TL;DR
An uneven or yellow camp stove flame almost always means blocked burner ports or a clogged fuel jet, not a failing stove. Disconnect the fuel first, degrease the body, clear the ports with a soft brush and the jet with the tool the manufacturer supplies, then leak test every connection with soapy water before lighting it. Never run a camp stove indoors.
The safety rules that come before any cleaning
This is fuel equipment, and the risks are not about mess.
Disconnect the fuel before touching anything. Remove the canister, close and disconnect the propane cylinder, or fully depressurize a liquid-fuel bottle. Let the stove cool completely.
Never operate a camping stove indoors. Not in a tent, not in a garage, not in a vestibule, not in a camper with the windows cracked. Camp stoves produce carbon monoxide, which has no smell and no color, and people die from this every year. Carbon monoxide is the risk here, not the mess.
Never clean with gasoline or any flammable solvent. Residue plus an ignition source is the obvious problem, and vapor is the less obvious one.
Leak test after every reassembly. Soapy water brushed onto connections with the fuel on and the burner unlit. Bubbles mean a leak, and a leak means stop and fix it.
Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission portable fuel-burning appliance safety guidance
How do you clean a camping stove?
With the fuel disconnected and the stove cool, wipe the body and cooking surface with warm soapy water, scrape the burnt-on residue off the drip tray, and brush the burner ports clear with a soft brush. Clear the fuel jet with the manufacturer's cleaning needle, reassemble, and leak test with soapy water.
Why the flame goes yellow or uneven
A correctly running camp stove burns with a mostly blue flame, evenly across the burner ring.
Blocked ports. Boil-over residue, spider webs, and food debris plug the small holes around the burner ring. Blocked ports give a patchy flame with gaps.
A clogged jet. The jet is a tiny precision orifice that meters fuel. Soot, fuel residue, or a speck of dirt narrows it, and the stove runs weak or yellow overall.
A blocked air intake. Insects nest in the venturi tube of a two-burner stove over the winter. Not enough air means a yellow, sooty flame.
Wrong fuel or a cold canister. A canister stove in near-freezing weather loses pressure. That is physics, not dirt.
Yellow flame means incomplete combustion, which produces more carbon monoxide and more soot on your pots. It is worth fixing before the trip rather than during it.
Cleaning a two-burner propane stove
1. Disconnect the cylinder and let everything cool.
2. Remove the grates and the burner covers. Wash them in warm soapy water. Baked-on grease responds to a soak and a plastic scraper.
3. Clean the drip tray. This is where the grease lives. Scrape it, then wash it. On a stove with a removable tray, this is easy. On a fixed one, work carefully with a scraper and soapy water.
4. Brush the burner ports. A soft brass brush or an old toothbrush around the burner ring. Stubborn ports can be opened with a thin wire or a paperclip, worked gently.
5. Check the venturi tubes. Look into the tube between the valve and the burner. Spider webs are the classic blockage on a stove out of winter storage. Clear with a pipe cleaner or a flexible brush.
6. Wipe the body. Warm soapy water. On an enamel or painted body, skip abrasives.
7. Reassemble and leak test. Soapy water on the regulator connection and hose fittings with the gas on and the burner unlit.
Cleaning a backpacking canister stove
These are much simpler and much smaller.
Remove the canister. Wipe the burner head and the pot supports with a damp cloth and a little dish soap. Brush the ports clear with a soft toothbrush.
Do not soak an integrated stove system with a built-in igniter. Wipe instead, and keep water away from the piezo unit.
Check the fuel canister o-ring for cracks or flattening. A perished o-ring leaks, and replacements are inexpensive.
Check that the pot supports still lock out fully. A support that folds under a full pot is a burn risk.
Cleaning a liquid-fuel stove
Liquid-fuel stoves need more maintenance and reward it.
Depressurize the fuel bottle fully before disassembly. Follow the manufacturer's manual, which will have a specific procedure for your model.
Most designs include a cleaning needle for the jet, either a separate tool or a built-in shaker needle. Use it as directed rather than improvising with a drill bit, which can enlarge the orifice permanently and ruin the stove.
Replace the pump cup and the o-rings on the schedule the manual gives, and carry the manufacturer's field maintenance kit.
Soot on the burner and pot supports wipes off with a rag. Some soot is normal on a liquid-fuel stove during priming.
Why does my camp stove flame keep going out?
The usual causes are a nearly empty canister, a cold canister that has lost pressure, a partially blocked jet, or wind. Warm the canister with your hands rather than any flame, check the jet, and use a windscreen designed for your stove. A stove that dies with a full, warm canister needs its fuel path cleared.
The rest of the cook kit
Wash pots and pans with hot soapy water and dry them fully. Soot on the outside of a pot is cosmetic, though a light scrub keeps it from transferring to everything in the pack.
Scrub the folding grill and the fire ring grate with a wire brush, then oil lightly to prevent rust.
Rinse and dry the wash basin and dish towels. Nothing in a camp kit should be packed damp.
Clean the cooler at the same time, since the same trip leftovers are in it, using the method in how to clean a cooler and clear a musty smell.
Storage between trips
Store the stove clean and dry, with the fuel disconnected. Never store a stove with a canister attached.
Store propane cylinders outdoors or in a well-ventilated shed, upright, and never inside a house or an occupied space. Check your local fire code, which may set specific limits.
Keep the stove in a hard case or a box that keeps insects out. Half the "broken stove" problems in spring are a spider web in a venturi tube.
Dry, ventilated storage is the same principle behind how to clean a tent and rainfly and our guide to cleaning outdoor gear and equipment.
FAQ
Why is my camp stove flame yellow instead of blue?
A yellow flame means incomplete combustion, usually from blocked burner ports, a clogged fuel jet, or a blocked air intake such as a spider web in the venturi tube. It also produces more carbon monoxide and soot. Clear the ports and jet with the fuel disconnected, then leak test before relighting.
Can you use a camping stove inside a tent?
No. Camping stoves produce carbon monoxide, which is odorless and colorless and builds up quickly in an enclosed space. That includes tents, vestibules, garages, campers, and any enclosed shelter. Cook outdoors in open air, well away from anything flammable, every single time.
How do you unclog a camp stove jet?
Use the cleaning needle or tool the manufacturer supplies, with the fuel fully disconnected and the stove cool. Do not use a drill bit, a needle file, or anything that could enlarge the orifice, since jet size meters fuel precisely and an enlarged jet cannot be repaired.
How do you leak test a propane stove?
Brush soapy water onto the regulator connection, hose, and fittings with the cylinder valve open and the burner unlit. Growing bubbles mean a leak. Shut the gas off immediately, tighten or replace the connection, and retest. Never check for a gas leak with a flame.
Can I wash camp stove parts in the dishwasher?
Grates and removable drip trays are often fine if the manufacturer says so, though harsh detergent can dull finishes. Never put a burner assembly, a valve, a regulator, or anything containing a jet or an igniter in a dishwasher. Those parts are cleaned by hand and dried thoroughly.
How should you store a camping stove over the winter?
Clean and completely dry, with the fuel disconnected and never a canister left attached. Keep it in a closed case or box so insects cannot nest in the burner tubes. Store propane cylinders outdoors or in a well-ventilated shed, upright, never in a house.
Camping trips end with a truckload of gear coming through the door. If keeping up with the rest of the house is the harder job, get a quote or read more about house cleaning services.