How to Clean a Glass Stovetop or Cooktop

Glass top stoves are easier to clean than open burner electric or gas stoves. Sometimes, to clean your glass stove or cooktop, all you need is a warm, damp cloth and a dry towel to buff it dry. But, if you have stuck-on stains or burnt-on grease, you need a cleaner, scrubbing pads and tools safe for glass ceramic cooktops.

You can gather these components separately, or reach for an affresh® cooktop cleaning kit that has everything you need to cut through tough, burnt-on residue, and clean and polish your glass stove to a glossy, streak-free shine, when used as directed.

How to Clean a Glass Top Stove, Step-by-Step

Required tools:

Affresh® cooktop cleaning kit: with a glass stove scraper, a scrubbing pad and a bottle of affresh® cooktop cleaner.
Soft cloth for rinsing
A soft, dry polishing cloth, such as a microfiber or lint-free soft towel.

affresh cooking cleaning kit contains cleaner, pad and scraper safe for glass stoves.

Use the scraper to remove burnt-on food debris from the cooktop.

Step 1: Make Sure Your Glass Stovetop is Cool

Most glass top stoves have an indicator light to let you know if the surface is still hot. Wait for the light to turn off before you start cleaning, but don’t wait too long as some stains, especially sugary ones, are harder to remove the longer they sit.

Step 2: Wipe Glass Stovetop to Remove Food Residue and Crumbs

Wipe down the stove with a moist sponge or cloth, removing as much of the crumbs and bits of food as possible. Do not use a scouring pad or abrasive sponge.

Step 3: Scrape Burned-On Food and Grease from the Glass Top

Use the cooktop scraper in your kit to remove any burned-on food from the ceramic glass stovetop.

Squeeze affresh cooktop cleaner liquid onto the soiled area.

Step 4: Apply affresh® glass cooktop cleanser

Shake the bottle of liquid cleanser well. Apply cleaner directly to your glass stovetop, specifically over the areas with the burnt-on food debris. Let it sit for a few minutes to soak into the burnt-on grease and begin to loosen it.

Use the glass or ceramic stove top safe pad or cloth to scrub in circular motions.

Step 5: Scrub the Glass Cooktop Surface

Using the glass top stove cleaning pad in your affresh® kit, rub the cleanser across the cooktop. Since this pad is safe for glass stove tops, it’s okay to lean into it and scrub vigorously if necessary.

Wipe away cleaner with warm damp cloth and buff to a shine.

Step 6: Polish the Glass Stovetop

Wipe away the cleaner with a warm damp cloth. Don’t worry about any cloudiness or streaks at this point – they’ll come out as you buff the surface with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth such as microfiber.

Step 7: Repeat Cooktop Cleaning for Stubborn Burnt-On Food

If you’re left with stubborn bits of burnt-on debris on your glass cooktop after this process, repeat step 3 above, then cover the surface with warm wet towels or paper towels and let them sit for about 30 minutes. Take the towels off, then use the cooktop scraper to remove remaining softened food debris. Then complete steps 4-5.

What should you not use on a glass-top stove?

Avoid these items when it comes to cleaning your glass top stove:

Steel wool and other scrubby sponges
Abrasive powder cleansers
Chlorine bleach
Rust remover
Ammonia
Glass window cleaners

How Do I Keep My Glass Stovetop Clean?

The best way to keep a glass top stove clean is to wipe it down after every use, once it’s cooled down. Use a wet soft towel or keep a bottle of affresh® cooktop cleaner with your cleaning supplies to use after cooking to maintain your glass-top stove’s shiny, sleek appearance.

Can I Use Glass Window Cleaner on My Glass Top Stove?

Although it may seem logical to use glass cleaner on your glass stove top, these cleaners contain ammonia, and they can leave streaks and stains (sometimes permanent) on your glass cooktop. Stick with a cleaner designed for glass top stoves, or use plain vinegar in a pinch.

How Do I Remove Streaks or Cloudiness from My Glass Top Stove?

In most cases, you can help remove streaks and cloudy residue from your glass stovetop by buffing the surface with a clean, lint-free cloth such as microfiber. In some cases, your glass stovetop can become permanently streaked or cloudy from using the wrong cleanser or cleaning it while it is too hot.

Affresh® Cooktop Cleaner for a Streak-Free Shine on Your Glass Stove Top

Even if you don’t have a cooking mess to clean up, use affresh® cooktop cleaner at least monthly to help clean and polish your glass surface for a streak-free shine. It cuts through tough, cooked-on residues without scratching or harming glass cooktop surfaces. The convenient Cooktop Cleaning Kit comes with the scraper, non-abrasive sponges, and glass stove top-safe cleanser. You can get refills of the liquid cleanser separately.