Asked on Jan 24, 2013

I am looking for a way to clean the cast iron grates on a Kenmore gas stove. Obviously, nothing abrasive. I

Linda W
by Linda W

I have seen posts recommending ammonia to clean cast iron. Will that remove the sticky residue that collects on them & the burner caps?


  13 answers
  • We place them on aluminum foil wrap and spray with oven cleaner. Then cover over with more foil and leave until morning. Then simply spray with water and wipe clean. I assume your grates are those that have a glazed finish on them. That is how we get ours clean.
  • Linda W Linda W on Jan 25, 2013
    Thnk you for your reply. I like this idea over the smelly ammonia. One other suggestion posted online was to put them in the dishwasher. I had reservations aou this only because I wasn't sure the "tacky" areas would come clean. Also it seems difficult to get the grease spots (from frying bacon) off the grates.
  • ammonia should also work. Just put in a small pan fill to cover and cover with tin foil and place outside. You can also get lemon smelling ammonia so its not so bad.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jan 25, 2013
    Back in the old days when I cooked on a gas range we would stick them in the dishwasher. It you keep up on it it does not get too nasty.
  • Designs by BSB Designs by BSB on Feb 08, 2013
    In my last house I had grates that were rough in texture (cast iron) -- dishwasher would not take off the residue. I placed them all in a kitchen trash bag and poured a couple of cups of lemon ammonia in the bag and tied in closed -- out on my back deck! The next day I used a scrub brush with little effort and it all came clean! A couple of deep spots I used a brillo. A chef I know says he gets the same results from oven cleaner too-- putting in the bag helps break down the residue faster.
  • Jonna Austin Jonna Austin on Sep 07, 2013
    Just a FYI.....I used the ammonia trick, and it surely takes the grease off. HOWEVER, it also removed the shiny glaze that came on the burners. The burners now look much worse than they did....the glaze came off in splotches, so the burners now look dirtier than they did. Since I hate this stove (general electric, new about 10 years ago) I plan to replace it (NEVER buy a GE stove....the people who engineer them have NEVER cooked/cleaned in their lives.....) but it is very annoying. Beware do-it-yourself fixes. Remember the law of unintended consequences!
  • Judy H. Judy H. on Mar 08, 2015
    Get some Barkeepers Friend. It works great. I hate my grates as they are so hard to keep clean. I have done the ammonia thing and it worked pretty well but now as good as Barkeeper's Friend.
  • Cly1575999 Cly1575999 on Apr 20, 2015
    I tried the ammonia tricky and it didn't work so good. There is white stuff, like Elmers glue spread thin, in many spots. Some would scrape off with my nail but...I tried Brillo but not so great. I had to put both large grates in same Rubbermaid box with lid cuz bags got ripped and maybe I added too much/not enough ammonia? I left it on deck overnight til after 5. Any thoughts or suggestions for what to try next?
  • Stella Hindman Stella Hindman on Oct 16, 2016
    I have a new gas stove and the cast iron grates are awful...real gritty to the touch, also, I have 5 burners and one of the burner caps is smooth and the other four are very gritty. Afraid to use ammonia for fear of rusting. Any suggestions?
  • Kra8041203 Kra8041203 on Jan 06, 2017

    I have the grity caps and grates also . I hate them any sponge or wipes i use leave a fabric residue behind stuck to the grates. Little tiny pieces of anything soft sponge ,rags,wipes! What should I use to wipe them?

    • See 2 previous
    • Joie Joie on Jan 25, 2019

      Microfiber cloths are the only thing I’ve found to work!

  • Shawna Truman Shawna Truman on Jan 06, 2017

    Dishcloth.

  • Karenm1566 Karenm1566 on Nov 04, 2017

    I just bought a new oven with rough cast iron grates. Same problem. Then "lightbulb moment" Try a large sticky lint roller (like you use on clothing). Gets most of the "fuzz" off. And also gets the dust pretty good too. But real cleaning is a whole different monster.

  • Kathy Kathy on Aug 31, 2018

    Uggghhh - I was hoping someone had an answer! I love the Kenmore Pro but the grates are impossible to clean- anyone ever tried the dishwasher? That is what the manual says but I don’t want to ruin them