Cleaning melted plastic off a smoothtop range

[supersuds]

Embarrassing, but yes.

I carelessly let a plastic grocery bag come in contact with a hot smoothtop stove eye. Now, a nice expanse of melted plastic is stuck to the surface. A dull knife doesn't do much.

It seems some people recommend a razor blade scraper, but I was wondering if anybody had a better suggestion. Is just burning it off an option?

 

[gansky1]

Razor blade when it's cool - room temp.  Should scrape right off.

 

Don't try to burn it off, you could harm the glass - or burn the house down.

 

[danemodsandy]

Yep!

Single-edge razor blade. You'll find them in every drug and hardware store.

Hold the blade as close to parallel with the smooth-top surface as you can. Be as gentle as you can.

Be conscientious and work until you get all the plastic, because anything you miss is going to burn the next time the top is used. Depending on whether you have a vintage (white) smooth-top or a modern (black or dark grey) one, this could create a permanent stain. Finish up with a good scrubbing, as you would for a boilover, using Bar Keeper's Friend and smooth-top cleaner/polish.

You should end up with zero damage to the smooth-top.

 

[supersuds]

Thanks!

I've got a scraper thingy that holds a razor blade, if I can find it.

 

[kb0nes]

Judicious use of a heat gun might help too. It will scrape off easier if you soften it a bit.

 

[jeffg]

This article recommends boiling water poured over the plastic before taking the knife or blade to it. Never tried it but logically it should go quicker with less potential for damage, you might be able to just scrape it off with your finger once it's warmed up.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_remove_melted_plastic_from_a_flat_stove_top

 

[mitch]

I did the same, exact thing

melted a grocery store bag on the smooth top. Once it cooled down I went straight for the razor blade and carefully scrapped it off. It worked like a charm--thankfully!

Good luck!

 

[cuffs054]

I use the razor blade trick frequently. Works well. I usually follow up with polish made for the smooth tops.

 

[supersuds]

Thanks again,all. Not having a heat gun or even a hair dryer, I went with the cold method. That got most of it off, except for a really baked on piece that the edge of the blade just skated over.

Surprisingly, the thumbnail trick got the residue off! It might have worked for the whole thing. I was nervous about the BKF, so used Soft Scrub to finish.

Tis but a humble Frigilux, but it looks gleaming and new, thanks to AW.org.

http://or

 

[danemodsandy]

Suds:

Bar Keeper's Friend has never damaged any glass or smooth-top surface I've ever used it on. I began using it when I had a Lady Kenmore smooth-top with one of the '70s white tops. When that range was purchased new by my mother, Sears' recommendation for heavy cleaning was a cleaner called Delete. It felt and worked exactly like BKF. As the years went by and Delete disappeared from the market, I began using BKF. When I finally sold the range on, it was about thirteen years old, and the top looked absolutely brand-new. I was careful to use smooth-top polish on it regularly.

Since then, I've found BKF to be very handy for removing black marks and rust marks from Corning Ware, Pyrex and Corelle. Obviously, I don't use it for everyday cleaning, but if I've found something in a thrift that has problems, BKF usually gets rid of them like magic.

So, you can file BKF away as one of your "big guns" to use if something really hard to remove gets on the top. Sounds like you have a modern black top, which doesn't show stains as readily as my Kenmore's white top did.

 

[supersuds]

Oh, yes, forgot to mention its a modern black top.

In the back of my mind was the thought that if I ruined the surface it would be a good excuse to look for something vintage, like the Philco we had growing up. But it looks all shiny and new now.

 

[kb0nes]

John,

Glad you got it all spiffed up. The glass surface is pretty forgiving, unless you rub a diamond or something nearly that hard against it you really can't scratch it. Single edge razor blades work great.

You don't need one for a cook top, but these work great if you need to scrape residue from a painted surface. Its a plastic bladed razor blade style scraper that works great on stickers and the like on sensitive surfaces. They are super handy to have in the arsenal!

https://www.scraperite.com/

 

[retropia]

Does anyone else use Cerama-Bryte on their smoothtop cooktops? It was recommended by Consumer Reports, and I purchased a starter kit including the cleaner liquid and scrubbing sponges, to give it a try.

I also have Bar Keepers Friend, but I've always been nervous about using it on the cooktop, since it is an abrasive, albeit a mild one.

 

[countryguy]

I use Cerama Bryte on my black smooth top. It still looks as good as new. It works good but with the top being black you really have to make sure you use a clean cloth or paper towel in order to get all the smudges wiped away.

Gary

 

[iheartmaytag]

Cerama-brite

Came with my GE range. It does OK, a little runny,
I prefer Kenmore Cook Top cleaner. It's thicker, and does a great job. only a dab will do ya.

http://parts.sears.com/partsdirect/part-number/20000001/0022/464?prdNo=7&blockNo=7&blockType=G7