Can you use Bar Keepers Friend on glass stove top?

Bar Keepers Friend’s products have been there as a cleaning product for more than a century. It’s excellent for various non-porous surfaces.

However, will this same efficacy apply to kitchen appliances, especially on fragile glass cooktops? Can you use Bar Keepers Friend on glass stove top?

Read this article and find out! 

Can you use Bar Keepers Friend on glass cooktop?

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of a glass cooktop is its easy clean-up. 

A simple swipe on the smooth surface, and voila!

It’s as sparkly as the day you bought it. The caveat here, however, is to find a trusted cleaner in the market. A popular choice out there is Bar Keepers Friend. 

Their “once tried, always used” motto doesn’t only apply to hard water stains and rusty bathrooms but also to your sports equipment, grills, and even the delicate appliances in your kitchen. 

According to Bar Keepers Friend (BKF), their bleach-free product can eliminate rust, mineral deposits, and food residues that may frustrate any homeowner. 

Got some built-up food and knife marks on your glass cooktop? That’s not a worry at all for this multi-use cleaner!

BKF has an array of products available so you should be careful not to choose their products for descaling coffee makers or polishing granite surfaces when you intend to clean your glass cooktop! 

Instead, opt for their cooktop cleaner, which is not only suitable for glass but also metal and ceramic cookware. For tougher food stains, the BKF Cookware Cleaner and Polish have more degreasing components and are better suited. 

Like any cleaner, Bar Keepers Friend needs to be properly used to be fully effective, i.e., some cooktop cleaners, even though marketed as cooktop-safe, can still scratch your glass surface if you misuse it. 

BKF is aware of such woes and the overall inefficacy of spray glass cleaners, especially on tough baked-on residues; hence their website offers cleaning tips using their specially-formulated product. 

As a precaution, test the multipurpose BKF cooktop cleaner on a small area of your cookware first. It is not recommended on cast iron and other porous and non-stick surfaces, so always read the label on how and what to use it for before even proceeding. 

To clean your glass cooktop using BKF cooktop cleaner, don some protective gloves and follow these guidelines:

1. Scrape off stubborn gunk using BKF multipurpose cooktop scraper. This will need some elbow grease, albeit gently, as you can possibly scratch the glass with too much pressure.
2. Wet the glass surface first before applying the cleaner. The BKF blog doesn’t specify this step, but it will dilute the product and help with lathering. Wipe the surface with a wet paper towel to further loosen food particles. 
3. Apply the product onto a sponge dampened with warm water. Squirt a good amount of product onto the surface, especially targeting the problem areas. Wipe using the sponge in a circular motion, ensuring the product doesn’t remain on the surface for more than five minutes. Never use this product dry. 
4. Squeeze out the water and product from your sponge and use it to wipe off the glass cooktop. Repeat the process until you don’t see any product left. Once the residue is gone, use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe the surface dry. 

Easy-peasy, right? 

Some cooktops might need more elbow grease. With an effective formula like what the BKF cooktop cleaner composes of, it shouldn’t prove to be hard labor. 

Is Bar Keepers Friend safe for glass stove tops?

Bar Keepers Friend is like any other cooktop cleaner in the sense that you need to read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully if you want it to work for you. 

BKF especially has strict limitations on how long you can leave on their product, e.g., 5 minutes at maximum for their cooktop cleaner. Exceeding it can likely result in discoloration and streaks. 

But how is it able to clean so efficiently in a little time? Well, the answer is down to its main ingredient— oxalic acid. 

Oxalic acid is an organic acid that readily dissolves in water to make a colorless solution. It is mainly known for its ability to remove rust, tarnish, and oxidation. While it’s not a household name like baking soda, oxalic acid is a common ingredient in cleaning products and pesticides. 

The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit group focusing on the safety of household products, graded BKF with an F. This is mainly because excessive oxalic acid is toxic when inhaled or ingested and can cause serious eye irritation and, worse, respiratory irritation. 

It may sound scary but don’t run away just yet! 

BKF claims to use high-grade oxalic acid at less than 10%  of the overall composition. The safety data sheet for their products is also available for viewing, so if you want to research the Bar Keepers Friend cooktop cleaner ingredients, you only need to visit their website. 

Other cooktop cleaner ingredients include water, glass oxide, citric acid, alcohol ethoxylates, acrylic polymer, xanthan gum, polysorbate 20, and Citrus Aurantium Dulcis peel. 

Aside from oxalic acid, glass oxide might be a concern as it is the abrasive component composing 85-94% of the product. Unlike mineral abrasives, though in their prior formulation, glass oxides are grounded into finer equal size but stay as effective. Still, even mildly abrasive components can build scratches gradually that may become permanent. 

The National Sanitation Foundation has accredited all BKF’s products, proving their compliance with food regulations. They are deemed acceptable for use at home and commercial use. 

As a precaution, use protective clothing like gloves and mask when cleaning and avoid eye, nose, and skin contact as much as possible. Moreover, never mix it with other cleaning products, as it can produce adverse reactions. 

Can you use Bar Keepers Friend on electric stove tops?

Aside from the fragile glass cooktops, you can also use Bar Keepers Friend for electric stovetops. Electric stove tops can be of three types: smooth glass surfaces (like radiant cooktops), hot plates, or coiled burners. 

Given that both glass stove tops and hot plates have flat surfaces, you can employ the same cleaning technique described above for both types. As for coiled types, you can still use the BKF cooktop cleaner since it is also suited for metal surfaces. 

Coil types usually need extra elbow grease for cleaning. The coil should be detached before you apply any product. 

To do this, lift the coil, see where it is attached to the stove, and gently detach it. Afterward, apply the product on a wet sponge and scrub the coil and the rest of the surface until all the residue has been cleaned off. 

Wipe everything with a clean sponge, repeatedly if needed, and a soft cloth to dry everything. Reattach the coils afterward. 

Again, ensure you track how long you can leave the product and the surfaces it’s allowed to be used on. 

Can I use Bar Keepers Friend on stove burners?

You can!

If you find electric coils tricky to clean, stove burners may be harder. Unlike glass cooktops, it’s pretty common to overlook spills, grime, and drippings that accumulate between the gas stove grates as they can pass the first inspection, or it gets too cumbersome to clean them after cleaning. 

For this, two BKF products are recommended to fully deep-clean your stove burners and their accessories. The following products can help:  Cookware Cleaner & Polish for tougher grease built-up and the original BKF powder cleaner. BKF also has a tough-grade pad that you can use to clean bigger appliances like a cooking range in its entirety. 

1. To start, remove your stovetop’s burner covers and knobs and bring them to the sink. Sprinkle some BKF powder cleaner on them, and using a wet sponge, wipe the soiled covers and knobs in a circular motion. For tougher stains, create a paste using the powder cleanser and water, then leave it to sit for a maximum of 3 minutes. Clean with a towel and air-dry. 
2. Do not use BKF products on stove grates, as they’re often made of cast iron. Instead, use dishwashing soap and a wet sponge to clean off the grime. 
3. Let the paste sit for 2-3 minutes (not any longer!) on the stovetop. If you want a more potent concentration for built-up grime, use more powder than water when making the paste. Wipe with the light-grade pad in a circular motion afterward.
4. Remove the rest of the product and residue using a clean and damp sponge. Rinse the sponge, then repeat the process until fully clean. Do a final wipe with a soft towel before placing back the knobs and burner covers. 

TL;DR

You can primarily use the BKF cooktop cleaner formulated for glass, electric, and stove burners for your clean-up process. To achieve full efficacy and keep yourself safe, follow the manufacturer’s instructions precisely.