Summer Aga Maintenance

When your Aga is cold, it is much easier to clean and maintain. Summer is a good time to give your cooker a thorough clean and catch any small issues before they become bigger and more expensive ones.

It is also worth remembering that autumn is our busiest time of year for servicing. By carrying out a few simple maintenance tasks now and booking your Aga service early if it is due, you will avoid the seasonal rush and be ready to turn your cooker back on as soon as the weather turns cooler.

Aga door and lid rope seals wear over time, becoming brittle or frayed. This allows heat to escape, reducing the efficiency of your Aga.

While your cooker is switched off, inspect all the seals for signs of wear. Look for sections that have become flattened, or where the rope has come loose. It is worth noting that most rope seals will have a small gap where the two ends of the rope join together, and this is normal rather than a sign of wear. The top oven is the exception, as this seal is fitted without a gap. If you do replace the rope yourself, it is worth taking a note of where any gap sits before you begin, so that it can be replicated in the same position with the new rope.

Replacing rope seals is a straightforward DIY job and can help maintain the performance of your Aga. Follow our step by step guides on replacing Aga door and lid seals, or browse our Door and Lid Rope Seal Replacement Kits to complete the job yourself.

Next, take a look at the liners inside your oven doors and insulated lids.

Years of everyday cooking can leave them dented or heavily stained. If they are looking past their best, replacing them is a relatively straightforward job that can freshen up the appearance of your Aga.

If you are already replacing your rope seals, it is often worth fitting new liners at the same time. You will find everything you need in our range of DIY Aga maintenance kits, together with helpful installation guides.

One of the smallest components on your Aga is also one of the easiest to overlook.

Door washers help maintain the correct alignment of the oven doors. If they have become worn or gone missing altogether, they can allow the doors to drop slightly over time, affecting how well they seal. They are inexpensive to replace and well worth checking while you are carrying out your other summer maintenance. Take care when replacing so as not to cause any damage.

Summer is a good time to remove months of accumulated grease and cooking residue. A proper deep clean not only improves the appearance of your Aga but also also helps protect the enamel and makes cleaning much easier throughout the year.

Clean the shelves, runners, door liners, handrail and the enamel front and sides of the cooker. Clean out the ovens by vacuuming out the ovens to remove any crumbs and burnt on food debris that may have accumulated over months of cooking. Once they are clean, use a wire brush to gently remove any light surface rust from the cast iron oven interiors. This is perfectly normal on traditional cast iron surfaces and, if dealt with promptly, is nothing to worry about.

Our Complete Aga Cleaning Kit contains the products we recommend for keeping your Aga looking its best.

If your Aga is going to remain switched off for several weeks, do not forget about the cast iron hotplates.

Once they are completely cold and clean, apply a very light coating of a non-flammable vegetable oil, such as flaxseed oil or a refined olive oil, using a soft cloth. This helps protect the cast iron from moisture in the air and reduces the risk of surface rust developing over the summer months. You can also prop the lids open very slightly to allow air to circulate, a £1 coin placed under the edge of the lid is usually enough for this, as all you need is a little airflow rather than the lid fully propped open.

When you are ready to switch your Aga back on in the autumn, simply wipe away any excess oil before lighting the cooker.

Your Aga's vitreous enamel is durable, but it still benefits from a regular inspection.

As you clean your cooker, look carefully for small chips or scratches. Minor chips can often be repaired before they worsen, helping to keep your Aga looking its best for many years to come. If you do find any minor imperfections, our Enamel Repair Kits and colour matched touch up paints can help restore the finish.

If your Aga is due a service, summer is a good time to get it booked.

Every autumn our engineers see a significant increase in demand as Aga owners prepare to switch their cookers back on. Booking early gives you more flexibility and peace of mind that everything is ready for the colder months ahead.

Whether you have an oil fired, gas fired or electric Aga, regular servicing helps keep your cooker running safely, efficiently and reliably. You can find more information on our Aga servicing page or give us a call on 01308 488994 before the seasonal rush begins.