--- title: "Maintenance and prevention — Stove Guides" description: "The small weekly habits that keep a stove out of the repair book, from wiping spills before they bake on to keeping knobs dry and looking after a stove that…" url: "https://stoverepair.center/guides/maintenance-and-prevention/" --- Keeping the stove out of trouble # Maintenance and prevention guides. The small weekly habits that keep a stove out of the repair book, from wiping spills before they bake on to keeping knobs dry and looking after a stove that belongs to your landlord. ## Maintenance and prevention, guide by guide. These guides cover the everyday care that keeps a stove out of the repair queue: a cleaning routine that stops grease from building up where it can burn or short a switch, the right way to handle and wash the knobs, and what looking after a stove means when you rent the home and the landlord owns it. [All 18 guides](https://stoverepair.center/guides/) 4-minute read ### [A weekly stove cleaning routine for burners, knobs and the oven](https://stoverepair.center/guides/a-weekly-stove-cleaning-routine/) A two-minute wipe after cooking, a ten-minute weekly pass for gas, coil and glass stovetops, and the monthly spots under the drawer and along the counters that nobody remembers. 4-minute read ### [Keeping stove knobs working: cleaning, loose knobs and the parts behind them](https://stoverepair.center/guides/keeping-stove-knobs-working/) What each knob turns on a gas, electric or induction stove, the habits that crack and loosen them, how to wash and refit them, and what a spinning or stiff knob points to. 5-minute read ### [A stove in a rental: what the tenant looks after and what the landlord repairs](https://stoverepair.center/guides/stove-care-in-a-rental/) Who is usually responsible for a stove that came with the apartment, a ten-minute move-in check, how to ask for a repair in writing and how to hand the stove back without losing deposit money. ## Keeping the stove out of trouble. Nothing here needs tools. Each guide says how often a job is worth doing, which parts of a gas, coil, glass or induction stove need different handling, and which habits, such as spraying cleaner at the controls or soaking knobs in the sink, quietly cause the problems people later call about. Read them when you move into a new home, rent a place with a stove already in it, or notice the burners clicking longer, the knobs loosening or the oven smoking when you bake. [Not sure where to start?](https://stoverepair.center/guides/#start-here) ### The short answer A weekly stove cleaning routine for burners, knobs and the oven A good stove cleaning routine is a short wipe after cooking, a weekly pass over the burners or elements, the knobs and the oven, and a monthly check under the drawer and behind the grates. ### The short answer Keeping stove knobs working: cleaning, loose knobs and the parts behind them Stove knobs stay working when they are pulled straight off, washed in mild soapy water without soaking, dried and pushed back with the flat side lined up to the shaft. ### The short answer A stove in a rental: what the tenant looks after and what the landlord repairs With a stove in a rental, the landlord usually maintains and repairs an appliance they supplied, while the tenant keeps it clean, uses it as intended and reports problems promptly in writing. ## When reading is not enough. If the checks in these guides did not settle it, the visit picks up from there, stop by stop. [What repairs cost](https://stoverepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 The stove, tried the way you use it 2. 02 A number before the work 3. 03 Common stove parts already on board 4. 04 Put back, then cooked on ## The problems these answer. Each has a page of its own, with the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://stoverepair.center/problems/) Problem ### Stove Clicking 7 causes, cheapest first Gas, fire, sparks or a burner stuck on ### Stove Smoking 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Stove Burner Not Working 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Stove Knob Broken or Loose 6 causes, cheapest first For the heart of your home. ## Questions about maintenance and prevention. ### What is the single habit that prevents the most stove repairs? Keeping liquid out of the controls and burner openings. Wipe with a damp cloth instead of spraying, and let igniters dry after a spill before lighting the burners. ### Does a stove need a yearly service visit? Most do not. A stove that is cleaned regularly and lights, heats and switches off normally can go years without one; a heritage or heat-storage stove is the exception, and its maker's manual says how often. ### Where does owner care end? At anything behind a panel. Grates, caps, drip bowls, knobs and the glass are yours; gas connections, wiring, switches and valves belong to a technician, with the breaker off or the gas utility called if something smells or sparks. ## The other sections. Split by what you are trying to find out rather than by which part of the appliance it concerns. [All guides](https://stoverepair.center/guides/) Why the stove is doing that ### [Common problems](https://stoverepair.center/guides/common-problems/) - [Why my stove won't turn on: dark panel, cold burners or a silent oven](https://stoverepair.center/guides/why-my-stove-wont-turn-on/) - [Why a stove burner stays on high, and how to stop it first](https://stoverepair.center/guides/why-a-stove-burner-stays-on-high/) - [Why the stove keeps clicking with the knobs off, lit or baking](https://stoverepair.center/guides/why-the-stove-keeps-clicking/) Stove checks an owner can safely make ### [Troubleshooting](https://stoverepair.center/guides/troubleshooting/) - [Stove checks after a power outage, from the dark to the reset](https://stoverepair.center/guides/stove-checks-after-a-power-outage/) - [A burner that quit after cleaning: water, caps, coils and knobs](https://stoverepair.center/guides/a-burner-that-quit-after-cleaning/) - [Reading the stove display: normal signs, locks and real errors](https://stoverepair.center/guides/reading-the-stove-display/) Keeping the household safe around the stove ### [Gas, fire and burn safety at the stove](https://stoverepair.center/guides/safety-and-food/) - [Putting Out a Grease Fire on the Stove: Lid On, Heat Off, No Water](https://stoverepair.center/guides/putting-out-a-grease-fire-on-the-stove/) - [Small Children and the Stove: Handles, Knobs and the Oven Door](https://stoverepair.center/guides/stove-safety-with-small-children/) - [Carbon Monoxide and Your Stove: When to Worry and What to Do](https://stoverepair.center/guides/stove-carbon-monoxide-and-when-to-worry/) Deciding what stove to keep or buy ### [Choosing and comparing](https://stoverepair.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/) - [Is it worth fixing an old stove, or time to buy a new one?](https://stoverepair.center/guides/fix-the-old-stove-or-buy-new/) - [Gas or electric stove in a remodel: settle it before the walls close](https://stoverepair.center/guides/gas-or-electric-stove-for-a-remodel/) - [Heritage and cast iron stoves explained: AGA, La Cornue and ILVE at home](https://stoverepair.center/guides/heritage-cast-iron-stoves-explained/) Moving, hooking up and bringing a stove back ### [Installation and setup](https://stoverepair.center/guides/installation-and-setup/) - [Moving a Stove Without Hurting the Floor, the Gas Line or the Stove](https://stoverepair.center/guides/moving-a-stove-without-damage/) - [A Stove After a Flood or Storm: Before You Cook on It Again](https://stoverepair.center/guides/a-stove-after-a-flood-or-storm/) - [Behind the Stove: What the Cord and Outlet Should Look Like](https://stoverepair.center/guides/what-the-stove-cord-and-outlet-should-look-like/) Not sure which section? ### Start from your question The four questions most visits start with, each with the guide that answers it. 18 guides Where to start Where to start --- **[Read on the site: Maintenance and prevention — Stove Guides](https://stoverepair.center/guides/maintenance-and-prevention/)** **[Book a visit with StoveRepair.center](https://stoverepair.center/schedule/)**