Electric Range Heating Coil Cleaning & Upkeep

Do unwanted smells fill your kitchen every time you turn on your electric stove? If you’re dealing with acrid or otherwise unwelcome smells when you cook, the source is probably a dirty heating element or the drip pan beneath. Just like every other part of your stove, it’s important to keep those calrod heating elements and their drip pans as clean as possible, and today, we’re going to show you how.

Keep reading for a guide to cleaning and upkeep for electric stove burners. We’ll walk you through cleaning them, keeping them in good shape, and figuring out when they should just be replaced.

Why clean electric range burners?

Keeping your stove’s heating elements and drip pans clean has several benefits.

• You’ll reduce the risk of a fire catching in your kitchen; whether it’s oil on the burner itself, or a lost macaroni noodle sitting in the drip pan underneath, any food debris in close proximity to that heating element risks catching fire while it’s on.

• Anything trapped in the drip pan or splashed onto the heating element will produce an unpleasant, usually acrid smell, and potentially smoke, every time you turn that heating element on. Cleaning it will prevent this.

• Dirty heating elements may not cook evenly. Burnt-on material will insulate the element, preventing heat transfer to pots and pans.

• A clean stove top will prolong the lifespan of your appliance. Heating a dirty calrod heating element over and over accelerates wear and tear, and any old food or oil left to linger can contribute to corrosion and other damage.

Heating Coil Cleaning Tips

Let’s review some basic cleaning safety tips before we begin. 

Never attempt to clean stove top burners while the range is on

Shut your stove off and allow all accessories to cool completely before you begin any cleaning. If you’re experiencing issues with your stove and aren’t sure whether it’s on or not, unplug it or flip the circuit breaker before doing any cleaning, as well.

When cleaning the cooktop, clean around heating coils

Whether you’re cleaning your stovetop or oven, be sure to clean around the heating elements, especially if you’re using harsh cleaners. These cleaners can seep into and short out elements. If you want to clean your range’s heating elements, do that separately.

Remove heating coils and drip pans before cleaning them

To avoid potential damage to the rest of the appliance, you should additionally remove all heating elements and drip pans and clean them away from the range itself. On almost all electric ranges, the heating elements are simply plugged into a receptacle beneath the stove top, and can be removed by hand. The drip pan, likewise, can be lifted out once the heating element is removed. If your range’s heating coils don’t come away with a pull, they may be held in place by a screw. Consult your appliance manual to be sure.

Allow any accessories to dry completely before reinstalling them

For heating coils, if moisture has seeped into the coil sheath, the element could short out. For drip pans, you risk getting water beneath the stovetop, which could damage the rest of the appliance.

Cleaning The Heating Coils

Before you start cleaning, remember to turn off your range and allow everything to cool completely.

While you can complete this work in the sink, take care when cleaning the coil and work in a dry sink basin. You want to minimize how much water the coils come in contact with. Don’t soak them or dunk them in water – it could cause a short. Instead, have a few bowls handy – one with clean water, one with soapy water, and one for mixing

Tools for the Job

When cleaning coil heating elements, it’s best to keep it simple. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Mild dish soap

• Baking soda

• A couple of wash rags

• A couple of soft sponges

• Bowls for holding clean water, soapy water, and 

And as always, don’t hesitate to spare your hands and wear some rubber cleaning gloves while you work!

1. Remove the coils from your stove and do a quick inspection

Heating elements are typically plug-in and can be removed by hand. Find the hole in the drip pan and grip the element from the opposite side. Tip the coils up slightly – 20 degrees at most – and pull the heating element out. It should come away fairly easily.

If there are any big chunks of food stuck to them, you can go ahead and wipe those off, now. Then, give each heating element a once-over. Check the coils themselves for signs of damage like swelling, scorch marks, cracks, or holes, and check the two terminals as well. If you notice any damage at this point, you may need to replace, rather than clean, your stove’s heating elements.

2. Dish soap and water should be enough to deal with basic grime

Use a damp rag or sponge and some dish soap to clean each coil. Particularly if you have a quality dish soap that’s good at breaking down cooking oil, this should be sufficient for cleaning away most grime.

When it’s time to rinse, use a new clean rag or sponge wetted with clean warm water to wipe away the soap. Do not submerge the heating coils in water if you can help it. Water can become trapped inside, breaking the coil.

3. If you’re dealing with tougher stains, bust out the baking soda

In a small bowl, mix water with baking soda until it is a thick paste. Use this paste in tandem with a damp washcloth to gently scrub at any stubborn grime or stains, then wipe it away. If this doesn’t lift the grime away, apply another coat of baking soda paste directly to the stain and allow it to dry – about 20 minutes should do – before wiping it away again.

Once you’re finished, make sure you thoroughly wipe away any remaining baking soda residue with a clean, damp sponge or cloth.

4. Allow the coils to dry completely

Do not put your range’s heating elements back in place before they have dried completely. Allow them to sit on a clean towel to air dry completely before reinstalling.

Cleaning The Drip Pans

Range drip pans can stand up to a bit more than the heating elements can, but you should still remove them from the range completely before cleaning them to avoid getting water beneath the stovetop.

Tools for the Job

There are a number of different ways to clean your range’s drip pans. We’ll provide a basic cleaning tool kit here:

• Dish soap

• Soft & coarse sponges

• A rag or paper towels

• Baking soda

For extremely crusty drip pans, you may need to break out some harsher chemicals:

• Household ammonia

• Water

• Gallon-size resealable bags

• Gloves

Remember, you should always wear gloves when working with ammonia!

1. Remove all drip pans

You’ll need to remove each heating element to get at the drip pans. You can remove the heating coils by following the steps outlined in the above section. Once the heating coils are out, you can remove the drip pans by lifting them up.

2. Wipe out excess grime

Using a rag or paper towel, wipe out any excess grime. This’ll just make things a little easier.

3. Clean with dish soap and water as normal, and use a baking soda paste for stuck on gunk

Unlike your heating elements, which can’t be submerged, the drip pans can be cleaned like any normal metal kitchen tool.

If, after a thorough scrub and rinse, the drip pans are still grimy, you can apply a paste made of baking soda and water directly onto any remaining stains. Let that dry before scrubbing it away with a damp sponge. Be sure to rinse thoroughly after!

At this point, if your drip pans are clean, you can allow them to dry before reinstalling them in your stove. If you’re dealing with caked on grease that isn’t coming away with standard washing tricks, you may need to try an ammonia soak.

4. For stubborn greasy stains, do an ammonia soak

Put those gloves on, now! You’ll want to put each pan in a resealable plastic bag, then add ¼ cup of ammonia to each bag. Carefully seal these and set them somewhere to sit for at least 12 hours – like your sink. Make sure that pets and children can’t reach the bags.

The ammonia fumes are going to be very strong once the soak is done, so make sure your kitchen – or whatever room you’re opening the bags in – is well ventilated. Once the soak is done, get those gloves back on and carefully remove each drip pan. Reseal the bags for proper disposal, and then thoroughly rinse and scrub each drip pan. Any remaining gunk should come away quickly.

5. Allow the drip pans to dry completely before putting them back

You can typically towel dry drip pans to get them adequately dry!

Frequently Asked Questions

Before we send you off, let’s review a few of the questions we’re frequently asked about stovetop cleaning.

Can I use these tips to clean the heating elements in my oven?

Consult your manual first! Your oven’s manufacturer may have specific guidelines for cleaning oven heating elements, or may strictly advise against cleaning them at all.

Can I put electric range heating elements in the dishwasher?

No. Just one run through the dishwasher can damage heating elements beyond repair. Stick to hand washing for these!

Can I put my stove’s drip pans in the dishwasher?

If they’re made from stainless steel, yes! Aluminum drip pans could potentially be damaged by a run through the dishwasher, so double check what material your range’s drip pans are made of before you load them up.

If you do go this route for cleaning your drip pans, be sure to load them onto the upper shelf of your dishwasher.

Can I soak a heating element to help with cleaning?

No. Soaking heating elements can allow water inside the coil, causing the internal wire to short out the next time you try to use your stove. Skip soaking when at all possible.

Can I use baking soda and vinegar to clean my stove’s heating coils?

Not effectively, but you may get a bit of help from the initial foaming action of combining vinegar and baking soda. You’re better off sticking with soap and water or, for tougher stains, just creating a paste of baking soda and water.

Vinegar and baking soda, when combined, do not make a miracle cleaner – they just produce salt water.

How can I tell if one of my burners is wearing out or damaged?

After you’ve cleaned the heating element, check for telltale signs of damage: dark spots, swelling, or holes on the coil and blackening or carbon on the terminals. If you still aren’t sure, or if you think the burner receptacle may have caused the damage, you can test by swapping one of the other calrod elements into the spot where the damaged one sits.

What do I do if one of my range’s heating elements or drip pans is damaged?

There’s no way to repair damage to a heating element, so you’ll need to replace it. Luckily, replacing both heating elements and drip pans is incredibly easy. You’ll need to pick up a compatible OEM heating element. Once you have it, installing is as simple as plugging in the new part! New drip pans, likewise, can simply be set in place.

Wrapping Up

Have more questions about stove care that aren’t answered by this article? Check out our blog for more tips and tutorials, or head on over to our main site to speak with one of our friendly experts for more specific questions. Whether cleaning, maintaining, or fixing your appliances, AppliancePartsPros.com can help!