Handle every removable part carefully, because a Kleenmaid burner cap or trivet broken during cleaning may not be replaceable after the brand's 2009 administration. Soak the enamelled parts flat in a non-caustic degreaser and never force a fixing.
Kleenmaid hobs from before the brand's 2009 administration are still in service across Sydney, and the cleaning method matters less than the handling.
Treat every removable part as irreplaceable
Burner caps, crowns and trivets are consumables on a current brand. On an orphaned Kleenmaid they may be neither available nor substitutable, because they are model-specific castings rather than standard sizes.
That has two practical effects. Photograph the layout before anything comes off, so nothing is forced back into the wrong position. And never lever a trivet or a cap that resists, because a cracked cast piece on this brand is not a small purchase, it is the end of that burner.
Italian manufacture helps occasionally
A good part of the older Kleenmaid range was built in Italy under contract, so burner components sometimes cross-reference to European models of the same period. If you need a cap, measure it and search by dimension rather than by badge. It does not always work, and it works often enough to be worth the ten minutes.
The method
Standard gas hob approach: lift the trivets, caps and crowns cold, soak the enamelled parts flat for an hour in hot water with a non-caustic degreaser, work them with a stiff nylon brush rather than wire, clear ports with a wooden toothpick rather than metal, and dry cast iron by hand immediately. Our cooktop cleaning guide covers it in detail, including what a glass Kleenmaid needs instead.
Age, and what it means
Almost all of these are fifteen years old or more, so the enamelled base beneath the burners typically carries a decade or more of baked spills. Expect it to need a genuine dwell and a second application rather than a wipe.
Check the electrodes before you finish
The ignition electrodes, the ceramic-tipped pins beside each burner, are another part worth treating carefully on an orphaned appliance. They are small, they sit exposed once the burners are off, and they are easy to knock out of alignment with a cloth.
A bent electrode either stops sparking or sparks to the wrong place, and on a brand where the part may be unobtainable that is a genuine problem rather than an inconvenience. Work around them rather than over them, keep liquid off them, and check every burner lights before you consider the job finished.
What actually goes wrong
A cracked cap or trivet, which on this brand may not be replaceable.
Parts forced back into the wrong positions, because nothing was photographed.
Rusted cast iron, dried by air rather than by hand.
Should you do it yourself?
Do it yourself, carefully, and stop rather than force anything.
Get someone in if the hob base has years on it, or alongside the Kleenmaid oven below.