How to Clean Burnt Plastic from a Glass Cooktop

There are a thousand different renditions of this story. Whether it’s a bread bag, Ziploc, plastic lid or a container, they all end with the plastic and glass cook top quickly becoming one. Before you can blink, you are left with a hard rock of molten plastic that seems to be permanently fused to the burner. Most manufacturers consider this irreversible damage, but there are some methods you can take to remove the melted, burnt plastic. It will take some time and hard work, but in comparison to purchasing a new stove top, it’s well worth it.

• Spoon or dull knife
• WD-40
• Acetone nail polish remover
• Razor blades
• Soft cloth
• Water
• Mild soap

1. Start by allowing the burner to cool completely before attempting to remove anything. Trying to clean a hot burner is dangerous and invites further burns and problems. Burning plastic produces a horrendous smell – open all the windows and ventilate the area well.
2. When the burner and plastic have cooled completely, peel away as much of the plastic as possible.
3. Use the spoon or dull knife, such as a butter knife to gently scrape away the plastic. Use caution not to scratch the glass surface of the stove.
4. Spray the remaining plastic with WD-40 and let it set for a few minutes.
5. Use the razor blade to carefully scrape the plastic off. Keeping the razor as flat as possible, gently push it into the plastic. Be careful not to scratch the surface!
6. Repeat as necessary until most of the plastic is removed.
7. When a majority of the plastic is removed (and there are no longer edges for the razor blade to catch on), you may want to try nail polish remover to get rid of the last layer.
8. Use a cotton ball or soft cloth to apply the acetone nail polish remover. This evaporates quickly so you will need to reapply often to keep the area well moistened.
9. Scrub with a plastic or other glass safe scrubber in a circular motion to remove the last bits.
10. When all of the plastic is removed, clean the area with mild soap and warm water to remove any remaining cleaning fluids from the cook top.

• Always use caution when working with razor blades and WD-40. While the spray helps to loosen the burnt plastic, it can also make a slippery work surface!
• There are special cleaning creams designed for cleaning cooked on messes from glass stovetops. They are available at most department and home improvement stores.
• No WD-40? Try laundry stain spray, kitchen cleaner, Windex or Mr. Clean Magic Eraser instead.
• If you’re hesitant to use any chemicals, try placing an ice cube on the plastic to make it brittle and then scrape it off with razor blade. This works well for minor cases.