Cooking on a range cooker is perfect due to their size, zones and compartments, however behind the fun is the cleaning…but just how can you clean a range cooker, in particular a stainless steel one, so it continues to look and perform at its best?

It is best to try and keep your cooker as clean as possible after use to prevent the oven cavity and cooking surfaces from having piles of dust and dirt built up, making them even more difficult to clean. Since range cookers have many different components and cookware, it can be hard to make sure you have cleaned everything.

When you find the right products to clean your stainless steel cooker, it can make a huge difference. Restoring the shine on your cooker is important, particularly one that is prone to fingerprints like stainless steel is. When gleaming, a stainless steel range cooker is a beautiful part of any kitchen. To find out which are the best products, we have conducted our own experiment on one of our very own stainless steel splashbacks. Covered with hand prints, we wanted to see which was the most successful at wiping all muck off a sheet of a stainless steel…

We tested the following products:

🧼 White Vinegar

🧼 Baby Oil

🧼 Stainless Steel Cleaner

🧼 WD-40

🧼 Soap and Water

First up was the white vinegar. The acidic nature of vinegar is so powerful it can often dissolve dirt, grease and grime. We simply made a portion equal amounts vinegar and water and dipped a clean, microfibre cloth in. When wiping, it looked to be clearing some but not all of the dirt, however when finished some marks were still visible – 2/5

Next we went with the baby oil. Again using a microfibre cloth, we used a small amount to rub onto the smudges. The dirt disappeared at first but then it was clear that they hadn’t completely gone and continued to show – 2/5

The product that we thought would be important was the stainless steel cleaner. Scientifically designed to remove stubborn dirt such as finger prints, watermarks and grease, it was almost a given that this would be a product that made a difference. However, after spraying some onto a microfibre cloth and firmly wiping, there seemed to be a swipe of product left on the splashback, almost just smudging the dirt across instead of wiping off. If wiped with a wet cloth afterwards, a better result could potentially be seen  – 3/5

The fourth product we used was the WD-40. Whilst the most common use for WD-40 is protecting metal from rust and corrosion, it has multiple uses (which you can see here). When used on the stainless splashback, it was a clear winner. The dirt disappeared almost instantly, and no smudges were to be seen from wiping. It does have a strong odour so if that is not for you then we suggest trying something else, however if you don’t mind a slight smell for a while it is a great product to use – 5/5

The last product we used was the trusty soap and water. Whilst this works well for most things, it just wasn’t strong enough for the dirt on this splashback. Much like the stainless steel cleaner it left a smudge instead of wiping away – 3/5

With an unexpected winner in WD-40, our experiment showed us that even with these specialist products, it is best to also have a damp cloth to wipe before and after you’ve used them. Items such as the baby oil and the stainless steel cleaner are great for adding that finishing shine but not ideal for a deep clean.

Make sure to clean all of the stainless panels on your cooker, meaning every part of the door panel right up to the controls. If parts are left it becomes really clear where the cleaning started and ended.

To find out more you can give our team a call on 01244 402 975 or take a look at some of our other blog posts for more tips and tricks.