Flat Glass Stove Tops

Updated on January 15, 2009
K.B. asks from Somerville, OH
36 answers

I am a horrible cook. I just baught a house, and with it came a flattop glass stove. I have boiled over 4 different things already. There are crusty burnt on stuff on the stove and it looks just terrible. I simply don't know how to clean the top without scratching it up. I also don't know if residues left behind will make a difference next time I cook. I also have friends coming out for dinner in a week and would like everything to look nice.
If anyone has any suggestions on cleaning the top off in a safe and effective manner I would so greatly appericate it!

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Between the advice on here, and my mothers advice I got the top pretty clean! I started with soft scrub on a cold top. Let sit for 15 minutes and then scrubed in with scrub pads made for glass tops. I got that all cleaned off and did it again, this time put the soft scrub on, let the top heat up just a little, turned back off, let sit for a few minutes and scrubbed agian. I topped it off with Easy-off glass top cleaner from Walmart. It's shiny! There are a couple really small spots that I can find by really looking hard but otherwise it's clean. Thank you sooo much for all the advice!!!

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.N.

answers from Cincinnati on

Others have mentioned it, but not all together. Cerami-Brite from Lowes, is a little bottle that works wonders. Use Scotch brand blue/scrubber sponge and a razor blade or package cutter blade. Remember that the top is made of glass - it is like cleaning a really gunked up window, but you need to cut through the grease and grime. [Do not use a window cleaner on it!] It may take some elbow grease and some water in with it to soak the grimey layers off but it will come out great. I have had my cooktop three years and it cleans up like brand new.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.H.

answers from Columbus on

There is a product called bars keepers friend its at most stores in cleaning section. its a powder works wonderfully, just spread on wipe with damp cloth wont scratch

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.J.

answers from Cincinnati on

Dear K.,
There is cleaner you can buy at Walmart especially for glass top ovens. You will have to work at it with a diposable glove & a rag. L. J

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.H.

answers from Bloomington on

I have a glass top stove also. I have found the best cleaning product for them is found at sears. Go there and ask for Cook top cleaning creme. Shake it up and place on those nasty spots. Take paper towel or a dry washcloth and use it to scrub until the spots come off. It may take several times doing this before it actually comes off due to it being on there for awhile. The more you cook with that stuff on your glass top the harder later to get off. Once you get it all off place more on your stove top and treat it like putting wax on a car. Spread it everywhere and let it dry then just take it off with towel or washcloth. This will help protect it. I have tried several products and this is the best one yet. Also if you have really bad black crust on your stove there are plastic scrapers that you can get from tupperware or pampered chef that lay flat on the surface where you can scrap it after putting the cleaner on it. Hope this helps.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.E.

answers from Cleveland on

Walmart sells Weiman glass cook top cleaner. Use it with the rough part of your kitchen sponge over the whole top. Then clean it off with a wet wash cloth. It will look shiny and new!!! I have one to and this is the only thing that will clean it off. It works perfectly.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.E.

answers from Indianapolis on

I had a flat top stove and it came with a scraper (straight razor) and a cleaner.....you should be able to find these items in any store that sells the stoves. Use the scraper to remove the crusty stuff and the cleaner will take care of the residue. Hope this helps :-)

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.C.

answers from Fort Wayne on

Don't scrape anything!!! You will totally ruin the stove! I am also guilty of boiling things over, usually potatoes. I take a wet dishrag, turn the burner on just till it's warm, then wipe the burner with the wet dishrag. It works almost every time! After I get the crusties off, I use the glass stove cleaner. You don't need a ton,but it works best if all the major gunk is washed off first. This is my first glass top stove, so I'm learning too! I was told right away to NEVER EVER use a magic eraser or a knife to scrape anything off. Hope that helps!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.L.

answers from Cincinnati on

Hi K., I clean my glass top stove with glass cleaner and a razor knife. No, It does not scratch it but,,,, you have to make sure your surface is wet before you start scrapping. You can also buy a cleaner for your glass top but,I went that route for a while and really the best thing I have found is windex. Very Important: never spray when stove is warm...You can also rub a little butter around your pasta pot so you do not get the boiled over mess.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.R.

answers from Indianapolis on

There are several ways to clean that stove top.
You know you have to soften the stuff first of all. Moistening it with a damp cloth then using a scraper (plastic type I have several I got from Pampered Chef that do a great job) to get it off and finishing up with a glass cleaner is one way.
Moistening it with a spray on cleaner and letting it set for several minutes then using a scraper or one of the scrubber things that are on the sponges (you know the kind you get for teflon coated pans) will work too.
I would make sure I put a very light coat of oil on the stove top with a dry cloth when it is cleaned off. I do mean very light. It will make it look shiny and bright and will prevent things from sticking to it when you cook making the clean up easier. Sink oil works well, but so does Skin So Soft by Avon. It takes cooking oil off cabinets, soap scum off shower walls, and gum out of hair too.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.F.

answers from Toledo on

Well, I don't have a flat top, but the first thing that came to my mind was to gently scrape it off with a butter knife or some other flat edge. I'm not sure if it will scratch or not, I always assumed they had some sort of protection for scratches. I do know that most places that sell them also sell cleaners specifically for them, so maybe look into that.

As for boiling over...

If you're not familiar with cooking with an electric stove, here is the most important thing to remember. Unless you are trying to get water to boil, NEVER cook anything at a higher temp than medium. When you need to remove the something from the heat, don't simply turn off the burner, you need to actually move the pan to a different area that is cool. Electric stoves take longer to cool down than they do to heat up. That was my biggest challenge when I went from gas to electric. Now I've been cooking on electric for so long that I screw things up on a gas stove. LOL!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.W.

answers from Columbus on

Do not fear! There is glass stove top cleaner out there. You can find it at Walmart, Home Depot, Sears, etc. Make sure you get the non scratch pads (blue ones) to use. We find it works best not to wet the pad (it gives you more leverage to clean the tough spots). Squeeze the cleaner on the top, let it set for a SHORT time then clean. I then wet my pad to wipe off the whole stove and rinse out the pad for next time. It looks great!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.J.

answers from Evansville on

I also have a flat glass stove top and I know how easy it is to make a mess on it! Mine came with a bottle of cleanser and a scratch-free scrubbing pad. I recently ran out of the cleanser and discovered that they carry it at our Super Wal-mart. At our store it is close to the Pledge products. And there are replacement scrubbing pads beside it(not by the sponges like you would expect). This stuff works great and says it is specially made for glass top stoves. Sometimes all of the burnt spots don't come off the first time and I have to clean a couple of times. My mom scrubbed hers once with something that wasn't scratch-free and it left scratches. Good luck! It sounds like you're doing a great job juggling a lot of responsibilities.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.L.

answers from Toledo on

I find that if you forget to wipe up any spill over, you can lay wet towels over the stove top. It allows the hardened stuff to become softer to remove. Then I use a product from Lowe's called Cerami-Brite. It works really well. It is a little more expensive than the grocery store stuff, but works way better. If it doesn't come off the first application, just keep applying & it will come off.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.G.

answers from Fort Wayne on

We have a stove like that & we just use dish soap, warm water, & a green scotch brite scouring pad. The scouring pad doesn't scratch the stove top at all. It's a lot cheaper than buying the special cleaners or kits they make for this type of stove.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.D.

answers from Toledo on

K.~
Sounds like much of the same advise. I can tell you the last gal mentioned the Cerami-Brite and it is AWESOME!! I am in the same boat as you. We bought a house that had one and I love it but knew nothing about it. Luckily both my mom and mom-in-law have them so I have been able to talk with them. The Cerami-Brite comes with its own yellow scrubber pads and a tool where you can safely use a razor blade to scratch off the baked on grease. Just use the cleaner when the top is cool and if you do it enough the stuff will come off. My stove was the same way and with a little effort (no razor) it has done wonders. Congrats on the new house and good luck with your get together.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

F.G.

answers from Cincinnati on

K., they actually sell a product made just for glass top stoves. It is abrasive--I clean houses and have used that with a blue kitchen scrubbie/sponge without scratching the glass. Make sure you don't get it on the stove part because that will probably scratch.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Cincinnati on

I also bought a house with a glass top stove that was all crusty. Look at the store (I found it with the cooking utensils/stove accessories) for glass stove top cleaner. It is a kit with non-scratch cleaner, a cleaning sponge and a scraper. Mine is by Range Kleen. I bought it at Meijer. I had to scrub the stove long and hard the first time, but after that it was simply a matter of maintenance. Good luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.K.

answers from Indianapolis on

THere are stove glass top cleaners that you can buy specifically for that. DONT use anything that will scratch it. In addition, if something is boiling over, or about to....blow on it. It will stop immediately. Just turn the heat down and stir frequently.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.M.

answers from Elkhart on

growing up and still to this day mom has always had a glass top stove. From way back when they first came out with them.try using soft scrub for glass tops. it's what we always used growing up. With 3 girls at home learning and helping mom in the kitchen it was alwys a mess somewhere.

As for boiling over the advantage of a glasstop is they hold the heat for quite a while. my mom alwyas brings to a boil then turns the burner off. this allows the heat from the burner to disapate under the pan and your food still gets cooked. just be sure to put a cover over whatever it is your cooking to help hold the heat in the pan.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.N.

answers from Columbus on

K., try oven cleaner, it works great on my stove top, and it don't harm the finish.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.S.

answers from Toledo on

I used to have one of those cooktops at my old house and made quite a mess most of the time! Dont cook if there is stuff stuck on there! You can go to any place that sells appliances and ask them about a cleaner. I know there are certain cleaners to use but I can't remember the name since it's been about two years since I had one. One time a dish literally exploded on my cooktop and once it cooled down I think my husband actually used something like windex and a razor blade to scrape the crusted on food. But I would talk to someone at a store like Sears first. Or check the manual of the previous owner left it. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.F.

answers from Indianapolis on

I use a Magic Eraser (can find them in the cleaning products aisle), and it really is magic =-)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Cleveland on

Go to Home Depot and get something called Cerama Bryte. It works on my glass cooktop stove and also invest in a razor blade to GENTLY scrape the burnt stuff off. I also use a Majic Sponge when I clean my stove.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Cleveland on

Hi, K.! I always use baking soda, because it doesn't scratch. I dump a pile in my sink, get my cloth pretty wet, but not dripping, dab the wet cloth into the soda and scrub my stove. If it's really stuck on there, you may need to make a paste with the soda and water and let it sit on it for a while to soften it up. It will work, believe me!! Happy scrubbing!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.C.

answers from Mansfield on

You can get cooktop cleaner at the store. You just squirt a little on and wipe it with a paper towel. You can also use a razor blade to scrape off the burt-on areas. You might consider using the cleaner every time you use the stove if there are spills, etc.

Hope this helps.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.C.

answers from South Bend on

HI K.!
You can get a cleaner at Walmart. It is with the Bar Keeper, etc. It is specifically for glass top stoves. I had a gas stove before this one. It took a little getting used to be now i LOVE my glass top stove. It is so easy to clean! The most important thing to remember...If the light is on telling you the top is still warm DO NOT CLEAN THE STOVE TOP! You have to wait till the top cools or you can crack the stove top.

I have found for burnt on stuff i use a small plastic scrapper i received with my pampered chef stones and it works great the get the crusties off then us the stove top cleaner to finish up!
N.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from Toledo on

There is a product called Scour Off by Shaklee. Works incredibly well and no scratches. Matter fact it is chemical free as are all of the cleaning products Shaklee has and they are ALL 100% money back guaranteed. Check at my web livingwithsolutions.com
Good Luck
S.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Indianapolis on

I don't know about glass stop stoves, but for cleaning anything stuck on, soaking is the best help. Try putting a wet cloth over the spot to soak it.

As far as becoming a better cook, just don't be in such a hurry. I know this from experience! And if you do have to walk away from the stove for a few, set a timer so it will remind you to get back there and check on things.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.

answers from Dayton on

I use a powdered cleanser called Bar Keeper's Friend. It is like Comet, but safe for the glass top. I try to clean up spills right away, before they burn on and make it harder to clean up.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Cincinnati on

hello, I use a product called Cook Top- it is a cleaning creme for smooth top ranges. I bought it at sears, it is a small white bottle. All I do is use something non abrasive to scratch off the burnt on mess and then rub quite a bit of this creme on the stove and it comes right off!
Hopes this helps

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.E.

answers from Indianapolis on

I own a residential cleaning service and for glass top stoves I use a cleaner that is just for glass tops. Also there is a tool that looks like a flat razor with a handle that is used just for glass tops as well to scrap away the brunt brown spots.
If that doesn't work put a wet Micro fiber towel in the microwave get it as hot as you can stand it, lay it over the burnt spots for a minute and it should loosen it up enough to wipe it off.

S.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.

answers from Cleveland on

We use Soft Scrub and a sponge. It has not caused scratches.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.W.

answers from Cincinnati on

There is a product just for that in the appliance section of the big box hardware stores. I bought it and it works great a bit expensive but does work.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.H.

answers from Youngstown on

I would squirt some Basic H2 and a little water on it and let it soak. It is safe for your son and the planet. Best of all it is very economical. Let me know if you want more info. I use Basic H2 in my son's bathwater, clean the windows and take rust of nails and everything in between. Because it is natural, I even have my two year son help me clean! Congrats onthe new house.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.F.

answers from Cincinnati on

The razor blade sounds kinda dangerous to me, but my friend gave me a little scraper from Pampered Chef that works well. It's a brown flat plastic square and I use it with the glass top cleaner and a little water. Sometimes with fresh spills I put a little water on the area and let it sit for awhile and then it just wipes right off. Congratulations on your new home! Also, better cooking comes with time, experimentation and practice. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Raising a child by yourself and working nights must be really tough. God bless you!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions

Related Searches