Are you frustrated and wondering how to remove cloudiness from your glass top stove (or how to clean a glass hob for the UK folks)? I was too and I’m here to tell you that it’s possible to clean that black glass stove top surface again without using expensive cleaners or specialized tools.
We bought a brand new stove with a black ceramic glass top a few months ago. I was so excited that I wouldn’t have to clean any stove drip pans or burner rings ever again. It was so shiny and new!
Then we used it a few times and, even though I was diligent about wiping it down after every single use, a white haze was left on the ceramic glass top stove surface that just wouldn’t come off, no matter how hard I scrubbed. I realized I didn’t know how to clean black glass stove top surfaces.
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If you have accidentally melted plastic onto your stove top, here’s how to remove melted plastic from stove tops.
How to clean black glass stove tops
So I went down the Google rabbit hole and learned how to remove cloudiness from a glass top stove. Through research, trial and error I learned that there are only 3 things you need to get that white film off your black glass top stove – dawn, baking soda and a citric acid solution!
Fun fact: Citric acid is the stronger, more powerful cousin of vinegar and is very effective in dissolving those mineral deposits that cause the majority of cloudiness on your ceramic glass top stove. In my research, I found citric acid to be an ingredient in many commercial glass top stove cleaners.
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Why is my glass cooktop cloudy?
Wondering why your ceramic glass top stove is cloudy? Most of the white stains on your ceramic glass cook top are caused by food or calcium and magnesium mineral deposits from hard water. Cookware that is wet on the bottom can cause rings of cloudy, white or iridescent hard-water stains on your cooktop when it heats up.
Food spills or water boiling over the sides of pots and pans onto a hot burner is another common cause of cloudy stove glass tops. Other hot, oily or colored liquids left too long on a hot surface can also cause discoloration of the glass surface.
Other causes of ceramic glass stove top discoloration include sliding your cookware around on the stovetop, food remnants on the bottoms of pots and pans that melt onto the hot glass top stove during cooking, or cooking utensils dripping liquids onto the hot cooktop.
Let’s move on to how to clean a black glass stove top.
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How To Remove Cloudiness From Glass Top Stoves
Here’s how to clean black glass stove top and how to remove the cloudiness from your glass cooktop. Make sure to wipe the glass top stove with a damp cloth first to remove any debris, then follow these steps:
Step 1 – Dish soap to lubricate and soften the surface
The first step to remove residue, burnt on stains and cloudiness from your glass top stove is to squirt some Dawn dishwashing liquid on the ceramic glass top stove, paying particular attention to the most prominent stains.
Step 2 – Baking soda as a safe, mild abrasive
Then sprinkle baking soda all over the Dawn that you previously applied.
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Step 3 – Citric acid to dissolve mineral stains
Grab your spray bottle of 2 tablespoons of citric acid powder mixed into hot water and spray it all over the baking soda and Dawn. It will bubble just like vinegar does when mixed with baking soda.
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Step 4 – Spread the mixture to soften
Use your fingers to spread the bubbling mixture all over the ceramic glass top stove and let that sit for 20-30 minutes (depending on how heavy the stains are) to work its magic to soften the stains. If you’re dealing with burnt stains on your glass top stove, you can soak a towel in hot water and place it on the surface to help soften the deposits.
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Step 5 – Scrub your black glass top stove
After you’ve let the mixture sit, take a microfiber cloth or a sponge and rub the mixture into your stove top using a circular motion. Continue rubbing the mixture in, concentrating on the stubborn spots, until most of the stains have been wiped clean.
For more stubborn stains, you may need to use a Magic eraser (also known as melamine foam) for more cleaning power. The melamine foam acts as an extremely fine sandpaper that cleans without scratching the glass.
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Step 6 – Wipe off all cleaning solutions
Next, wipe off all the Dawn, baking soda and citric acid mixture from your ceramic glass stove top with your microfiber cloth. Make sure you have a sink or bucket full of warm water to rinse the soapy mixture from your cloth. Keep wiping and rinsing until there are no suds or traces of baking soda left on your glass stove top.
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Step 7 – Use a razor blade scraper to remove burnt on food or mineral deposits
If you find there are still burnt on stains or mineral deposits on your glass stovetop, use a razor blade scraper at a 45 degree angle to scrape them off. Make sure that the surface is always lubricated with water when using a razor blade. If the blade is in good condition and held at the proper 45 degree angle, it is perfectly safe and nothing will be scratched.
Step 8 – Buff it up
Once you have wiped the ceramic glass stove top clean and removed all debris, use some newspapers to shine it up. Newspapers are lint-free and will leave your glass top stove shiny and streak free. If you don’t have newspapers, a clean, dry microfiber cloth will do the job.
If you still need to remove stubborn burn marks from the glass stove top, simply sprinkle more baking soda over them and spray with your citric acid mixture. Let sit another 10-15 minutes and repeat the process. There’s no need to use the Dawn again, as the stains have already been softened.
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Can you ruin a glass top stove?
While it’s rare to completely ruin a ceramic glass top stove, there are certain things that can make them more difficult to maintain.
Cast iron pots and pans
Cast iron is very heavy and ceramic glass top stoves are glass! It’s not recommended, but if you’re going to use cast iron cookware, be very careful placing it on the glass so you don’t crack it and break it. Also, make sure there is no buildup on the bottom of your cast iron cookware that could melt to the hot glass surface.
Be careful moving pots and pans around
Always pick up your pots and pans when using your glass top stove to avoid scratching the glass surface. Don’t drag or slide them around while cooking.
Boil overs
Liquids that boil over the pan sides can cause staining and deposits when they land on the hot surface of your glass top stove. Try to avoid boil overs by using a large enough pot or pan, less liquid, or a lower temperature setting.
A quick tip to avoid pasta water boiling over is to place a wooden spoon across the surface of the pot or blow on the bubbles to make them subside. If you do experience a boil over or other spill, clean up the spills as soon as possible once the burner has cooled a little.
Never stand on your ceramic glass top stove
Most glass top stoves are rated to hold only 50 lbs. Use a step stool instead to reach above it. If you place more weight than 50 lbs on your glass top stove, it is highly likely to break. Do not put heavy items on your glass stove top either, even for a short time.
Cooking utensils
Don’t leave cooking utensils on a warm cooktop while you cook. Liquid and food on these utensils can stain or burn onto the ceramic glass top stove. If this happens, clean it quickly and thoroughly. To avoid this issue, use a utensil or spoon rest to place your cooking utensils on.
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What should you not use on a ceramic glass top stove?
Never use a metal scrubber or SOS pad on your ceramic glass top stove. They will scratch the surface. Use a stiff cleaning brush, old toothbrush, sponge, microfiber cloth or Magic Eraser (melamine sponge) instead.
Don’t use abrasive chemical cleaners like Ajax or Comet. They are too harsh for black glass top stoves and can cause surface scratches.
Although Windex may seem like a natural cleaning solution for your black glass stove top, it contains ammonia which can leave iridescent stains when heated. If you do use Windex on your glass stove top, make sure to rinse it well with water and wipe with a soft cloth to remove all traces.
Can scratches be removed from ceramic glass top stoves?
If you regularly use this Dawn, baking soda and citric acid combination to clean your ceramic glass top stove, you shouldn’t have many issues with scratches as the baking soda will get into the fine cracks and fill them.
If you find you do have scratches that you would like to eliminate, these 6 black glass stove top scratch repair ideas will help leave your ceramic black glass top stove shiny and smooth.
If this solution to remove cloudiness from glass top stoves worked for you and you’re looking for more easy cleaning hacks, follow us on Pinterest!
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Where can you up Citric Acid?
You can buy citric acid on Amazon!
thanks!!!!!
will lemon or lime juice work instead of the powder
You could try lemon juice. Let us know how it goes!
How much water to add to the 2 tablespoons of citric acid powder?
Can any other dish soap be used instead of Dawn?
Add it to about a quart of hot water – enough to fill a spray bottle. I think any dish soap can help to remove cloudiness from glass top stove.
I’m sorry but I can’t leave a good review. The scratches were still there after I followed the directions completely. I ended up using my store bought cleaner and that got the scratches out. I’m finding out in my old age that I can’t believe everything I read on the internet/Pinterest.
I’m sorry this didn’t work for you, but this post is about how to clean glass stovetops and isn’t meant to remove scratches. We have another post about minimizing scratches on glass stove tops here: https://beinganadultishard.com/black-glass-stove-top-scratch-repair/