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Tricks to Prevent Scratches On Your Glass Stove and Instead Keep It as Good as New

Installing a new glass stove top and seeing it sparkling and in perfect shape is a terrific sensation. Sadly, this look will not last with regular use unless you take tremendous care of the unit.

Before you realize it, spills will burn onto the surface, and scratches will accumulate in the burner rings.

To avoid this problem, cooktop repair professionals advise that you must be able to do more than just clean a glass stove. The good news is that you can make changes to avoid future scratches and blemishes.

To help you out, here are the best ways to maintain your glass stove and keep it looking like new.

Use the right cookware.

You need to use the right cookware for your stove. This refers to the material of the pan’s base, which ideally should be stainless steel.

Because of its flat surface, stainless steel is ideal for use on glass stovetops and has enough weight to keep it steady when cooking.

This is not to claim that switching to stainless steel will prevent stove top scratches, but it will be gentler on the surface.

Be cautious when handling the pans.

First and foremost, never drag your pans across the glass surface when cooking; instead, always raise them.

Most people ignore this cardinal rule when they shake and combine the cooking ingredients. You should know this is the primary reason your burners have zig-zag scratches and are all pointing similarly.

Even if you’re using a lightweight pan, the base will scratch and pit the surface as it drags, so avoid it. Be cautious when gently lowering your pans onto the stove. You should note that slamming them down can scratch or even fracture the glass. You don’t want this, do you?

Keep the bottom of your pans clean.

Many people overlook the bottom of their pans when cleaning them. This is wrong. Stains on the underside are often baked in and impossible to remove. Second, many believe that since the food isn’t contacting it, it doesn’t matter. Actually, it does.

If your pan has stains and residue baked into the base, it will be much simpler to scratch and damage the stove’s glass surface.

In extreme cases, it will impede your skillet from transferring the heat evenly while food cooks. It can also generate unpleasant scents as it heats.

To clean the base of a pan, apply a baking soda paste and water across the surface. Allow it to sit for 20 minutes before scrubbing it away with a non-abrasive sponge or old toothbrush.

Clean the stove regularly.

Get into the practice of cleaning your stove top after each usage. Of course, you should do this once it has cooled down. Wiping down the surface immediately removes any spills or crumbs that may bake-on or catch under your cookware, causing more scratches.

Remember to clean your stovetop as needed thoroughly. For general guidance, do this once a month; however, if you notice burn marks emerging around the elements, it’s time for a cleaning.

Keeping your stovetop clean will extend its life, but only clean it after it has cooled.

Be cautious of cast iron cookware.

Cast iron deserves special mention because while it is an incredible material for cooking, it is incredibly heavy and may damage glass stove tops significantly.

Take particular caution while laying your cast iron cookware on the surface, and avoid dragging it over the glass – the weight will increase the likelihood of significant scratches.

Get a stovetop cover.

There are stove top covers available in the market that you can use to protect the surface when not in use. These are also useful if you have limited countertop space because the top of the stove can then act as an additional room.

Some mats are safe to cook directly on if you have an induction glass stove. These mats decrease scratching and heat exposure from the pan to the glass surface, allowing the stove to last longer.

Keep in mind that these mats should not be used on a conventional electric glass cooktop since these surfaces heat up far faster than induction, which would burn most mats. Consult the manufacturer for help and guidance on how to use them.

Are there pans that can’t scratch the stovetop?

The unfortunate truth is that any pan can scratch your glass cooktop. You may avoid scratches by choosing a style with a smooth base, such as stainless steel, but you should still be cautious when using it.

Enameled or ceramic pans have a particularly smooth finish that helps prevent scratching. However, how you utilize the pan is as crucial.

Never drag it across the surface; instead, lift it and softly settle. Also, wipe the underside regularly to prevent residue from burning to the base and harming your stove.

Consider the weight of your kitchenware as well. A weighty item, such as a larger work or one of the greatest cast iron skillets, might scratch more easily due to its weight. These can crack the surface when not handled properly, so proceed cautiously.

What should you do when the stove scratches?

Your glass stove top should still function normally with minor scratches. Still, if it is chipped or cracked, you should stop using it and contact an appliance repair Springfield professional to replace it.

If you want to reduce the look of the scratches, try cleaning the surface completely as recommended by the manufacturer, or follow the above instructions for cleaning a glass stove if none are provided.

Many marks are charred residue, and a scraping tool can help significantly. Carefully scrape off the marks, and you are good to go.

When hiring a professional to replace the unit, take your time and hire an experienced one who knows what they are doing. The last thing you want is someone who does a shoddy job, and you must repeat it.

Glass Cooking Top Cleaning Best Practices

Ceramic glass top stoves are sleek, minimalist, and costly but rapidly become discolored with spills and grease. And if they are not properly cleaned, the damage might be permanent. Unlike regular stovetops, these stovetops feature hidden burners that are only visible when heated and become red.

There is no doubting the aesthetic attractiveness of glass top stoves, but they, like luxury cars, must be handled with caution. As a rule of thumb, properly clean the surfaces.

To help you out, here are cooktop best practices to ensure that your surfaces remain as straightforward as possible.

Don’t let the cooktops remain dirty for too long.

A clean glass top stove is lovely, but its flawless appearance rarely lasts long. After use, water stains, oil drips, or dried food globs are always present.

Unfortunately, according to cooktops repair professionals, even little spatters are visible due to the surface’s dark and lustrous appearance. And if you continue to use it without cleaning the surface, the muck will accumulate, heat up, and cool down, making it much more difficult to remove, and the crustiness may leave scratches when you wipe it off.

Leaving food stains on a glass-top stove impacts its cooking performance. Messes like these form barriers on top of the surface, affecting how heat is transported to cooking pots and pans. As a result, your food may cook unevenly.

Grease stains can potentially catch fire if not handled properly. Most people don’t have time to clean a glass top stove right after meals, but try to do it as soon as possible. Being careful about this can help extend the life of the glass top stove, which is expensive to replace.

Always wait for the cooktops to cool down before cleaning them

Glass top stoves feature heat indicators to alert you that they are still hot. You should look out for a little, additional light near the knobs or touchpad. If the light is on, you should avoid touching the cooktop.

Attempting to clean it before the surface has cooled may result in burns and even fires (if you use a cloth or towel). Although we indicated that removing crusted-on food from a glass-topped burner is more difficult, you must still wait until it is safe.

Even if you don’t feel the heat or see the burners ignite through the glass top, the entire surface might be extremely hot.

Unwanted fumes are another reason to hold off. If you apply a cleaning product on a still-hot stove top (hot vinegar smells incredibly unpleasant), the product evaporates and becomes less effective.

If you wish to speed up the cooling process, use a fan or open the window. Do not touch the surface until the indicator light turns off. If yours does not have one, consult the manufacturer’s instructions to determine how long you should wait.

Don’t use abrasive cleaning products.

Don’t use abrasive cleaning products as much as you want to keep your surfaces clean.

Abrasive cleaning products, such as steel wool pads, are effective for cleaning pots and pans but should never be used on a glass-topped stove. This is because glass may be scratched by anything tougher than it, even steel.

Steel wool pads are made of bundled fine metal wires (steel is a type of metal) with abrasive edges, available with or without cleaning chemicals; steel wool is sometimes used instead of sandpaper.

Should you use that to clean your glass-topped stove? It’s not wise to do it.

Don’t throw away your steel wool pads; you can still use them at your sink or workbench. They’re also useful for blocking up openings where mice and other pests try to enter.

Since it is too abrasive, you should avoid steel wool when cleaning stainless steel, plastic, and non-stick coatings. Do yourself a favor and keep those pads and other scouring pads away from the glass-top stove so no one accidentally grabs one.

The same rules apply to scrub brushes and abrasive scrubbing pads. You might think these are ideal for removing cooked-on gunk off glass stovetops, but they can also leave visible scratches.

Use the recommended cleaning products.

Now that you know that glass top stoves cannot accept abrasive cleaning materials and tools, what are your options? A few companies make solutions designed to clean these delicate surfaces, which you may purchase in stores or online.

To be safe, use non-abrasive stovetop cleaning products containing feldspar, quartz, and citric acid. When handling such products, use a cloth and keep your hands away from your eyes.

To use the product, scrape any dried or burnt-on food debris with the scraper before wiping down the surface with a soft towel. Next, apply the cleanser to the scrubbing pad and remove the stains.

Use the product once per month or as needed for the best outcome. You should use a clean, dry cloth instead of a pad to buff the surface to a good shine.

Don’t use a glass cleaner.

Glass cleaning products might be an excellent choice for ceramic glass top stoves and cooktops, but they may contain harsh chemicals and create stains. If you use them too frequently, they may cause permanent discoloration.

Glass cleaners contain surfactants such as lauryl dimethyl amine oxide and 2-phenoxyethanol, as well as isopropanolamine (a solvent), fragrance, and colors. These products could induce discoloration on glass stovetops, so avoid them.

Use vinegar

Vinegar is a well-known cleaning agent, so have a large quantity in your home. In the kitchen, you can use it to clean and disinfect cutting boards, floors, and counters and polish your glass cooktop.

You can use it straight from a spray bottle or diluted with water. You can also mix it with a drop of baking soda or dish soap.

The best way to clean a glass cooktop is to spritz it with a 50/50 vinegar and water solution. Spray it over the surface, then wipe it with a damp microfiber cloth.

Vinegar is acidic, so it dissolves filth and dirt. According to appliance repair Northern VA professionals, using vinegar reduces accumulation, and you have an easy time cleaning the surfaces.