It's best to wipe up spills as they happen when you are cooking. But when you're in the midst of making a culinary masterpiece, that's the last thing on your mind. Now your glass top stove is full of caked on food, grease stains and yuck. Even if you don't have any commercial cleaners, though, there are a few great do-it -yourself cleaning tips that will get your glass top stove sparkling again.
Getting Prepared
Glass top stoves aren't like your standard stove tops, but you won't need anything special to clean them. Instead, look in your pantry for:
- Baking soda
- White vinegar in a spray bottle
- Bowl
- Dish soap (Dawn works best for cutting grease.)
- Water
- Scraper or razorblade
- Dish towel or sponge
- Microfiber cloth
1. Soften Residue
Note: Before trying to clean the stove make sure it is completely cooled.
First, get your stove free of debris. Fill the bowl with about a cup or two of hot water and add a few squirts of dish soap. Using the sponge, apply a generous amount of the mixture to the glass top. Let it sit for about five minutes. This will help to soften up some of that residue before you get into the deep cleaning.
2. Remove Debris
Wipe down the entire stove. Don't worry about scrubbing at this point. You just want to get the main residue off the glass so it's clean.
3. Sprinkle Baking Soda
After the glass top is fairly dry, sprinkle baking soda on to any stains, burns and baked-on grease. This will typically be in the area of the burners.
- Since it can be difficult to sprinkle baking soda, it is helpful to put it in something like an old parmesan cheese container or even spice container. This will help you to get an even sprinkle.
4. Add Vinegar
Spray the baking soda with the white vinegar. Allow this to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. You need to give the baking soda and vinegar ample time to do their thing.
5. Remove Mixture
Using the sponge or the dish towel, wipe away the baking soda mixture.
6. Scrape Away Remaining Stains or Residue
Evaluate the area and look for any remaining stains or residue. Use the razorblade to scrap these areas clean. Make sure to do this with caution since you don't want to scratch your glass surface.
- When using the razorblade make sure the surface is a little wet. Add some dish soap and water to leave a buffer for the razor. Additionally, make sure to use the blade with the edge flat against the surface. Never use the side or corners since this will scratch the stove top. When using the razor, you want to use a gentle back and forth motion. With a little caution, the likely hood of scratching anything is very little.
- If the thought of using a razor blade still leaves you squeamish, there are other alternative scrapers available made specifically for ceramic tops.
7. Rinse
Rinse the area with water.
8. Spray and Buff
Spray down the entire stove again with plain vinegar. Use the microfiber cloth to buff the glass top and leave a nice shine.
Spot Cleaning
Sometimes you don't need to clean your entire stove. Maybe you just have a splash of grease that burned in or small spaghetti stain. If you just need to do a little spot cleaning, there are a few good tricks that you can file among basic house cleaning tips.
- Mix baking soda and water into a paste and let it sit on the stain for about 10 minutes. Wipe away and the spot should be removed.
- Try grabbing a magic eraser and scrubbing the spot.
- For stuck on grease, try using dish soap to break up the grease first. Mix dish soap and water and allow it to sit for several minutes. This will help to break up the grease before scrubbing. It can also save your arms.
Commercial Cleaners
Sometimes, you can't get away from using a commercial cleaner, especially if your DIY methods just aren't cutting it. It can also be effective to use a commercial cleaner once in a while just to give your stove a nice thorough cleaning, and some products may even help remove scratches in the glass. While there aren't any real time limits for using commercial cleaners, typically using them once a month to clean or for polishing in between DIY methods or to give a thorough cleaning is helpful (especially if your culinary dreams went up in smoke).
Sparkling Stove Once More
While you might think that you need commercial cleaners to get that nightmare off your beautiful glass top stove, baking soda and vinegar can be your best friends. Not only can they remove scum and stuck on grease, but they can give it a nice polished look. You can try it in the oven too.
