Bacon grease, boiled-over pasta sauce, and baked-on cheddar cheese are just a few of the messes that assault the average stovetop over its lifetime. While gas stoves typically require an abundance of elbow grease to clean the crevices that never seem to stay spotless, glass-ceramic cooktops make cleaning even the toughest spills a snap — that is, if you know how to correctly clean them.

Cleaners to avoid

Many glass-ceramic cooktop owners turn to ammonia-based cleaners, such as Windex, when faced with caked-on food. A logical thought, considering Windex is a leading glass cleaner. Yet while ammonia can remove fingerprints and light dirt, it’s not strong enough to eliminate food remnants — especially once food or water becomes burned onto the surface. Also, once the cooktop is heated, ammonia can leave iridescent stains on the surface.

Other cooks, finding ammonia too weak to clean a glass-ceramic stovetop, turn to abrasive chemical cleaners, such as Ajax or Comet, or use abrasive sponges like Scotch-Brite Scour Pads. These cleaners are too harsh for glass-ceramic stovetops and can cause surface scratches. While these microscratches can’t always initially be seen, they can appear over time, leading to a visually unappealing surface.

How to clean your glass-ceramic cooktop

If you’re seeking a simple stovetop cleaning method that doesn’t compromise cleanliness or integrity, here’s a step-by-step guide for how to clean a glass cooktop. The following tips are the absolute best way to clean a glass-ceramic cooktop. If you follow all of the steps (without taking any shortcuts) you’ll be more than pleased with the results.