Are you wondering how to clean your new electric stovetop? First and foremost, it’s vital to use the best cleaners and methods when cleaning up after cooking. A clean surface prevents damage to the glass and helps allow the burner to distribute the heat properly. Use this guide to clean a glass stovetop in most common scenarios.
Wiping Your Cooktop After Use
To help get the best results, clean the cooktop briefly after each use. Doing so will reduce the overall amount of grease that piles up due to smaller spills. It will also become a part of the cooking routine and won’t take as much time as deep-cleaning.
You’ll need a cloth (but a simple rag will do) and some warm water or vinegar.
Step 1: Allow the Cooktop to Cool
Never clean the cooktop while it’s still hot. For everyday cleaning, allow the stovetop to cool completely. Unfortunately, by this point, most people are eating the food they prepared, so daily cleaning is often left until after the meal.
Step 2: Cleaning Glass Stovetop
Spritz the glass with vinegar or warm water, then wipe it down with the cloth. We recommend using softer material rather than scrub brushes. After the glass is clean, dry it with some paper towels or a clean rag to prevent streaks.
Step 3: Use Clean Pans
Sometimes dirt on the cooktop comes from the undersides of dirty pans. Water can also leave deposits when heated up. If you see some mineral deposits on the glass, you can use a glass top stove cleaner to buff them out.
How to Deep Clean a Glass Cooktop
If you’re dealing with more than simple stains, you’ll want to perform a thorough cleaning to give the glass a new sheen. If you’re using the stove regularly, consider deep-cleaning on a schedule, for example, once or twice a month. This will make it less of a hassle.
For this, you’ll need more than vinegar alone can provide. We recommend using affresh® Cooktop Cleaner, or the affresh® Cooktop Cleaning Kit, which includes a plastic scraper and scrub pads to remove hardened spills and burnt residue. Alternatively, you can use some baking soda to expedite the cleaning process.
Step 1: Prepare the Cooktop
Again, let the stove cool down before cleaning it. Use a scraping tool at a roughly 45-degree angle to remove any burnt-on food residue to avoid scratching the glass surface.
Shake the cooktop cleaner before use, then spritz small amounts on the glass portion of the cooktop. Rub the cleaner in with a soft cloth or non-abrasive pad or sponge, making sure to avoid any steel areas. Let the cooktop cleaner work for a few minutes, then wipe with a dry cloth.
Step 2: Clean the Stainless Steel
Now that the glass surface is clean, you can use a wet cloth to wipe down all the other parts of the cooktop. If you see some streaks or hardened spills, spray some stainless steel cleaner and buff them out with a rag. Don’t use abrasive cleaning products, gritty washcloths, or steel wool, since they can scratch the surface.
Step 3: Wash Knobs
If the cooktop knobs are sticky, you might want to wash them as well. In most modern models, you can pull the knobs directly from the cooktop. Make sure to keep the rubber seal on the knob at all times. Knobs can be washed with some dish soap in the sink, but don’t soak them in water for too long. Dry them thoroughly before you plug them back into the stove.
Cleaning Up Burnt-On Spills From a Glass Top Stove
When the piled-on gunk can’t be removed from the glass easily, it’s time to bring out the big guns. The hardened rings around the burner probably won’t come out with a simple buffing and will need more work to remove.
If you’ve spilt anything sugary (syrup, candy, gelatin), you need to move quickly before it sticks. The spill can be removed, but may cause permanent marks.
For considerable gunk and burnt-on rings, you’ll need a plastic scraper. You can also use a cooktop cleaner and a cloth to buff the surface out when you’re done.
Step 1: Let it Cool a Bit
While we usually recommend letting the stovetop cool entirely, this might not be feasible for more significant spills. Exercise caution and don’t start cleaning while the burner is still on and the glass is hot. However, the glass needs to be somewhat warm to prevent the spills from drying out and sticking. Put on some oven mitts while working for additional protection.
Step 2: Scrape It Out
Hold the scraper at an angle and scrape the spill off. Don’t force the corner of the scraping tool into the glass, or you risk scratching and damaging the stovetop. Use a soft cloth to wipe away the food from the stove as you’re working. Repeat until the glass is clean.
Step 3: Cleaning a Glass Stovetop
Use a glass cleaner or warm water to remove any remaining residue. Wipe with a dry cloth or paper towel to prevent staining. A glass cooktop cleaner will help remove the burnt-on rings and make them less noticeable over time.
