How to Clean Your Glass Stovetop
Whether you often find yourself cooking in your kitchen or only frequently use your glass stovetop, this is a kitchen essential that absolutely needs to be cleaned from time to time. Here's how to safely clean your glass stovetop without damaging the glass or using harsh chemicals.
How Often Should a Glass Stovetop Be Cleaned?
The answer to this question varies depending on how often a person uses their stovetop. Typically, glass stovetops should be wiped down and sanitized after every use since this is the primary surface most people use when preparing food.
However, sometimes a pot may boil over or something else may get spilled on the stovetop that requires a bit of extra elbow grease to remove. This is when more heavy-duty cleaning tactics become necessary to get your glass stovetop back in shape.
Here are some of the safest household products and methods of cleaning a glass stovetop that we recommend.
5 Methods for Cleaning Your Glass Stovetop
Although there are many additional ways to clean a glass stovetop, here are the top five ways that those of us here at Tired Mama Resources have tested and approved to clean up stovetop messes.
#1. Vinegar Spray
As with most cleaning tasks, vinegar is a great go-to that is safe and effective for nearly all surfaces. When cleaning your glass stovetop, you can either screw on a sprayer top to your bottle of vinegar (if the container allows for this), or you can pour some vinegar in a spray bottle for easy application. Simply spritz your stovetop and wipe away any gunk or debris with a sponge or cloth.
When there isn't a huge mess and you mainly just need a quick cleanup and to cut some grease from cooking a meal, vinegar is a quick, safe, and easy cleaning solution that won't damage the glass on your cooktop.
#2. Use a Magic Eraser
Although abrasives will need to be used with caution to avoid scratching up your glass stovetop, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are a popular choice for scrubbing away caked-on foods and stains with minimal risk.
These scrubbers are a perfect option for getting those hard-to-clean messes up without resorting to harsh chemicals. Simply add a bit of stovetop-safe cleaner or dish soap to a wet Magic Eraser, and scrub your cooktop as needed until it's clean again.
#3. Combining Baking Soda + Peroxide + Dish Soap
If the mess you've accumulated on your glass stovetop is a force to be reckoned with, this combination may be the way to go.
When combining these three common household items, you'll first want to drizzle some dish soap over the cooled stovetop, sprinkle a bit of baking soda over the soap, and then add some hydrogen peroxide to activate the deep-cleaning fizz you'll soon see appear.
Use a scrubber (e.g., Magic Eraser, soft dish scrubber brush, etc.) to massage this into the heavily soiled areas of the cooktop, and then allow the mixture to sit on the surface for a few minutes to loosen up the last of the gunk, and wipe the area clean.
#4. Glass Cook Top Cleaner
One of the most popular brands of glass stovetop cleaners is Weiman, and their products are an effective way to get your stovetop shiny and clean with a product that was specifically designed for this surface in your kitchen.
Depending on whether you purchase the Cook Top Daily Cleaner or the Glass Cook Top Cleaner & Polish, follow the instructions on the packaging to ensure that you use the product safely and correctly.
#5. Use a Razor Blade Scraper
It'll need to be used with caution and precision, but when something incredibly stubborn gets stuck to your glass stovetop, a razor blade scraper with a handle that allows for a good grip is an option for those who don't mind having a little patience when scraping off burned-on food or liquids.
When using a razor blade to scrape the gunk off your glass stovetop, be sure to wet the surface first to help loosen up someone of whatever has managed to get caked onto your cooktop, and take your time removing it carefully.
What Should Not Be Used on a Glass Stovetop?
Your main priorities when cleaning your glass stove top should be to avoid products that are too abrasive and will scratch and damage the glass and to avoid the use of toxic chemicals since you'll be cleaning an area in which your food is prepared.
Ammonia-based cleaners (i.e., many glass cleaners) should not be used on glass stovetops because the heat from the stovetop will release fumes the next time it is used. Glass stovetop-specific cleaners are your safest bet to avoid this happening.
Additionally, although some abrasives (like the Magic Eraser), are safe to use on a glass stovetop in most scenarios, you should never use any type of scrubber that will significantly scratch the glass surface and leave behind marks. Brillo pads, steel wool/copper scrubbers, scouring pads, and hard scrub brushes are likely to cause notable damage to your stovetop.
More Information
Here at Tired Mama Resources, we pride ourselves on being able to provide accurate and helpful information. The above methods are only the ones our team members have personally tried and found to be successful. (There are plenty more options in addition to these, but we cannot recommend them with confidence, so those have been excluded.) The information provided is done so based on experience, and we are not liable for any damages incurred by those who attempt the same methods and experience damage to their kitchen appliances.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to contact us.
Once your stovetop is clean, here are some additional ways to stay on top of your household cleaning chores, especially if you're short on time.
For more information on cleaning kitchen appliances, check out our guide for How to Clean Your Dishwasher as well.