Care and CleaningBurner GratesLift out when cool.Grates should be washedregularly and, of course,after spillovers. Washthem in hot, soapy water and rinse with clean water.After cleaning, dry them thoroughly by putting themin a warm oven for a few minutes. Don’t put thegrates back on the range while they are wet. Whenreplacing the grates, be sure they’re positionedsecurely over the burners.To prevent rusting on cast iron grates, apply a lightcoating of cooking oil on the bottom of the grates.To get rid of burned-on food, place the gratesin a covered container (or plastic bag) with 1/4 cupammonia to loosen the soil. Let sit overnight(or approximately 12 hours), then scrub with asoap-filled scouring pad if necessary. Rinse gratesthoroughly and dry completely before replacingthem on the range top.Although they’re durable, the grates will graduallylose their shine, regardless of the best care you cangive them. This is due to their continual exposure tohigh temperatures. You will notice this sooner withlighter color grates.Do not operate a burner for an extended period oftime without cookware on the grate. The finish onthe grate may chip without cookware to absorb theheat.CAUTION: Do not clean the grates in adishwasher or in a self-cleaning oven.23Cooktop Surface Oven BottomTo avoid damagingthe porcelainenamel surface ofthe cooktop and toprevent it frombecoming dull,clean up spills rightaway. Foods with alot of acid (tomatoes,sauerkraut, fruit juices, etc.) or foods with high sugarcontent could cause a dull spot if allowed to set.When the surface has cooled, wash and rinse. Forother spills such as fat spatterings, etc., wash withsoap and water once the surface has cooled. Thenrinse and polish with a dry cloth.Be careful when you clean the cooktop becausethe area over the pilot will be hot (on models withstanding pilots).The oven bottom has a porcelain enamel finish. Tomake cleaning easier, protect the oven bottom fromexcessive spillovers by placing a cookie sheet on theshelf below the shelf you are cooking on. This isparticularly important when baking a fruit pie orother foods with a high acid content. Hot fruitfillings or other foods that are highly acidic (suchas tomatoes, sauerkraut, and sauces with vinegar orlemon juice) may cause pitting and damage to theporcelain enamel surface and should be wiped upimmediately.We don’t recommend using aluminum foil on theoven bottom. It can affect air flow if the holes areblocked and it can concentrate heat at the bottom ofthe oven, resulting in poor baking performance.If a spillover does occur on the oven bottom, allowthe oven to cool first. Remove the oven bottom foreasier clean-up and to prevent damage to thecontinuous cleaning oven coating (on some models).Frequent wipings with mild soap and water(particularly after cooking meat) will prolong thetime between major cleanings. Rinse thoroughly.Soap left on the oven bottom can cause stains.For heavy soil, use an abrasive cleaner or a soap-filled steel wool pad. A commercial oven cleanermay also be used, following the package directions.(continued next page)Do not store flammable materials in an oven ornear the cooktop. Do not store or use combustiblematerials, gasoline or other flammable vapors andliquids in the vicinity of this or any other appliance.