So I am putting in a used electric glass top range, simply because the oven I had died, and until I remodel other parts of the kitchen, I don't want to spend the money on something new yet. It's in good condition except for above one burner there's a nasty patch of grey crap on the glass that just doesn't want to come off.

So here's what I've tried so far (it sitting in driveway as I wanted to do serious cleaning with chemicals outside before i put it in).

a. Baking soda with wet cloth for for 1/2 hour.
b. typical spray on gen purpose cleaners and scrubbing with scotchpad
c. Baking soda with white vinegar and fizzing for 1/2 hour then scraping with metal scraper
d. Soaking in large puddle of white vinegar for 1/2 hour and scraping with metal scraper
e. Spray on oven cleaner for hour and scraping with metal scraper.
f. Soaking in bathtub hard water deposit spray cleaner for 1/2 hour and scraping with metal scraper.

This grey white patch has laughed and ridiculed every chemical I've thrown at it. and I've scrubbed/scraped HARD too.

The oven cleaner took care of everything except that damn round patch. Thought it might have been a pot where the water overflowed and made a calcium deposit, but the vinegar didn't do nothing, and neither did a bathroom hard water spray bathtub cleaning stuff. Still a large grey/white patch over burner area... Anyone got anything else to try? At worse, it's there forever which as long as it works still, I'm not going to complain about since I paid 0 dollars for it, but still, would prefer to get that last ugly looking patch off the glass if possible. Was going to try some brake cleaner, but couldn't find any in the garage. If you tell me it wont work, then I wont bother stopping by the auto store to get some brake cleaner.

Just found some heavy acidic toilet cleaner in bathroom I might try.

Maybe soak in some light creepy oil and then scrape/scrub like hell with steel wool? By the way, my scraper was a steel spatula and it's not doing a damn thing to the grey/white patch. The top is already scratched up a bit, so I'm not concerned about adding a few more.

Any other ideas? BTW: Never had a glass top electric before. Just coils or gas. Looking to gas in the future after kitchen remodel, but that's a bit off.

I use soft scrub with a scotch brite pad to clean my glass stove top. For the hard stuff, I use a razor scraper. I think I would avoid using steel wool on it. It might scratch the glass enough to weaken it.

Is the stain on the surface of the glass or etched into it?

If it is a calcium deposit, that toilet cleaner might work. I'd leave it on for a few hours, though (2-4 hours at least). I used that stuff on a toilet that had hard water ring, that I couldn't even get off with steel wool, and it chemically melted it away (with no scrubbing) in about 4 hours.

I remember the instructions on our glass top range cautioned strongly against use of abrasives and harsh chemicals, because they could weaken the gkass and cause it to break when subjected to heating and cooling cycles in use. Think there were recommendations of a couple of specific cleaners, don't recollect specifically what they were. No scratching or scraping.

If it is on the surface then all I use is a razor blade. If the glass is damaged (sounds like it is) then I suggest you live with it as whatever you are going to use has to get INTO the glass and seems to me will cause problems.

Don't work hard to make matters worse.

Our glass top is 15 years old now and it looks brand new. The wife orders a cleaner from Amazon along with a scrubby that is designed for glass tops, also from Amazon. On occasion I have used a razor blade (very carefully) for the super tough stains with no ill effects.

Save yourself a lot of grief and wipe it down after each use. It seems that the spills that are left there are always the hardest.

quote:

Originally posted by Xer0:
It's in good condition except for above one burner there's a nasty patch of grey crap on the glass that just doesn't want to come off.

A quart pot of milk that boiled over created the same thing on our glass top. I am convinced the chemicals in the cleaners we first tried only made the ring tougher to remove. It took a very long time destroying razor blade scrapers like Storm recommended to remove the buildup. We eventually made the glass smooth to the touch, but the ring never visually went away. We hated that glass top stove from the day we bought the house, so we used the ring as an excuse to upgrade to a gas cook top.

We ('some of us') couldn't live without the then-new glass top stove, about 20 years ago.

Found a used one for a good price. It worked well enough, though a bit odd in heat compared to traditional burners.

Despite mighty efforts over about a year, unable to make much headway in 'cleaning' whatever the surface bleb was, much as you describe.

Eventually sold it with glass top flaw noted to new owners.

What seemed like a good idea didn't perform adequately and took hours of attention attempting to clean per mfg advise. None of their cleaning tips solved the problem.

'We' haven't been interested in such device since.

Good luck.

quote:

If it is on the surface then all I use is a razor blade. If the glass is damaged (sounds like it is) then I suggest you live with it as whatever you are going to use has to get INTO the glass and seems to me will cause problems.

On the glass top surrounding a gas burner that had some gunk that was impossible to remove, this worked perfectly for me.

My advice is to use a new (i.e. straight and flat) single edge blade and a pair of ViseGrips to keep a firm grip on it and easier to keep flat on surface. May end up shaving micro-layers off at a time, but if you stick with it I think this will work for you.

You will break a blade or 5, so might want to wear some glasses.

Let us know, and good luck!

A nice new green scotch brite pad will scratch the shit out of glass. I made a mess of a car mirror with one. Be careful.

I've got my first here in nc. Soft scrub here also. Heating it up before helped some. A plastic ice scraper also.
It's like having a damn window on the counter .....i miss a regular top..... I think

Razor blade usually works for me. If that doesn’t work, must be damaged

I've had good luck with this stuff:
https://www.amazon.com/Weiman-...Polish/dp/B004YF3ZU4
As others have noted, once in a while the single edge razor comes out (always a new one). At times the cleaner needs a bit of elbow grease and several applications, but its worked so far.

 
When we lived in MD, we always had electric cooktops. My wife swore that when we built our house AZ, we would have a glass cooktop, because you had to clean crap under the burner elements. We both grew to hate the damn glass thing. The electric tops need cleaning, too, but at least you can remove the burner to clean the porcelain underneath. We never managed to get, and keep, the glass one completely clean, though we followed all mfg. instructions, recommendations, razor scrapers, etc. When we get the chance to replace it, it will be electric burners once again.
 

Use Weiman glass stovetop cleaner.

It's effective. I use them a lot to clean exhaust stains off aircraft, where the stains are very difficult to remove. The difference is really startling, and saves a lot of labor without scratching the surface up.

Works great on stoves, too...

another Weiman user here

I had one with damage that turned out irreparable.

Appliance repairman diagnosed my issue and supposedly it was done by a guest (rental house) using the wrong type of cookware on it, which got hot enough to soften some of the glass and it stuck to the bottom of the cookware when it was taken off the cooktop. Who knew?

What I would suggest is getting your best eyes on the spot - use a magnifying glass and good light - and figure out whether the glass itself is discolored/damaged or whether there is something over the glass that might come off with the right persuasion.

If it's the former, you're probably facing the choices of living with it or replacing the glass. If it's the latter, there are a bunch of good ideas above.

Sometimes the glass gets etched or stained and nothing will get it out. I spilled some sugar on a red hot burner on my parent's glasstop stove 20 years ago or so and the mark is still there, like a dark shadow on the glass.

The local hardware stores -- Ace and True Value -- carry cleaners that are specifically for glass cook tops.