How to Clean & Store Your Coleman® Camping Stove

One of the best things about camping is the food, so your camp stove probably needs a little TLC. Here’s how to keep it working great for years to come.

Our products are rugged and durable, so most of the time all you need to do is simply wipe down your stove with warm water and dish soap. But for those epic camping trips and cookouts, your stove may get grimier than usual, especially if you’re cooking something yummy, yet greasy, like bacon. Give your stove a deep clean and it’ll be as good as new.

Cleaning a Liquid Fuel Stove

Take off the fuel tank (it’s the part with the generator and tip), then hand-wash the case and burners separately from the fuel tank. Let both of them dry upside down and then put them back together.  

You may be tempted to take the burners off and give them a good scrub. Don’t. If the rings are out of order, you could end up with a stove that won’t light well, or at all, the next time you want to use it

Cleaning a Propane Stove

Take apart your propane camping stove by unscrewing the burners. Hand-wash the burners, the cooktop, and the case with warm, soapy water. Let all of the stove parts dry upside down. Then, when everything is absolutely dry and there is no water left, put the stove back together again.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Cleaning & Storing a Stove

Don’t use an oven, engine, or tire cleaner on your Coleman® camping stove. The cleaner will damage the case’s paint, the stove grate finish, and the manifold’s metal.

Don’t leave water inside your stove. A dry stove is a good stove, whichever fuel you use. Water left inside a camping stove can cause rust, which can slow fuel flow and shorten the life of your stove.

If you have a liquid fuel stove, either burn off all the fuel in the tank or drain the fuel back into the storage can. Letting fuel sit in there can cause buildup in the fuel line, which can reduce how much gas is getting to the generator and burner. Before using it again, oil the pump cup on the tank’s pump plunger with a light machine oil. The seal helps keep the pump working smoothly so it pushes the air into the tank correctly. Do this twice a year.

Whether it’s liquid fuel or propane, when you’re ready to store your stove, put it in a plastic bag and tie the bag shut. This should keep bugs from getting inside which could eventually cut down on fuel efficiency and airflow.