Cleaning Tough Stains on a Glass Cooktop

Glass top stoves are far easier to clean than your typical range with all those nooks and crannies. However, when cleaning glass cooktops, you will still need to worry about how to clean up streaks and how to clean stains. Sugar syrup, water rings, melted plastic, caked on stains, baked on stains and copper stains on glass stove tops can be a hassle. But before you give up on cleaning tough stains, try some of these tips.

The best way to prevent persistent stains on a glass cooktop is to clean it regularly. Regular cleaning of a glass or ceramic stove is pretty basic. Simply turn off the glass top stove and wait for it to cool. Then, using a clean dishtowel and a little bit of water and mild dish detergent, wipe down the entire stove. The key is to use a clean dishtowel, as the dirty dish towel you use to wipe your pots and pans will leave residue. You'll also want to make sure to take off your diamond ring or turn it outwards to avoid scratching your cooktop.

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Another method is to use a mixture of baking soda and warm water. For very persistent stains, spray your cooktop with white distilled vinegar and then sprinkle a sponge with baking soda. Scrub away, rinse and dry. This is an excellent way to remove grease.

If you get a copper stain on your cooktop, apply a little bit of Bar Keepers Friend and scrub it with a plastic scrubber. It's very important to not use something like steel wool, as this can scratch the surface.

If you get an aluminum stain from a piece of foil left on your stovetop, soak two paper towels in a mixture of 1 part bleach and 1 part water. Let the paper towels sit on top of the aluminum stain for an hour. Wipe clean and reapply a cleaning conditioner.

For spills on hot elements, wipe them up immediately before they get caked on. Wait until the burner cools a bit so you don't burn yourself then promptly wipe it up.

For caked on stains, use a single sided razor blade. Keep the flat side in contact with the glass cooktop to avoid scratching it. You should only be scraping away the stain. Wedge it beneath as if you were trying to flip a very stuck pancake.

The best way, of course, is to use the commercial cleaner that comes with your stove. All glass cook tops are a little bit different. You can find the best glass and ceramic oven cleaner for your model by referring to the manual. Stock up! You'll need it for as long as you have a glass stove top.

For mineral deposits (white streaks and splotches), use the commercial cleaner. You will usually get these deposits because your water is very hard. You may be able to avoid this by using distilled water when mixing the abovementioned cleaning solutions. But the commercial cleaner will likely work best.

Cleaning Tough Stains on a Glass Cooktop

Gretta Wallace is a homemaker and proud owner of a glass cooktop. She maintains a blog of quick, easy, effective and green cleaning tips called The Cleaning Frenzy Blog where she also discusses how to clean a glass cooktop.

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Pewter - Care and Cleaning Tips

Pewter is an alloy consisting of mostly tin and it is the fourth most precious metal. It also has very small amounts of antimony and copper which is added mainly for strength and/or color. The percentage of tin can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but most often you will find at the least 91% tin and the rest in antimony and copper.

European pewter has a minimum tin content of 92% although many of these manufacturers raise this to 95% and some even to 97% tin. The higher the tin content, the more silver the final color.

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Pewter dates back to the Roman days and was only something the rich and wealthy could afford.

Despite contrary beliefs today's pewter is perfectly safe to eat and drink from. Modern pewter contains no lead as it once did. How can you tell if your pewter items have lead in them? This is a question that gets asked quite often. Read on to find out...

The result of lead in pewter is a grayish-black patina on the surface of the item. The amount of darkening and type of oxidation can vary depending on the type of environment the items are left in.

Most often, people will leave this patina on because it creates an antique look that many manufacturers try to simulate today. If you should try to remove it, the layers underneath are then exposed which will in time once again corrode and the patina comes back. In all actuality, the patina layer that forms on lead based pewter acts as a protective layer and should really not be removed.

Lead free pewter can also oxidize over time, but it takes much longer and the color is usually more grayish compared to the lead based pewter which is a darker gray or black in color.

General Pewter Care Tips:

- Pewter can be pitted or stained from certain foods such as citrus juice, types of salad dressings etc., so please remember to wash your items immediately after use.

- Do not place in the oven on a hot plate or near hot flames because pewter melts easier than other types of metals. Pewter melts at only 450 degrees.

- Always hand wash rather than placing in a dishwasher.

Pewter Cleaning Tips:

Unlike silver, pewter doesn't tarnish, so you will not need to clean it all that often.

There are generally three different types of finishes you will find in pewter items and each has a preferred method of cleaning.

Polished Pewter:

This type of finish is very shiny and smooth and only really needs to be cleaned a couple of times a year. The recommend method of cleaning this type of pewter is with a very soft cloth and some polish. You can try making your own paste of vinegar, salt and flour. Rub it in circular motions with a soft cloth gently to shine up your pewter. You can also find polishes at your local hardware store or auto parts store. Look for a polish that contains very fine grit if none at all.

For taking out fine scratches, we recommend using a polish called "Mothers". You can find this at your local hardware store. It has a very small amount of very fine grit in the polish and this must be applied with care. Just apply a little bit to the affected area and rub with a soft cloth in circular motions. You will notice that your cloth will turn black. This is normal, as it is actually taking off a very fine layer of pewter to reveal the new shiny layer underneath. Just keep turning the cloth so you are always using a clean part and your pewter will once again shine. If you should notice that the now cleaned area is shinier than the rest of the area, you may have to do the entire area to get an even effect.

Another type of polish that works well is Rottenstone. You can find this at some hardware stores or lumberyards.

Satin Pewter:

This type of pewter has a little bit more of a rougher appearance. It is not shiny, but has almost a grain type of finish. You can use warm water and a mild soap to clean this type of pewter.

Every couple of years you may want to buff out or brush this kind of pewter using very fine steel wool. You can find this in any local hardware store. Always remember to rub in the direction of the grain and do not press very hard. It will not take much to return it back to it's original appearance.

Oxidized Pewter:

Oxidized pewter usually has a darker finish and has an antique look to it. Just washing with warm water and a mild soap is all you really need to do with this type of pewter.

You should also note that pewter from earlier periods can oxidize easily because of the higher lead content.

Pewter - Care and Cleaning Tips

Evelyn Whitaker writes articles for German Toasting Glasses http://www.german-toasting-glasses.com which specializes in custom engraved wedding gifts from Germany.

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