Can This TikTok Hack Clean a Burnt Glass Stove Top?

We remodeled our kitchen two years ago, replacing our old gas stove and its clunky, hard-to-wash cast-iron burners with a new one with a sleek glass top. While our new top is much easier to clean, some foods can still be a challenge to remove, especially if I let the mess sit for a while.

So when this recent TikTok video picked up steam, I paid attention. It demonstrates a simple cleaning method for glass stove tops utilizing two common household products.

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As you can see, you shake a generous amount of baking soda on the stovetop, then pour some white vinegar on top of that. Once the mixture bubbles, you scrub it with a dish brush, then wipe with a sponge.

For some reason, the TikTokker doesn’t show the final result. Come on, the people want a good before-and-after comparison!

Is It Safe for Glass Stove Tops?

This cleaning hack seemed simple enough, and it’s not the first time I’ve mixed vinegar and baking soda. It’s my favorite method for cleaning my beloved Le Creuset Dutch oven.

But before trying it out on my new glass stove top, I went to an expert. Jill Notini, vice president of communications for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, gave me the all-clear.

“Generally, a baking soda and vinegar solution is an acceptable cleaner for general purposes,” Notini says. “Most people have these items on hand, making them easy to use. These ingredients are also nice because you can either make a looser solution or mix them into a paste, depending on how dirty the surface may be.”

How It Works

I waited until after a big pasta dinner left my glass stove top spotted with stains and burnt-on crud. (I’m pretty sure that’s the technical term.) Then I went to work.

I laid on the baking soda with a heavy hand, then carefully added the vinegar, which bubbled and fizzed like it always does. Then I tried something they didn’t show on the TikTok video but I’d seen it online: I soaked a kitchen towel in hot water, wrung it out, then laid it on the baking soda and vinegar mixture for 15 minutes.

Voila, it worked! Perhaps encouraged by the warm, wet towel, the mixture easily broke up the burnt-on food and tomato sauce spills. Then I wiped it away with a sponge.

As Notini noted, you can make the solution as thick or thin as you want. Because I used so much baking soda, mine was more of a paste. It took more elbow grease to wipe up than if I’d made it more liquidy. Next time, I might add more vinegar.

Final Thoughts

Many TikTok hacks are questionable, but this one worked fine for me.

To be fair, it’s hardly the world’s most original idea. And if you have other ways of cleaning a glass stove top — I like Bar Keepers Friend — there’s no need to change.

But I always have vinegar and baking soda in my home, whereas I often run out of Bar Keepers Friend. For that reason alone, I’m keeping this handy trick in my cleaning repertoire.