Super Handyman: How to properly clean your gas range

A gas range is the choice of most cooks. It’s economical, efficient and fast. But if you are having trouble with your burners, here are a few things you might try before buying the repairman an expensive meal.

The most common problem with gas and burners is that they can become clogged with dirt and grease. Don’t feel bad — it’s typical and easy to remedy. Turn the power off first, and then remove the burner. Fill a washtub or sink with a kitchen degreaser and some water, and let the burner soak for a couple of hours. If you use your sink, put down a protective mat to keep the burners from scratching the surface.

While the burners are soaking, use a straight pin, needle or a straightened-out paper clip to clean the small gas ports in the center of each burner location. We used to recommend toothpicks, but have found that they will sometimes break off and jam up the holes, so stick to metal picks. Don’t use a cleaner either, just a pointed tool.

Use a mild degreaser and plastic scrubber on the range top to clean off the rest of the grease. Don’t spray any cleaner on the flame or ports, just on the scrubber or a rag. Consider installing burner protectors that are designed to catch the grease and food that drip below the burners. These are easier to clean and can be replaced when they are too dirty.

When the burner is clean and dry, you can replace it.

It might not be fun to clean these surfaces, but if you do it once a week, it will be much easier and you’ll have fewer problems in the long run. While you are at it, you really ought to go ahead and clean the oven as well. And don’t forget those exhaust vents and range hoods!

When using your pliers as clamps, try this smooth ideaLocking pliers can be used as clamps on some projects. This is great when you need to glue a couple of pieces of wood together and you want a very tight clamp that can easily be applied with only one hand. To avoid leaving marks from the teeth of the pliers, cover them with a couple of furry tennis balls. Punch a hole in the side of each one, and then shove them onto the ends of the pliers to cover the teeth. You still can get a good grip without marking up the wood. The tennis balls can be tossed out or passed on to Fido when you are finished.Bricks make great storage in the shopBench-top tool storage is a must for a busy workshop. You want to have your tools handy, but you want to keep the bench top organized and free of clutter. A couple of cored bricks can help. Just stack one on top of the other so that the holes line up. You then can fill the holes with a set of screwdrivers or a few other small hand tools that you probably need often for making repairs. It#146;s a temporary storage idea, too, in case you have to use the bricks for house repairs later on.Super hintsŸ Stripping wallpaper is no fun at all. Water helps loosen it. Hot water is even better. Add some liquid fabric softener to the water, and you#146;ll be done in half the time! Just a light spray on the wall will soak through the paper and loosen the old adhesive on the backing.Ÿ I#146;ve tried lots of different ways to keep the tablecloth on the table when it#146;s outdoors. Safety pins are my new favorite tool for this. You can use one like a tack to hold the cloth in place on the underside of a wooden table. You can gather the cloth under the table and hold it in place with the pin. Or you can use the pin to clip the cloth directly to the table if it#146;s mesh or wrought iron.Ÿ Before leaving on the family vacation, make sure to shut off your water heater, reset your thermostats and turn off the water supply to the washer. These little things could save you a lot of money on your bills and prevent costly accidents while you are away.Q. We don#146;t need an air conditioner very often, but we do have a room air conditioner that we use in our living room and another one in our bedroom. The one in the bedroom has a funky smell to it that we can#146;t get rid of. What can we do to clean it or deodorize it?A. As the unit works, it collects moisture from the household air, and this moisture drains out the back of the unit or is evaporated into the outside air. If it#146;s allowed to collect and stay in the drain pan of the unit, you might check the drain to make sure it#146;s not clogged. You also can pour a little bleach into the drain pan to help get rid of any fungus or mildew that is collecting. If you want to do more, unplug the unit and access the fan and coils, and clean them with a mild household detergent and water.Q. Before we painted my son#146;s room, he had marked on his walls with an ink pen. I cleaned it off, but now, after painting, I can see the marks starting to show through again. How can I remove these marks or cover them?A. If the marks are bleeding through the paint, you must not have used a sealer. This is a common problem. Cover the marks with a primer/sealer like KILZ and repaint. You may want to prime the whole wall before painting in order to prevent the painted wall from looking spotted. Q. I have a few air vents on my roof that turn when the wind blows. One hardly ever moves, though. It used to, but has slowed down and finally seems to have pretty much stopped moving. I don#146;t know if it is broken, or just stuck. What can I do to fix it?A. See if you can get it to turn manually. If it is stuck, see if you can remove or bend the blockage out of the way. Then lubricate the fan with some WD-40. If that doesn#146;t free it up, you may have to replace it. These are fairly inexpensive and should be easy to replace. You might even consider replacing it with a power vent and doing away with some of the other passive vents. A solar vent will do the job of an electrically powered vent, but without the wiring and extra costs. Ventilation is very important in most attics, so take care of the problem as soon as you can.Reader tipsŸ We have a nice patio deck on our apartment, but the railings are not as secure as they need to be when the grandkids come to visit. We found some inexpensive white vinyl mesh, put it up over the railings and tied it into place with cable ties. It#146;s barely noticeable, and is much safer for the kids. Ÿ I put up a screen door this summer to let some fresh air into the house on the days when the weather is mild. The fresh air is really great. Instead of using a standard door spring to keep the door closed, I installed a spring hinge. This was very easy to do, works just as well and even is adjustable. It might not look as #147;authentic#148; as the old springs, but it works just as well, and I like the looks even more.Ÿ I always have a lot of sawdust in my workshop, and have used it to help sweep up the dust and other debris. It also is great for absorbing wet spills. You can just cover the spill, and it will absorb it and you can sweep it away. If you have sawdust, keep some on hand. It#146;s very handy.Ÿ My wife came up with a really outside-the-box idea to cool down our too-hot hot tub. She made extra-large ice cubes in milk cartons and then dropped a few in the last time we wanted to use it. It cooled down the water and was quite refreshing. Weird, but true!Ÿ I have painted my kitchen and refinished the cabinets. I wanted to replace the old hardware, too, but the price was just too high. I lived with the old hardware for such a long time but just couldn#146;t bring myself to spend so much money on new hardware. I decided to make my own from some old silverware that I bought at a flea market years ago. I bent them into the shapes of pulls and had my husband drill them so I could use screws to install them on the cabinets. They look really neat, and they are unique.ShoptalkŸ Vinegar is one of those everyday, household products that we all have in our homes. It has tons of uses around the kitchen and bathroom, as well as in the shop and even outdoors. It#146;s really inexpensive and can save you money in many cases. We have put together a list of some of our favorite, tried-and-true uses for the stuff. You also can get this information, as well as a lot of other interesting tips, on our website at www.thesuperhandyman.com. We hope to hear from you soon. Have a super day!Ÿ Pulling weeds is fun only when you have a weed-free yard. But the new UpRoot Weed and Root Remover from Fiskars is the next best thing to that. It#146;s made to be used while standing upright, so no bending over or kneeling is required. It#146;s easy to operate, and you won#146;t have to use any messy sprays or chemicals. Best of all, it pulls out the whole weed, roots and all, so it won#146;t come back next year! Check it out at www.fiskars.com or at a garden center near you. Fiskars makes a whole line of great garden tools that show some real innovation and imagination for us weekend warriors. The right tools can make the job a whole lot more fun!Ÿ The Cordpro extension-cord organizer is a great gadget for the shop, garage and garden. I was given a couple as gifts years ago, and I LOVE them. They hold your extension cords easily and can fit just about anywhere. They can be hung up in your shop or garage, and are practically indestructible. They have come out with several versions now, including a neat #147;holiday#148; organizer, which holds holiday lights, cords and even garlands. It#146;s such a neat idea, and I#146;ve really enjoyed using mine throughout the years. To find out more or the name of a local dealer, go to www.cordpro.com. They make great gifts for sure!Ÿ Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrells#146; website at thesuperhandyman.com.$PHOTOCREDIT_ON$© 2011, Cowles Syndicate Inc.$PHOTOCREDIT_OFF$