In this section of Home Improvement, I explain how to clean a stove top and a kitchen range.

We all want our kitchen ranges to operate properly for years and years and the key to keeping a kitchen range operating properly is to clean it regularly. Yes, just follow the basics and regularly clean your kitchen range watch it last long enough. Most home owners can do the basic maintenance and a couple of repair jobs related with the kitchen range. Most complex stove and kitchen range repair jobs require a thorough understanding of the appliance and should be done by a professional appliance repairperson expert.

You can go through the owner's manual and with its help, you can adjust the feet beneath a range to correct for uneven cooking, replace door gaskets, and relight a pilot. You can also reposition racks if foods are cooking unevenly, and you can check cords, circuit breakers, and fuses.

If your range or oven has an electric element and you know it is faulty, you can replace it quite easily. All you have to do is to remove the element and take it to an appliance parts store to get an exact replacement, and install the new part and reconnect the power when you are done.

* To prevent any electric shock, always unplug the range or turn off the power at the main electrical panel, before doing any work on the stovetop.

These are some of the basic stove and kitchen range repair jobs that you can do it yourself. Always call a professional appliance repairperson if you have any doubts about repairing an electric range.

Let us now understand how to clean a stove top or kitchen ranges.

- Clean gas burners and grates thoroughly and on regular basis.

- Wash burner controls and other knobs with warm water and soft detergent. Some knobs have markings and can come off, so take care not to soak or scrub them too much to prevent any scratch or damage.

- Keep the reflector bowls of gas burners clean. The shiny surface makes cooking more efficient and is always pleasing to look at.

- Clean up any spill as soon as they occur. Do not allow them to dry or it will get harder to clean. Some acidic foods, such as tomato products can damage the surface of the cooktop or even interior of the oven. Do not allow acidic food spills to dry. Clean them immediately.

- Use water or baking soda and water to loosen cooked-on gunk. Never use any abrasive materials that can scratch surfaces.

- Commercial oven cleaners are highly toxic; use very cautiously following instructions carefully.

TIP: As an alternative to commercial oven cleaners, fill a glass bowl with half a cup of ammonia and let it stand in the oven overnight. Wipe the walls clean with paper towels or newspapers.

• How Microwave Oven Works

• Microwave Oven Buying Guide

• Microwave Oven Repair and Care (Troubleshooting and fixing problems)

• Kitchen Appliances

• Home Appliances

• Do it Yourself Home Repair and Maintenance

• Home Electrical Basics

• Essential Home Tools

• Electrical Tools