soap scum and other buildup on various surfaces. Get a spray bottle and fill half of it with vinegar, then fill the remaining half with water. When you're finished, add 5 drops of lemon essential oil, which works as a disinfectant and stain remover. You can also add a couple of drops of dish soap for extra grease-fighting power. Shake the mixture to combine all of the ingredients.^[2]
- You can use orange essential oil instead of lemon if you'd like. Orange essential oil helps with degreasing and has a great scent.
- If you don't have any essential oils on hand, you can use a few drops of lemon juice instead. A solution of just vinegar and water will also work well.
- Citrus essential oils will eat through plastic, so if your spray bottle is plastic, make sure to rinse it thoroughly when you're finished cleaning.
3
Coat your drip pan with baking soda. Baking soda is an effective cleaning agent because it can both deodorize and act as a gentle abrasive. Pour a generous amount of baking soda all over your drip pans, making sure the entire surface is covered. Apply most of the baking soda to areas that are heavily soiled and have grease stains.^[3]
- Place some newspaper or paper towels under your drip pans to minimize the mess.
4
Spray the baking soda with the vinegar mixture. Once you've finished adding the baking soda, spray the drip pans with the vinegar and essential oil mixture. As you spray, the baking soda will start to fizz, which indicates that the baking soda and vinegar are reacting to each other. Spray it liberally so that the entire drip pan is soaked with the mixture.^[4]
- After spraying the vinegar mixture, add additional baking soda to any spots you may have missed or have thinned out. After you add another coat of baking soda to those areas, go back over it with the vinegar spray.^[5]
5

Allow the drip pans to sit for 2-3 hours. After spraying the drip pans with the vinegar mixture, let it sit on the pan for a few hours. During this time, you will notice burnt residue starting to seep through the baking soda. This is a result of the vinegar and baking soda reaction, and a sign that your cleaning solution is hard at work!^[6]
6

Scrub the pans with a steel wool pad and rinse under running water. Put on a pair of gloves and move your drip pans to the sink. Use a steel wool pad to scrub the drip pans, working from the edges to the center. Rinse off any remaining baking soda under warm water when you're finished. Your drip pans should be as good as new!^[7]

1

Rinse drip pans with hot water and place each one in a separate zip-top bag. Before you begin, wet your drip pans under running sink water. Hot water will slightly loosen up any debris before you start cleaning. Run the hot water for a while to allow it to heat up, then use it to rinse your pans. When you're finished rinsing, place each pan in a 1 gallon (3.8 L) sealable plastic bag.^[8]
2
Add ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of ammonia to each bag. Ammonia is a popular household product that can be used for a variety of cleaning solutions. Household ammonia can be purchased at most department and home improvement stores. With the bags in the sink, pour about ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) into each plastic bag over the drip pans.^[9]
- Read the warning labels on ammonia before use. It is corrosive, and exposure to high concentrations can cause burning of the nose and throat.
- Don't worry about completely submerging the drip pans in the ammonia; the fumes alone will loosen burnt-on food.
- Make sure you complete this step with the plastic bags in the sink in case of leakage.
3

Seal the bags and leave them out overnight. Once you have poured the ammonia solution in each bag, seal them shut with their zipper closure. Leave them in the sink overnight, or for at least 12 hours. You can stack them in the sink so that the drip pans stay in contact with the ammonia while they soak.^[10]
4
Remove the drip pans from the bags and wipe away any remaining spots with a sponge. After letting your drip pans soak for 12 hours or more, open the bags in a well-ventilated area. When you remove the pans from their bags, they should be clear! If you see any remaining dirty spots, wipe them off with a damp sponge. Due to the ammonia, the spots should come off easily.^[11]
- Make sure to seal the bags back up when you take the pans out and dispose of the ammonia.
Warning: Be careful when using ammonia. The fumes are strong and inhalation can cause nose and throat irritation. You may need to open the windows and turn on the fan.
5

Rinse off the drip pans with hot water and dry them with a dish towel. Once your drip pans are clear of any residue, rinse them under hot running water. This will remove any remaining ammonia. Before putting them back on the stove, dry them off with a towel.^[12]

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Things You'll Need

Baking Soda
Vinegar
Spray bottle
Lemon or orange essential oil
Steel wool
Rubber gloves

Household ammonia
1 US gal (3.8 L) zip-top plastic bags
Sponge
Liquid dish soap

Make sure your stove is off and your drip pans are completely cooled before touching them.
Be careful when using ammonia. The fumes are strong and can cause burning of the nose and throat. Always use it in a well-ventilated area.

About This Article

Article SummaryX

If your stove's drip pans are getting dirty, you can easily clean them with baking soda and vinegar. First, rinse your drip pans with hot water to remove any loose dirt and grease. Then, mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and add a few drops of lemon or orange oil. This will help to remove stains and disinfect your pans. Coat your drip pans in baking soda, spray them with your vinegar solution, then leave them to sit for 2 to 3 hours. Once the dirt has broken down, scrub the pans with steel wool to easily clean them. Finally, rinse them with warm water and leave them to dry. For more tips from our Cleaning co-author, including how to clean your drip pans with household ammonia, read on.

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