Cleaning a ceramic hob can be tricky, but it is not impossible! In this blog post, we will discuss the steps to clean your ceramic hob and get that messy stove looking good as new.
I'm sure you've all been there before: you're in the middle of cooking dinner for your family when the smoke alarm goes off. You rush over to find a burnt pan sitting on top of an ignored stovetop with scorch marks all over it. The mess has caused the smoke detector to go haywire and set off a chorus of ear-piercing shrieks from around your house. This is where our story begins - what should you do?
We'll cover common problems with how to clean ceramic hobs, as well as some of the unexpected things that you can try.
How To Clean Ceramic Hob and Remove Burn Marks
Step One: Prepare Your Work Station
Get your gloves on and pull out a plastic bag or container big enough to hold all the burnt pieces. Now turn off the power at the main switch for safety! Then place an old towel down so none of those pesky grease spots get onto our workstation. Be sure to put baking soda over any stains before scrubbing them away later in this process. You should also keep wet wipes nearby just in case something gets into your eyes or mouth (which is always good advice when it comes time to cook!). This step will prevent unsightly grease stains ruining your kitchen floor.
Step Two: Let It Cool Off!
Hot handle, remember? You don't want to burn yourself or anyone else in the family so let that pan cool off for a bit before cleaning it. This will also make things easier on you as well since some of these solutions can be tricky to mix together if they are too hot. While you wait, take this opportunity to open up all the windows and turn on any fans throughout your home. Ensure there are no smoke detectors near by going off either - safety first! Once cooled down enough that you won't get burned picking them up, grab those potholders out again because we're ready to clean our ceramic hob now.
Step Three: Pour Some Baking Soda Over The Scorch Marks
This step is pretty simple! Take a handful of baking soda and sprinkle it all over the scorches on your ceramic hob. If you have a large pan with multiple burns, make sure to cover every inch so there are no spots missed when we go in to scrub later. This will take care of 90% of those pesky scabs but won't be enough for everything - this next stuff takes care of that other remaining percentage though!
Step Four: Clean Ceramic Hob With Vinegar And Salt Mixture
In order to clean our ceramic hob from top-to-bottom, grab out some white vinegar and add two tablespoons into a bowl or container big enough to hold all the pieces once they're done. The next step is to add in two tablespoons of salt and mix it all together until the mixture becomes a paste that's easy to spread around with your fingers or a sponge.
Now you've got everything ready - just grab those pieces out and start scrubbing! Make sure not to let them sit too long on the baking soda, as sometimes there can be some residual bubbling which will make cleaning harder. You should also try doing one burn at a time so nothing gets mixed up when we move onto our final step: removing any leftover residue after this process.
Step Five: Rinse Away That Paste And Scrub Once More
If you find there are still some pesky stains leftover, go ahead and rinse away the rest of the paste and scrub them one more time with some hot water. Don't forget to check for leftover residue once again as well before moving on!
Step Six: Power Wash The Ceramic Hob
You're all done now, so just turn your power back on and let's give that ceramic hob a good rinse under running water until it looks better than ever. If you want those stains gone even faster though, throw in some baking soda into the mix while everything is still wet from rinsing off the vinegar/salt mixture! Now we wait until they dry completely (another opportunity to clean up any spills around your stovetop) and enjoy cooking our dinner without worrying about smoke alarms going off at midnight because of burnt food this time around.
Step Seven: Let Your Ceramic Hob Dry Out
Now that we're done cleaning, be sure to let the ceramic hob completely dry out before using it again. This will prevent any unwanted accidents from occurring like breaking our glass stovetop or having those grease marks come back as soon as we start cooking dinner.
Step Eight: Enjoy Your New Clean Ceramic Hob
We did it! We went through the steps to clean our ceramic hob and turned them back into a shiny, brand new kitchen appliance. Now you can go ahead and cook dinner without worrying about any smoke alarms going off in your home or having millions of grease stains covering up your stovetop forever.
Unfortunately, there are some people who suffer from severe allergies that prevent them from being able to clean their ceramic hob themselves. For these individuals, it's best to get in touch with a professional cleaning service instead of trying any of the above solutions since they know what chemicals are safe for everyone involved and can do more than simply scrubbing off stains.
FAQ
Can I remove scratches from ceramic hobs?
Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done about removing scratches from ceramic hobs other than using some sort of metal polish to get rid of them. This will only work on surface-level scratches though and nothing too deep or long-lasting since these types of damages cannot be taken care of unless you take the stovetop itself in for professional repairs
What do I do if my ceramic hob has a glass stovetop?
If you have a glass stovetop, make sure to take extra precautions and avoid any harsh chemicals that could come in contact with their surface. Instead of grabbing the baking soda and vinegar mixture, we used above, just opt for some hot water instead while adding in a little bit of dish soap to help get the grease stains off.
What do I do if my ceramic hob has a metal stovetop?
If you have a metal stovetop, make sure that your baking soda mixture is non-abrasive and won't damage any part of it either while scrubbing with vinegar and salt.
What do I do if my ceramic hob is induction?
If you have an induction stovetop, the best thing to use for cleaning it would be dish soap and/or baking soda since this type of material doesn't get too hot while cooking. Make sure not to mix any vinegar in with these chemicals or else there could be some bubbling that occurs and it could end up ruining the whole thing.
What do I do if my ceramic hob has a stainless steel frame?
If you have a stainless steel stovetop, make sure to check out your cleaner's ingredients before using them since they may come in contact with this type of material too easily. Instead, opt for some dish soap and baking soda mixed together with hot water to get rid of grease stains instead.
What do I do if my ceramic hob is electric?
If you have an electric stovetop, make sure that your cleaner doesn't come in contact with the actual electrical part of it before using any sort of chemicals on it. Dish soap and baking soda mixed in with some hot water is the best option for cleaning electric stovetops instead of any vinegar, salt, or other abrasive materials that could end up doing more damage than good.
What is the best cleaner for a ceramic cooktop?
You can also use a ready-made hob cleaner that's been designed to work on ceramic stovetops without any harsh chemicals. These can be found at your local grocery store or online and are usually pretty affordable as well compared to other cleaners available for purchase.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to clean your ceramic hob without causing any damage, go ahead and get cooking again while saving yourself some time in the kitchen. If anything ever goes wrong down the line or if there's something specific about cleaning an induction stovetop, electric stovetop, glass stovetop, metal stovetop (or stainless steel frame), make sure to take a look through our FAQ section and get in touch with us today if you have any questions or concerns.
Happy cleaning!
