Glass and ceramic cooktops look sleek when clean but show every spill and smear. Burnt-on food becomes increasingly difficult to remove the longer it's left — cleaning after every use, once the surface has cooled, prevents most build-up.
Standard Clean (After Every Use)
- Allow the cooktop to cool completely — cleaning a hot glass surface can cause thermal cracking
- Wipe loose debris with a damp microfibre cloth
- Apply a few drops of dish soap to the cloth and wipe the entire surface
- Wipe clean with a damp cloth, then buff dry with a clean dry cloth to prevent water spots and streaks
Burnt-On Food and Residue
- Sprinkle baking soda generously over the burnt areas
- Wet a cloth with hot water, wring it out, and lay it flat over the baking soda
- Let sit for 15–20 minutes — the steam and baking soda soften the burnt residue
- Use a non-scratch cooktop scrubber or the damp cloth with baking soda to scrub in circular motions
- Wipe clean and dry
Stubborn Burnt Residue — Razor Blade Method
For residue that baking soda doesn't fully remove:
- Wet the cooktop surface
- Hold a single-edge razor blade at a 30-degree angle (very low angle — almost flat against the surface)
- Gently scrape the burnt residue — the low angle lifts the residue without scratching the glass
- Use only single-edge blades, never abrasive pads, and never scrape dry
- Wipe clean after scraping
Finishing Shine
After cleaning, apply a small amount of cooktop polish or cream (available at hardware and appliance stores) to the cooktop and buff with a dry cloth — this fills micro-scratches and gives a streak-free shine that makes future cleaning easier.
What to Avoid
- Abrasive scrubbers or steel wool — permanently scratch glass surfaces
- Bleach or ammonia — can damage the cooktop surface and seals
- Spills boiling over — wipe spills while they're fresh; sugar in particular bonds strongly to hot glass and is very difficult to remove once hardened
- Sliding heavy cast iron pans across the surface — they scratch glass