How to clean a glass top stove

Well, I have to tell you, I never thought I'd be writing about something like this, but after weeks of struggle, I've found the need to share my failures and triumphs from Lewisville.  I've lived in several homes throughout the past few years.  Each one has had it's own unique quirks and special features.  Our last two houses however, have had something "special" that I've never worked with before; a little something that I've found challenging when it comes to maintenance and quite frankly, challenging when it comes to cooking. It is the electric stove...dadadum.  

Can you see my size 6 toesies?  hehehe

After several years of living in California, where by the way I think they have it right by using gas stoves, I was introduced to the electric stove.  First of all, cooking is not the same when using an electric stove.  Do I hear an AMEN!  Secondly, the mess that it makes is beyond anything I've experienced with a gas range.  Add to this the fact that I now live a mile above sea level and have to work with high altitude cooking challenges.  Let's just say, it's been an adventure for me when it comes to cooking on this beautiful, shiny stove.  Trust me, it usually looks more like this after a meals is produced.

Can you tell which is my favorite burner?

 Pretty gross, right?  It's pretty common for this glass top stove to look this messy after just one meal being cooked.  Is there any wonder there are so many post about cleaning the glass top stove?  These babies get Dir-Tee with a capital D!  In the last couple of weeks I think I've tried every cleaning trick ever written about these stoves.  First there was the "just use baking soda" trick.  You're supposed to sprinkle baking soda and add water to make a paste.  Let it sit for a few minutes and it will scrub off all nice and clean. LIE!

 Then there's the add "baking soda and a little bit of Dawn dish soap to a hot rag" trick. I love Dawn dish soap and I use it for everything, so I thought for sure this will work.  Again, let it sit for a few minutes and it will wipe right off.  Again, not working!

Then I decided to used Dawn dish soap with hydrogen peroxide.  It makes a great stain remover for the laundry which I posted about earlier this year, and I thought maybe, just maybe, it will break through the burned caked on food.  Nope, not a chance.

 A few weeks ago I posted about cleaning my oven with a non-toxic method.  I came up with my own recipe to clean the inside of oven and it worked beautifully.  So of course, this stuff would work on the glass top, right?  WRONG!

 Every time I tried something, I was left with the burned food rings around the burners.  These stubborn rings weren't budging.

 So, for weeks I tried every pinterest and google trick I could find.  Nothing was working until I came across this little box opener in my tool box.  Seriously, I had never seen it in my tool box before, but when I did, I immediately thought of my stove.  My mom had told me they make "scrapers" for glass top stoves, but I had never seen one before; therefore, didn't know where to even buy one.  My inexperience with this fine piece of machine is really shining through, isn't it?  I'm such a rookie!

I took my "scraper" and gently scraped the grime.  It was working ok, but I decided to add a little soapy hot water to soften the gunk while I worked.  Gunk is a word, right?

 Now it's coming off!

 A little elbow grease and some patience got my glass top all nice and clean again.  Look how pretty she looks now!

 You can actually see the letters again.

And since we're cleaning the stove, we might as well go all the way and CLEAN the stove.  Take off the knobs and make sure to clean behind there.  That little opening is perfect for all your homemade goodness to get germified.

 Next,  lets just go for it and pull the stove out so we can clean the side walls.  Build in stoves are a blessing for this reason alone.  If you can pull it out though, you're sure to find some food that's spilled over from all those delicious recipes you've been trying. 

 I use a 50/50 vinegar and water mix to clean countertops and appliances.    Works great.  I actually use it everynight to clean the glass top also, but it obviously doesn't do as good of a job.

Don't forget to vacuum the floor where the stove sits and mop it if needed.  I had lots of little scraps back here.

 And that's it.  My stove is finally clean!  To keep it that way, I'll be cleaning it every night with hot soapy water instead of vinegar and water.  Also, after something burns and spills over (it's sure to happen here in Lewisville) I know I have to clean it right away after the stove is cool enough to work on. 

By the way, I did find a stove scraper from a few places.  They're about $10 and well worth it I think.    Range Kleen 686 Range Kleen Smooth Top Range Scraper (Google Affiliate Ad)

Look at the difference again!

Now that's what I'm talking about!  Do you have a stove that needs some "love".  Hope this helps!

Blessings,

Lisa

I link all my projects with some wonderful blogs.  To visit them, go to the {Link Party Love} page found at the top of this page on the {Home} bar.
Also linking to:
Between Naps on the Porch
Savvy Southern Style
No Minimalist Here
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Saved by Love Creations 
Miss Mustard Seed
Funky Junk Interiors
Coastal Charm 
Restore Interiors
Tip  Junkie

Common Ground