How to Clean Stubborn Stains Off a Stovetop

September 4, 2023 10:11 AM

Have you ever found a way to get stubborn stains off your stovetop without damaging the surface? I ordinarily use a cloth, hot water, and dish soap, but the stains I have are laughing those cleaning agents to scorn and refusing to budge. Tried and true suggestions, please!
posted by orange swan to Home & Garden (20 answers total)

You might get better answers if you include the make and model of your stovetop.

Anyway, I just moved into an apartment with a glasstop stove, and the stove manual says to ONLY use "crema-bryte". Eh. I bought something I believe to be very similar that was available at the local target: "Weiman glass cook top cleaner & polish".

They don't feel gritty at all, but they actually do polish when used with a paper towel.

The tips I would give are:
1) use a specifically formulated "glass cook top polish"
2) clean after every use
3) be sure the bottoms of your pans are clean as well
4) use pans suggested by the manual of your stove (no cast iron unless you are EXTREMELY careful)
posted by Maxwell_Smart at 10:20 AM on September 4, 2023

Barkeeper's Friend is very good at getting off stubborn burned-on gunk.
posted by Jeanne at 10:23 AM on September 4, 2023 [9 favorites]

Try leaving a damp soapy sponge on anything baked on, for several hours.
posted by theora55 at 10:26 AM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I have a gas stove, with an enamel-type top, and it has three cast iron racks that sit on top of it, which means that my pots and pans don't make any contact with the enamel top. The stains that I'm trying to remove are from when my pots overflow when coming to a boil, and are yellowish in colour.
posted by orange swan at 10:27 AM on September 4, 2023

Best answer: I find that a simple baking soda paste gets off a lot of the kinds of stains you describe!
posted by sucre at 10:29 AM on September 4, 2023 [3 favorites]

I use these scrubbing cloths made from little squares of copper. They only really require water. They’re pretty magical.
posted by Comet Bug at 10:31 AM on September 4, 2023

I use those Javex or Clorex clothes. Works like a charm.
posted by dobbs at 10:47 AM on September 4, 2023

A mixture of Bon Ami and Oxybrite would probably do the trick, but don’t leave it sitting because Oxybrite might etch the enamel the way it etches some glass. Barkeepers Friend has an Oxybrite-like principal ingredient as well.
posted by jamjam at 11:33 AM on September 4, 2023

I use Barkeeper's Friend and it always works for me. In a really dire situation I might try diluted bleach like I do in my enameled cookware, but modified for a flat surface--soaking a towel in properly diluted bleach, letting it sit on the stain for a few minutes, then removing and rinsing with clean water and a fresh towel. I'd patch test it first, though, to make sure I wasn't going to damage the surface or turn the stain bright orange or something horrible.
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 11:40 AM on September 4, 2023

Seconding sucre, baking soda paste and a cloth works great for me.
posted by evilmomlady at 11:42 AM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

I would spray a bunch of Windex (or similar) on it and let it sit for a while, then see how much of it wipes off with a rag.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 12:31 PM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

The nuclear option: Open your windows and turn on the fan. Wear latex or rubber gloves. Heat stove on low for 2 minutes. Spray on oven cleaner. Wait a minute. Wipe off.

Tried, true, easy, but nasty.
posted by Dashy at 12:49 PM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Our stove has a glass cooktop and I've found Mr. Clean Magic Eraser does a really good job of removing all of the crud, including crud I didn't see before I wiped with it.
posted by Lynsey at 1:55 PM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Instagram got me with ads for these stovetop liners which catch most spills.

Not perfect, but keeps 5he spillage to a minimum.
posted by device55 at 4:06 PM on September 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

I've generally had success with Bon Ami when I let the stove top go too long. I think it's pretty similar in formulation to Barkeeper's Friend except without the Oxybrite-like ingredient jamjam mentions.
posted by egregious theorem at 5:59 PM on September 4, 2023

Seconding windex. It always works for me.
posted by mareli at 4:18 AM on September 5, 2023

My friend told me lemon juice, and I pass along LEMON JUICE. Absolutely nothing cleans like it for the stubborn stove top stains. Straight lemon juice from the bottle, let it sit and it does absolute magic.
posted by Bottlecap at 11:25 AM on September 5, 2023

In addition to Barkeep's Friend (mentioned above) I also use Spray Nine for greasy spatter. I have it in my head that that may be a Canadian product, so possibly not a helpful recommendation if you're in a different part of the world.
posted by rhooke at 7:00 PM on September 5, 2023

Simple Green usually goes the trick. Spray, let soak, tackle with a not so abrasive Scotch-Brite scrubby thing. Barkeeper's Friend for the stain sort of stuff.
posted by zengargoyle at 8:16 AM on September 6, 2023

Response by poster: I tried lemon juice, leaving it sit overnight and then scrubbing with it, and it did nothing. Then no-name Windex, which also didn't work no matter how much scrubbing I did with it., Then I tried baking soda, which was clearly having an effect even before I did any scrubbing. My stovetop is nice and clean now, and I'll be using baking soda regularly from now on to prevent the kind of build-up I had this time.

Thank you sucre, for the great tip, and thanks everyone else for taking the time to offer other suggestions, which I'm sure will be a good resource in future for other MeFites who are trying to get rid of other kinds of stovetop stains.
posted by orange swan at 10:23 AM on September 13, 2023 [2 favorites]