How to remove melted plastic from stove top

My partner, bless his heart, decided to make himself some dinner the other night. He accidentally turned on the wrong burner and melted a plastic bag on the back burner. I didn’t notice it immediately and the next day he sheepishly asked me how to remove melted plastic from the stove top, as cleaning isn’t his forte. I wasn’t even mad because this happens to everyone at some point.

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We currently have a glass top stove. Getting melted plastic off a stove top is not new to us, as this has also happened when we had electric coils and when we had cast iron burners on a gas stove. Since this happens so often, I’m now an expert at removing burnt plastic from a glass stove top. 

If you’re wondering how to clean melted plastic off your cooktop, here are my solutions to remove melted plastic from your glass stove top, electric coil burner, cast iron stove burner or metal stove top.

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How to remove melted plastic from glass stovetop

Removing melted plastic from glass or ceramic stove tops is actually quite easy as the glass cooktop is a flat surface. All you need is some ice and a razor scraper.

1. Let the burner cool completely to room temperature. 
2. Put some ice in a bag and place it on the burnt plastic for a few minutes to harden it and make it easier to remove.
3. Remove the ice and pour a little water onto the melted plastic.
4. Use the razor blade scraper at a 45 degree angle (∠) to gently scrape the plastic off the glass stove top. Make sure to keep the area wet to avoid scratching the glass surface. Keep scraping until all the plastic is removed.
5. Wipe the area with a damp paper towel to remove all remaining bits of plastic.
6. If any residue remains once the melted plastic has been scraped off, use this method to remove cloudiness from glass top stoves.
7. If there are any scratches left on the glass stove top, here are 6 black glass stove scratch repair ideas to buff them up.

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How to get melted plastic off electric stove top coils

Removing melted plastic from electric stove top burner coils is more difficult than removing it from a flat surface, as getting in between the coils can be tricky. 

Make sure you have a sturdy plastic scraper or wood spatula for scraping, some crumpled up aluminum foil, and some acetone based nail polish remover to remove the last stubborn pieces of melted plastic from your electric stove top.

1. Let the burner cool to room temperature.
2. Grip the outer edge of the burner coil and lift it up above the edge of the drip pan. Gently pull it away from the socket, rocking the coil back and forth if necessary until it releases.
3. Place the coil burner in the freezer for 30-45 minutes, or until it is completely frozen.
4. Remove the burner from the freezer and carefully scrape the bits of melted plastic from the burner using the plastic scraper or wooden spoon. You could even use a spoon or a dull knife if that’s all you have. I like to do this over newspaper or paper towels to contain the bits of plastic that fall from the coil.
5. Once you have removed the bulk of the melted plastic, use some crumpled aluminum foil to scrub off any remaining plastic on or in between the coils.
6. The final step is to coat the burner in some acetone based nail polish remover for 5 minutes. You can’t immerse the burner in liquid as it could damage the electrical components, so I soak a paper towel in the nail polish remover and gently coat the coils with the acetone. Wait 5 minutes then wipe off the acetone with paper towels soaked in water and let dry.
7. When completely dry, replace the electric coil burner into its socket. Turn on your stove vent and open your windows in case the burner smokes. Then turn the burner on high until it glows red. This will burn off any remaining melted plastic off the stove coil.

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How to remove melted plastic from cast iron stove top burner

The method to remove melted plastic from cast iron stove top burners is similar to removing melted plastic from electric coil burners. However, it is safe to completely submerge cast iron burners into liquid, which makes it a little easier as you can skip a step.

You will need a sturdy plastic scraper or wood spatula for scraping and some acetone based nail polish remover to ensure the last stubborn melted plastic residue is removed.

1. Let the burner cool to room temperature.
2. Remove the cast iron burner and place it in the freezer for 30-45 minutes, or until it is completely frozen. 
3. Remove the cast iron burner from the freezer and carefully scrape the bits of melted plastic from the burner using the plastic scraper or wood spatula. Do this over newspaper or paper towels to contain the bits of plastic that fall from the coil.
4. The final step is to soak the burner in some acetone based nail polish remover in a non-plastic container for 5 minutes to dissolve any remaining melted plastic. 
5. Once the 5 minutes have passed, rinse the cast iron burner grate in clean water and dry. 
6. Turn on your stove vent and open your windows in case the cast iron burner smokes. Then turn the burner on high for a few minutes. This will burn off any melted plastic residue off of the cast iron stove top burner.

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How to remove melted plastic from metal stove top

The method to get melted plastic off metal stove tops (for burners see above) is similar to removing melted plastic from glass stove tops, as both are smooth surfaces. This method requires only ice, a razor scraper and acetone based nail polish remover.

1. Let the metal stove top cool to room temperature.
2. Place a bag of ice over the melted plastic to cool it and make it easier to scrape off.
3. After 5 minutes, remove the ice and pour a little water onto the melted plastic.
4. Use a razor scraper at a 45 degree angle (∠) to gently scrape the plastic off the glass stove top. Make sure to keep the area wet to avoid scratching the glass surface. Keep scraping until all the plastic is removed.
5. Pour some acetone over any remaining visible plastic pieces and let sit for 5 minutes to dissolve.
6. Wipe the area with a damp paper towel to remove all remaining bits of plastic.
7. Rinse the metal stove top with a clean, soft cloth.

Don’t panic if you have accidentally melted plastic on your stove top or burners. These easy techniques can help you get that melted plastic off quickly and you will be back to using your stove in no time!

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