Cleaning the knobs on a 1950s Wedgewood stove is an easy project.
As suggested many places on the internet, baking soda slurry seems to dissolve most of the gunk on my stove. Unfortunately, my knobs use aluminum, and baking soda oxidizes aluminum in a jiffy.
As suggested many places on the internet, baking soda slurry seems to dissolve most of the gunk on my stove. Unfortunately, my knobs use aluminum, and baking soda oxidizes aluminum in a jiffy.
- Remove the knobs from their posts on the stove (they just pull off).
The oven knobs come apart in three pieces: the white plastic part, the chrome ring, and the spring between them. If in doubt, take a picture or video as you remove the knob so you can put it back on the same way. - Remove the screws from the backs of knobs that have them. Don't lose them.
Use a hand screwdriver (not electric) and rotate counter-clockwise: I broke one of my knobs by using a portable electric and screwing the wrong direction for a moment. Luckily, I will be able to buy a replacement from Grapevine Sally or elsewhere. - Wash each piece.
Wash in hot, soapy water. Do not to use baking soda, which discolors aluminum*. I used an old toothbrush for the fine parts, and old sponge for the rest. Note that if you want to keep the lettering dark on the oven knobs you should just use the sponge and NOT the toothbrush. - Rinse and dry each piece well.
I dried with a towel and then placed back in my pilot-warm oven to dry out the insides. - Replace lettering
I recommend using Sugru, pretty cool stuff. I wiped little bits of black Sugru into the depressions on the oven knobs, cleaned off extra with my fingers. Then I wiped lightly with a paper towel (didn't seem to pull any of the stuff out of the letters, but where the Sugru touched the knobs it did discolor a light gray). I let the Sugru dry for 10 or 15 minutes, then I used a flat cotton wipe (the kind you use with makeup) and some acetone (nail polish remover) to lightly buff the flat areas that were stained with the Sugru. It's not as light as when I started, but looks pretty good!
Note that Lacquer-Stik paint stick did not work for me -- the finish on my knobs absorbed the paint and when I tried to clean it up the stuff came right out of the lettering depressions. I had to scrub it off on the one knob I tried it with (and it remained somewhat stained). I also tried high-heat porcelain paint but it also very tricky - it smears and when you clean it up you end up removing the lettering too. - Wash the enamel panel behind the knobs (and the stems, though mine seemed pretty clean).
The horizontal ridges above the knobs were really gross -- I ran a putty knife into the seams to get a bunch of the gunk out, then followed with my toothbrush dipped in baking soda slurry. - Replace the knobs.
Screw the plates back on to the knobs carefully and don't over-tighten. Be sure you put the "front" and "rear" knobs on the correct stems.
Next I hope to try some more methods to remove the oxidation on my (aluminum?) knob rings. And I'll add some pictures to this page!
* AFAIK the rings around my knobs used to be chromed. They are now a dull, oxidized aluminum.
In any case, I did a bunch of experimenting with the rings. First I washed in baking soda. Then I boiled them in vinegar water (2 T of vinegar per quart of water: some sites say you must use distilled water, which I did not). Then I oiled some parts, and cured them in a 250℉ oven for 10 min, while I used 0000 steel wool on others. In the end, I rubbed canola oil on all the parts and rubbed with a clean towel, and I'm fine with the results.
* AFAIK the rings around my knobs used to be chromed. They are now a dull, oxidized aluminum.
In any case, I did a bunch of experimenting with the rings. First I washed in baking soda. Then I boiled them in vinegar water (2 T of vinegar per quart of water: some sites say you must use distilled water, which I did not). Then I oiled some parts, and cured them in a 250℉ oven for 10 min, while I used 0000 steel wool on others. In the end, I rubbed canola oil on all the parts and rubbed with a clean towel, and I'm fine with the results.