What’s the Best Way to Clean a Ceramic or Induction Hob?

Keeping on top of cleaning your hob, whether it be ceramic, induction or otherwise, can be a constant challenge.

Ceramic and induction hobs are meant to look sleek and shiny, and yet, for most of us, this is a pipedream!

However, don’t give up hope just yet. It’s never too late to bring the shine of your hob back, and I am here to tell about the best ways to clean your ceramic or induction hob. So, let’s dive right in, shall we?

 

How to Clean a Ceramic Hob

A clean hob can really improve the appearance of your kitchen, but some stains seem too stubborn for most cleaning techniques. This why many people with ceramic and induction hobs use a scraper.

Some mavericks swear by using a tile-scraping tool, which can work well but can also take chunks out of the glass and ceramic surface.

Scrapers are great for removing really burnt-on food and grime from your hob, but if you feel a little unsure about using a scraper, here is a method that may work without resorting to using one. If this ceramic hob cleaning method doesn’t work, buy a scraper that is intended and built to remove the grime from a ceramic hob, rather than a tile scraper.

1. Remove loose food – Remove all the loose food and grime from your ceramic hob first. That way, you’re only tackling the stubborn stains and not moving this loose grime around, this will help prevent scratches.
2. Apply cleaning fluid – Apply a small amount of cleaning fluid. We have an entire article going into the best cleaning products for ceramic hobs which is well worth checking out before this step. However, if you need to clean your hob quickly, this cleaning fluid must be completely smooth in texture, with no particles that could mark or scrape the hob.
3. Wait – Once you have applied the cleaning fluid, have a cup of tea. You need the cleaning fluid to soak in, but not dry completely. You want the cleaner to soften the dried-on food, without it becoming difficult to remove. So, let the cleaning fluid soak in enough to help you remove the dried-on food from your ceramic hob, but not enough to become another issue that you must tackle!
4. Clean with a cloth – Use a good-quality microfibre cloth to clean as much of the ceramic hob as possible. If you leave the cleaning fluid for enough time, this method should take off most of the burnt-on food. However, there may still be areas of your hob that require a bit of elbow grease. For this, you can use newspaper. Now, newspaper is slightly rougher and can have some abrasive qualities. So, test a small area of your hob before committing to cleaning with newspaper. If there are scratches, stop and use a scraper, but please be careful!

 

How to Clean an Induction Hob

1. Apply a specially designed cleaner – If you have burnt-on food and grime on your induction hob, use a cleaner designed for cleaning induction hobs. Again, check our separate article about the best induction hob cleaners to use. You want to avoid using any abrasives on your induction hob and any caustic cleaners too. So, you don’t want to use ammonia or bleach and never use things like scouring pads or steel wool. If the surface of your induction hob becomes scratched, food stains can become embedded in these scratches and be nearly impossible to remove.
2. Let it soak in – Once you have applied the best cleaner for your induction hob, let it soak in.
3. Optionally use a scraper – Just like with ceramic hobs, many people use a scraper but do approach this with caution. One foul move with a scraper on your induction hob could bring tears to your eyes (and your wallet)!
   Scrape the surface of your induction hob with the cutting edge of the scraper as low as possible and make sure you remove the excess food and grime carefully.
   You can use a cleaning product in conjunction with a scraper to help lift the grime.
4. Use a microfibre cloth – Once you have carefully removed the grime, use a microfibre cloth, some more of your favourite induction hob cleaner and some elbow grease to rid the surface of any residue.
5. Keep it clean – Once your induction hob is clean, try and keep it clean. A quick three minute clean of an induction hob once a day is all you need to ensure that food rarely gets stuck to the surface for any length of time that may mean you have to read this article again!
   You can use a sponge or cloth and the same cleaning product you used above. You can also use white vinegar once the hob has dried from the cleaning process to give your hob extra shine.

 

More Tips

One trick that works on both induction and regular ceramic hobs to ensure that you remove any food spills as quickly as you can with some warm soapy water after the hob has cooled down.

That way, the food doesn’t build up. However, we are only human, and this regular maintenance can be tricky to maintain in a busy household.

Something that many cleaning guides for ceramic and induction hobs neglect to mention is that you should ensure you leave the hob to dry after you have cleaned it.

If you don’t, the moisture underneath the saucepans can heat up and pull more grime off of the bottom of your pans and put you back to square one again. No need to ask how I know this!

Be sure to check out our ceramic and induction hob cleaners article. In that article, we tell you about the best ceramic hob and induction cleaners, but we also answer some interesting questions about cleaning ceramic hobs and induction hobs too that will make the process of cleaning your hob a little bit easier.

I hope this article has helped you realised that cleaning an induction or ceramic hob isn’t difficult, it just takes a bit of elbow grease.

However, do check out the other article to find out how you can reduce the amount of elbow grease you need to clean your induction or ceramic hob by choosing the right cleaning product.