Put simply, your stovetop can be one of the most annoying parts of your kitchen to clean. It becomes sticky and stained when pasta water bubbles over or tomato sauce splatters—and removing and washing its many elements (or scrubbing between its grooved ridges) always feels like a chore. Despite the nuisance, its important to thoroughly clean each corner and crevice, including the stove burners, which are the appliance's round heating elements. They're an easy area to miss even if you regularly wipe down your cooktop and often require some (gentle) elbow grease.

To make your stove burners gleam, look to these expert-approved methods—and also learn how to tend to scratches and stuck-on stains and safely wipe down the rest of your stovetop.

Related: How to Clean Every Part of Your Oven, From the Racks to the Door Glass

If you have a gas stove (which generates flames to cook food), you'll need three key cleaning tools to refresh the burners, says Kathy Cohoon, the director of franchise operations at Two Maids.

Follow Cohoon's steps when cleaning gas stove burners:

Related: How to Clean Your Stovetop's Vent Hood

Contemporary electric stoves have burners that look like delineated circles on the top of the range.

Follow these expert-approved steps to clean electric stove burners: 

If you have an older electric stove with raised coils for burners, you'll need to follow specific instructions to deep-clean them, says Cohoon.

Follow Cohoon's best tips for cleaning coiled electric burners: 

Removing stains and scratches from your burners is easy, says Cohoon. Simply follow the aforementioned steps and repeat as needed; be sure to scrub more intently on problem spots. "When in doubt, buy a cleaning solution specifically made for your type of stove and burner," she says. "Follow all instructions from the manufacturer."

If you're having trouble removing stubborn debris, try "baking" the area by using your baking soda and water paste; saturate the spot and cover it with a warm, damp cloth, says Cohoon. This allows the heat to break down stuck-on messes. Leave to sit for up to 45 minutes and then wipe clean. Repeat this process as necessary.

The best way to keep your stove burners free of gunk is by wiping them down between every use. Cohoon recommends a DIY cleaning solution of white vinegar diluted with water on your surfaces. Let the fluid sit on the burners for 10 to 15 minutes, then wipe off. "This method prevents further buildup in the future, as the vinegar does not allow grease to stick," she says. 

Related: How to Clean a Glass Cooktop in 4 Steps

Now that your burners are in tip-top shape, it's time to move onto the rest of your cooktop. From stir-frying vegetables to heating up chicken noodle soup, the stovetop sees a lot of action on a regular basis. The good news is that it's straightforward to clean.

While the exact tools will vary based on the type of cooktop you have—flat glass for electric models or raised grates for gas iterations—here are a few essentials to get you started:

Before you start to clean your stovetop, it's critical that the stovetop is completely cool. The above ingredients need a cool, dry space to work their magic—and you also don't want to burn yourself during this process. Our advice? Follow these steps in the morning, when your stove has had the entire night to cool down. 

Consider your stovetop's materials: Handle ceramic stovetops, such as electric and induction cooktops, differently, says Evans. "You can't use metal pads or abrasive cleaners. Instead, you should go for soft sponges or microfiber cloths," he says.

Skip abrasive cleaners entirely: A big mistake is cleaning a stovetop with the incorrect products, says Justin Carpenter, founder of Modern Maids, a national house cleaning service. "Using improper tools, such as an abrasive sponge, can remove paint from the stovetop or cause discoloration," he says.

Don't rule out soap and water: While a baking soda paste can work nicely on gas and glass stovetops, Peterson shares that warm water and a little bit of dish soap will work nicely on an electric surface.