Usually, I just wipe mine down with a slightly damp paper towel unless I've spilled raw meat or eggs or something in which case I use a little Clorox Anywhere. I always make sure to go over it with a dry towel after cleaning it. My finish is pure tung oil, which seems to be quite the work horse. The other night, I marinated some chicken with the dark thick soy sauce in the marinade and accidentally splashed a few drops on the butcher block. I didn't notice until cleanup time after dinner and I just knew there would be a brown spot since it had been sitting for so long. Nope, nothing, nada - wiped right up with a damp paper towel. I've heard tung oil finishes are supposed to be redone every year or two, but it has been 5 months and nothing phases this countertop. It's my granite that I can't get the oil spots out of!

My grates are black, and when they look a little goey I toss them in the dishwasher. And boy that does the trick they look like new again. I have heard (don't quote me) that this can cause them to rust. I wonder if this would be the case with SS grates. Mine are some black metal, not sure what they are made of. Bosch Range. ~boxerpups This is from Good Housekeeping Magazine Ask Helouise Is there an easy way to keep burners from getting grimy? -- Elizabeth Malvey, Wakefield, MA If you cook, there's really no way around it -- but you can give burners a thorough cleaning. Start by wiping grates and burners with a damp sponge. Remove grates and soak in hot, soapy water for 30 minutes. Add a teaspoon of ammonia to the sink water to help loosen the grime. Scrub them with a stiff brush to remove any remaining gunk. To minimize future messes, keep an eye on pots so they don't boil over.

Thank you Trailrunner for your sage advise! I trust your methods implicitly, as I'm sure you know your way around the kitchen much better than I do, and cleaning up is always such an important part of process. I know your kitchen doesn't just look pretty, but sees alot of action, as I've seen the culinary creations you've turned out! You're right though, I plan to follow your suggestion of cleaning up spatters when they're fresh (so much easier), and will try those products you mentioned. MileHighDiva and cloud_swift- Just trying to keep the repairman away...and maybe will try the self-clean feature every once in awhile, but will try to avoid if I can, since I know how hot it gets during the cleaning cycle when I'd use it on my old Kitchenaid range. And yes, those french doors are really neat. I saw them on an episode of "Little People" when Jen and Bill were picking out the aplliances for their new home, but even for an average size person they make alot of sense. circuspeanut...my luck, I'd cut myself with the razorblade. Yes, the interior is dark-speckled enamel, but probably not the heavy-duty, high quality of your vintage range! They don't make anything to last anymore... PS I'm saving these tips by writing out and placing safely inside my copy of "Hints from Heloise", I inherited from my dear mother. Thank you all.

Love chispa’s comment! So true! Similar to the conversation I was having with my BIL last week. He’s a medical director in a large hospital, bemoaning why, as flu season approaches, people entering won’t use the blasted hand foamers. I said it was because you are asking them to remove THEIR germs to help others. It is OTHER people’s germs we perceive as dangerous. So I said he should put out tubs of germ wipes instead, with a big sign that says, “Protect yourself during flu season! Wipe all knobs, chairs, and surfaces you touch!” He says compliance is going through the roof. LOL. Re cleaning, just to unhijack here, I clean mine every 6 months. But there’s never much dust, because, I’m guessing, we run HEPA cleaners 24/7 for my allergies to everything in the universe. Gonna try the newspaper thing, though, for sure.