Why Your Glass Stove Smells (And How To Fix It)

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Whipping up delicious home-cooked meals is a rewarding experience, but it can sometimes lead to an untidy stovetop. From sauce splatters to burnt-on residue, messes on the stove can be downright stubborn to clean. While you should be cleaning up stovetop messes as soon as they happen, it's easy to forget. And if you do forget, you might notice an unpleasant smell with time, especially when the heat is turned up. Luckily, this is the most common reason why your glass stove might be smelly — odors from old food and grease. To deal with this, simply avoid one of the biggest mistakes with cleaning your glass top stove: Neglecting to clean it often.

There are a few other reasons why your glass stove might be giving off a bad odor. If your stove is new, you might notice a smell that's close to burning plastic. This can be normal for the first few uses, since manufacturing oils and coatings are burning off of the new appliance. Before turning on your new stove, be sure to remove all protective plastic coverings and any zip ties or adhesive residue. This will help reduce the initial odor and keep anything that was left by mistake from melting.

If your glass stove is older, clean, and you're still noticing a foul odor, you might have an electrical problem. While this is a less common reason, it is a much more serious issue. A persistent burning or electrical smell might indicate a problem with the wiring or burner element. If you can't find an obvious reason for a smelly glass stovetop, call a professional right away to help diagnose the issue.

Since stuck-on food is the most common reason for a smelly glass stove, it's best to learn how to fix this relatively frequent occurrence. If a spill was missed and has now become a burnt-on mess, here's how you should be cleaning your glass top stove to keep it in tip-top shape. First, use a cooktop scraper to gently remove any burnt-on food — be careful not to scratch the glass. Use a spray bottle to lightly coat the surface with white vinegar. Sprinkle baking soda over the area, then place a damp, hot towel over the mixture and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Finally, wipe with the cloth, then use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away any residue. Buff dry with a dry microfiber cloth to eliminate water spots. If you want to save yourself the time and elbow grease, you can also get your glass stovetop sparkling clean with one affordable, highly-rated product: the cooktop cleaner from Bar Keepers Friend.

If, however, you've cleaned your glass stove and it is still experiencing odors, there are a few other options to try. First, try leaving a small bowl of white vinegar (a natural deodorizer) near the stove overnight to absorb foul odors and neutralize the smell. If this doesn't do the trick, you can mix water and lemon juice, then spray it onto the stove. Let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe away with a clean microfiber cloth. Lemon juice is a natural degreaser and deodorizer — if you have any grease residue on your stove, this will help remove it and the smell that it leaves behind.