Spring cleaning your AGA: a complete guide

Winter is finally loosening its grip, and in its place, March is doing what March does – mostly unpredictable, occasionally glorious. Those first proper flashes of sunshine bring on the urge to fling open the windows and give everything a good clean. And after a winter of soups, stews, and Sunday roasts, your AGA deserves a little attention. Spring cleaning your AGA is a satisfying job, and it doesn't need to be complicated. A quick once-over, a check of the vitals, and – if you haven't booked one already – arranging your annual service.

Alex, our technical director, has been servicing and installing AGAs for over two decades. Here's his guidance for your spring clean.

Give your AGA a thorough clean

Start with the oven interiors. If you have an electric AGA, turn the ovens to full heat for a few hours – any accumulated spillages will carbonise and burn off cleanly. Once everything has cooled down, you can wipe away the residue easily. If you have a traditional oil or gas AGA, spillages tend to burn off gradually during normal use, so the ovens usually look after themselves.

For the enamel surfaces, a soft, slightly damp cloth is all you need for everyday marks and splashes. One word of caution: never use generic oven cleaners on your AGA. They're far too abrasive and can permanently damage the enamel. AGA's own enamel cleaner is specially formulated to be gentle on warm surfaces and won't leave smears.

Now for the hotplate lids – often the most satisfying part of the whole operation. Over time, grease and residue builds up on the inside, and Alex's preferred method for tackling it is beautifully simple. With your hotplates at full heat, drop ice cubes directly onto the plates and close the lids immediately. The rapid steam this creates loosens the grease without any chemicals at all. Once everything has cooled, wipe them clean. The first time you try it, it feels like a magic trick.

Finish by brushing any carbonised residue from the hotplates themselves and wiping them down with a damp cloth. If you'd like to add extra protection, apply a thin layer of cooking oil once the plates are completely cool and thoroughly dry.

The AGA e-cloth is the perfect thing for the job, and the AGA YouTube channel has detailed cleaning videos if you'd like to see any of these techniques in action.

Check your flue

For oil and gas AGAs with a conventional flue, spring is a good moment to book in for a sweep. A clear flue keeps your AGA running efficiently and safely. If you can't quite remember when it was last done, that's usually a sign it's time.

Think about fuel

If you have an oil or LPG AGA and you're planning to turn it down or off over the summer, check your tank levels before you do. If you're running low, it's worth ordering now – you'll want fuel waiting when autumn arrives and you're ready to fire things back up again. Easy to forget about until you're reminded by a cold October morning.

Review your cookware

Now is a good time to take stock of your cookwear, to check what's in good shape and what isn't. Cast iron that needs re-seasoning, lids that have seen better days, a roasting tin that's earned its retirement – better to notice now than in the middle of something important. The AGA cookshop is full of beautiful and practical cookware and accessories if anything needs an update.

Think about the summer months

If you have a modern electric AGA, you have real flexibility over the warmer months. Some customers keep theirs ticking over on slumber all year round, enjoying the background warmth and the always-ready ovens. Others turn it off completely from June, using it much like a conventional range cooker – on when they need it, off when they don't. There's no single right answer; it depends on your kitchen, your household, and how you cook. 

You can read about how we do things in our household in our recent article, Our family's year with an AGA. Or feel free to give us a call if you’d like to talk it through. 

Book your spring service

An annual service is one of the most important things you can do for your AGA. We check thermostats and seals, inspect burners on oil and gas models, examine elements on electric ones, and carry out a full electrical safety check where applicable – making sure everything is running exactly as it should.

Spring does tend to be a busy time for us, so if you'd like to get booked in, please get in touch soon.