How to Clean a Glass Stove Top (Even Burnt Disasters)

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Have you ever wondered how to clean a glass stove top or get a streak free shine like it was new? Today, I am showing how even the worst disasters can be saved! This tutorial shows how to easily get rid of burnt on residue and water stains using this simple DIY cleaning recipe made with ingredients you probably already have.

How to properly clean a glass stove top title with spotless ceramic glass top stove after cleaning burned food.

Table of Contents

Glass-top stoves can add a sleek, minimalist look to any kitchen design. They also come with the major benefit of not having replace drip pans or burner grates! But if you have a one of these stoves, you need some specific cleaning instructions to make them last or restore.

After 7 years of living with it. we have learned and used all the best tips and methods. Seriously, even the worst disasters including burned on food, melted sugar, and even the dreaded spaghetti sauce explosion.

For this, you need the right cleaners for the job to be effective and efficient. Learn how to clean your glass-top stove without scratching it so that you can keep it looking its best.

Recommend Supplies

I go into more detail under which circumstances to use each product, but this is a handy list of the products we recommend with links provided.

Things You Should NOT Use

Cast Iron or dragging heavy pans across the top
Green Scratch Pads (like Scotch Brite Scrub pads)
Abrasive Cleaners (Comet, bleach, etc)
Baking Soda – this can leave a haze or get into scratches and make it hard to clean out.

Step By Step Instructions

Not all stoves have exactly the same components or materials. Some glass-stove manufacturers offer specific cleaning instructions, including what products and tools to use and when. Often you can find the manuals online with your model number. Here are some general rules of thumb when cleaning your glass stovetop from our experience and research.

Everyday Cleaning

With a smooth glass cooktop, especially black, you definitely want to skip anything abrasive or one that leaves a film. This is the routine I use since I cook every day:

Allow the stove to cool. I like it cool enough to touch but still warm, so food doesn’t get dried and stuck.
Spritz with hot water, vinegar, or use a warm, damp microfiber cloth.
Mr Clean Magic Erasers are also safe and won’t scratch glass.

Tip: A few years ago, I eliminated all cleaning chemicals in my home using these amazing microfiber cloths. The window cloth is seriously magic! If interested, you can see my review of Norwex here.

Black glass top stove surface wiped clean with white towel.

Removing Hardwater Stains or Cloudy Haze

My go-to for hardwater stains or a cloudy haze is Citric Acid (see here). It’s much like vinegar, but stronger. While I don’t use it for everyday cleaning, it is natural, and I actually use it when I can my garden tomatoes.

Citri Acid is found in citrus fruits, but it is weak and diluted in the juice. A powdered citric acid is much stronger.

For a higher concentration cleaning solution (like removing hardwater stains):

Add a tablespoon to 16 ounces of water (4 cups). Stir.
If the citric acid isn’t dissolving, boil the solution until it dissolves and allow to cool.
Spray onto cooktop and leave for a minute or two.
Wipe off with a wet towel and make sure to rinse well.

Spotless surface of a black ceramnic glass gas stove top in kitchen.

The Best Cleaner for Glass Cooktops (store-bought)

If your stovetop is dirtier than an everyday cleaning would fix, there are a few chemicals that are universally safe for glass ceramic stove tops.

I have used Cerama Bryte and Weiman in the past. Both specifically designed for glass ceramic stove tops and not only works well but are easy to use. The Cerama Bryte even comes with a special non-abrasive scrub pad that is safe for your cooktop.

On a cool stove top and after removal of any loose dirt,
squirt it on the cook top and rub and scrub around.
Give it a few minutes to haze over and then clean off with a dry cloth.

Burned Beyond Recognition

As I said and you can see, our glass stove top was beyond neglected. Years of burned on messes had piled up nearly a half inch thick in places! We were so excited to actually see some of the stove that we snapped this pic with a cell phone:

Dirty and damaged surface of a black glass stove and burner.

Anyways, at first, we thought the stove was unable to be saved. However, with a $2100 price tag for a replacement, we developed some major resolve to save the stove.

How did we fully restore it? We were left with only one option: gently using a flat scraper.

Yes, you can use a scraper blade on a glass or ceramic stove top! However, reserve this method for the last resort disasters. In seven years, we have used this method three times to remove messes that wouldn’t come off any other way.

How To Clean Burned Food

Allow the stove to cool.
Loosen the stuck-on dirt by spritzing with hot water and vinegar or citric acid or another cleaner like Cerama Bryte. Leave a few minutes to haze over.
Take a flat scraper and gently go over the top with flat scraper. Keep the scraper at a 30-degree angle or less. The scraper can scratch the surface if you gouge it, but it isn’t too big of a worry.

Woman cleaning a glass stove top with a flat razor knife.

Cleaning Enameled Grates

If you have ceramic, enameled, or cast-iron grates, do not use a flat scraper on them. You can use the Cerama Bryte or try soaking them to loosening the grime and use a wooden spoon to nudge hard bits off.

If soaking them doesn’t work, you can try mixing a ¼ cup of baking soda per gallon into the water. The stains should release, but I don’t use this too often as I have heard that strong acids or bases can etch enamel or porcelain.

Want More Cleaning Tips? These Tutorials Bring out the Sparkle:

And here it is today! This 20-year-old stove still works great!

Spotless black surface of a black GE glass top gas stove in marble counter.

FAQs

What should you not use on a glass top stove?

Unless you have raised grates like some glass cooktops, you should not use cast iron or drag heavy pots across them. For cleaning, do not use anything that is abrasive like Comet, steel wool, or green scrub pads. Magic erasers are fine to use.

Can you use Windex on a glass stove top?

Commercial glass cleaners are not designed to be used on glass stove tops. The ammonia is too strong, and any residue left behind will streak and stain, especially when the stove heat is turned on.

Do glass top stoves scratch easily?

They are more prone to scratches from heavy pans, metal utensils, and harsh cleaners than other types of stoves if you do not have grates such as those on a gas stove.

Is a ceramic cooktop the same as a glass cooktop?

Although they may be called by different names, all flat-top cook stoves are made of a glass-ceramic blend. That means they are the essentially the same thing although each appliance company has a trademarked name for its proprietary process and blend of glass-ceramic.

Weekend DIY project. A pegboard organizer in the craft room above the desk workspace.

More Cleaning And Organization Tips

Copper is a lovely addition to a home’s decorating style or cookware, but I was hesitant to bring out my grandmother's heavily tarnished copper canisters for cleaning until I learned about this genius trick! — Cleaning Tarnished Copper

Woman standing in front of a shelf selecting bath products. — Cleaning Tarnished Copper

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