Wedgewood Stove Deep Clean

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Stove Top

I know that the original parts were "triple-plated," meaning that they were plated with copper, then nickel, then chrome. I see copper showing through on some of the most worn parts of my stove top.

Kickplate

Cleaning the kickplate on a 1950s Wedgewood stove is an easy project. The kickplate is the piece of enamel below the broiler drawers. It has a little springy clamp on either end. Pull it straight out (it will take some force) to unlatch each end. As suggested many places on the internet, baking soda slurry seems to dissolve most of the gunk on my stove. I mixed just enough water with baking soda to make it goopy, and let that sit on all the sludgy areas of the kickplate. I scrubbed with an old sponge, rinsed, let it dry, and replaced the kickplate.

Cleaning methods

Cleaning chrome Final cleaned parts -- note copper revealed beneath rust Baking soda and a nylon brush or an old non-scratching sponge removed large deposits of old grease and grime. I soaked parts in vinegar (where I could) to dissolve rust and then rubbed with a nylon brush or sponge, sometimes revealing the copper layer beneath the chrome. Soaking chrome trim in vinegar I also tried the following methods, but mostly found baking soda or vinegar to be just as effective as chrome polish or aluminum foil. Cleaning chrome with polish Removing rust with aluminum foil and salt water Cleaning enamel Baking soda slurry seems to dissolve most of the gunk on my enameled parts. I mix just enough water with baking soda to make it goopy, and usually let that sit on the part for an hour or more. I warm some pieces in the oven (with the oven off). I scrub with a nylon-bristled brush or with an old non-scratching sponge, rinse or wipe off enough to see how i...

Top Burners

Aside from needing a really good cleaning using baking soda, an old toothbrush, a scrubbing pad, a turkey lacer, and a putty knife, the burners were very little trouble to fix up. Because these stoves were hand-built, they are easy to take apart and put together. The burners are built to last, and there are very few fidgety, breakable parts. The burner assembly just pops in and out of a valve that leads to the knob at the front of the stove. This video by Leon Russo gave me all the confidence I needed. I used Desiree's advice to get all my burners starting easily and at the right flame height.

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