How to clean an electric stove burner from carbon buildup?
I have an old electric stove, the burners got blackened and stopped heating properly. What can I clean them with so I don't damage them?
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If the burners have turned black, it's most likely due to oxidation of the heating element or dirty contacts, not carbon buildup! Baking soda and vinegar helps, but I'd also recommend just carefully wiping the contacts (the spot where the burner sits in the stove) with a dry cloth or even a cotton swab - sometimes dirt builds up there and blocks normal heating! If that doesn't help, the burners might just be worn out and need replacing - they're not expensive, and a new heating element will heat properly. Just make sure you unplug the stove before doing anything, obviously!
I cleaned my stove with baking soda and vinegar - made a paste, applied it to the burner and left it for 15-20 minutes, then rubbed it with a soft cloth. The main thing is to unplug the stove from the outlet first and let it cool down. If the burnt-on stuff is really stuck, you can try a special stove cleaner like Amway or Frosch, but with baking soda you get pretty much the same result and spend less money. If the burners have completely lost their performance - maybe they just wore out, then it's better to replace them, they're pretty cheap at parts stores.
Baking soda with vinegar is a good option, but if the burner isn't heating properly, the problem is most likely oxidation of the contacts. I'd also recommend wiping the connection point between the burner and the stove with rubbing alcohol or a special contact-cleaning cloth - sometimes that works better than cleaning the coil itself.
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