How to clean a stainless steel hob in a rental property

When you see your property again after a tenant has moved out, just the thought of bringing your hob back to a high shine feels like a monumental task. We’ve broken it down to 10 easy steps that Harriet - Simply Business customer, and owner of Calm Oasis Cleaners - will talk you through.

Tools for cleaning a stainless steel hob

• A bucket to soak the removable parts of your hob. You can clean these in your sink, but it may be easier to use a large bucket
• A multi-surface cleaner to loosen any burnt on food or other grime
• A soft microfibre cloth or similar for cleaning the body of the hob. It doesn’t have to be microfibre, but should definitely be soft - nothing that will scratch the hob
• A toothbrush or other small, soft brush to clean the hard-to-reach places your cloth may not get to
• A soft scrubber to remove lingering dirt from your burners, rings and grate
• A dry rag to buff everything after cleaning
• Baby oil or similar as a final step to make your hob sparkle

How to clean a stainless steel hob

Caring for a stainless steel hob is different to caring for a ceramic or electric hob. Here are the steps to follow to get your stainless steel hob sparkling again:

1. Remove grate, burners and rings
2. Soak in a mixture of dish soap and hot water and set to one side
3. Spray the hob with a multi-surface cleaner and leave for a minute or two
4. Wipe down the hob with a microfibre or other non-abrasive cloth
5. Use a toothbrush on any difficult to reach areas
6. Wipe away any debris
7. Buff with a dry cloth
8. Clean any remaining dirt from the burners, rings and grate with a soft pad
9. Dry burners, rings and grate thoroughly before replacing them
10. Wipe with a small amount of baby oil to bring to a high shine

How to clean a ceramic hob

Ceramic hobs make a stunning addition to a rental kitchen, but they are notoriously hard to care for and may look rather the worse for wear after a tenant moves out. Here’s how to get your ceramic hob back to its best:

1. Clear away any loose debris
2. Spray your hob with a cleaning fluid designed for glass and ceramic hobs and leave for the time indicated on the bottle
3. Use a microfibre or other similar soft cloth to wipe away the cleaning fluid
4. For stubborn areas, try using scrunched up newspaper. If you see any scratches appear on the hob, stop immediately

How to clean a glass hob

Glass hobs are slightly less delicate than ceramic hobs and a little easier to get looking clean again, but they still need to be handled with care.

If you have a glass hob, follow the steps for ceramic hobs, as glass hobs are also prone to scratches.

How to clean an electric hob

Electric hobs with hotplates can be a bit of a puzzle - are you supposed to treat them delicately or give them a good scrub? Hotplates can cope much better with thorough scrubbing than a lot of other hobs, which is fortunate, given how messy they can look at the end of a tenancy. Here’s what to do to bring your electric hob back to life:

1. If your hot plates are removable, detach them from the hob
2. Spray with any kind of kitchen or multi-surface kitchen spray and leave as directed in the product’s instructions
3. Unlike other hobs, you can use wire wool or similar to scrub hotplates, but do make sure to check for scratches and move to something softer if any appear
4. Dry the hot plates thoroughly before replacing them

Get your whole kitchen ready for new tenants

Making improvements to your property can get pretty expensive pretty quickly. Over the coming weeks we’ll be bringing you a range of DIY videos for landlords to help you give your property a full MOT without spending a fortune.

Got a top trick for cleaning your hob? Let us know below.