How to Remove Plastic from Glass

Co-authored by Raymond Chiu and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: May 11, 2023 References

It's always amazing how it only takes a second for plastic to melt on the stove or in your oven. If you're tired of spending lots of time trying to remove melted plastic without much luck, read some of these time-saving solutions to common questions. In most cases, you won't need much more than elbow grease and things you already have in your pantry!

Question 1 of 5:

Can I remove melted plastic while it's still warm?

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Wait until the plastic hardens so you don't have a bigger mess to clean.^{[1]
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Research source} To quickly harden the plastic, set a bag of ice cubes right on the plastic. The cold temperature makes the plastic harden so you can try to scrape it off.^{[2]
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- This will get the outside of the bag messy, so plan on pitching it once you're done cleaning off the plastic.
- If you've just got a little plastic, it will probably harden on its own really quickly or you could place an ice cube right on it to speed things up.
- Don't touch the melted plastic until it cools down to avoid burning yourself.^{[3]
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  Raymond Chiu
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Question 2 of 5:

Can I use my oven's self-cleaning feature to remove plastic?

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This feature will get rid of some of the plastic, but you'll still need to manually clean. If you're lucky enough to have a self-cleaning oven feature, try running it to see how much of the plastic it can burn off of the glass door. If you still see thin streaks of melted plastic, let the oven cool down before you scrub baking soda paste on the glass.^{[4]
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- Always read your oven's instruction manual. It will tell how long the self-cleaning cycle takes and how long you have to wait before you open the oven door to clean inside.

Question 3 of 5:

How do you get melted plastic off of a glass oven door?

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1
Scrape off the hardened plastic if there's a lot of it. If you can see a puddle of melted plastic on your glass oven door, get out a razor. Carefully hold the razor blade at a 45-degree angle and scrape off the plastic.
- Avoid going back and forth against the glass with the razor since you don't want to scratch the glass.
2
Scrub a baking soda paste on the glass door to remove little bits of melted plastic. If you see small stringy bits of melted plastic on the door, pour some baking soda into a bowl. Then, stir in enough water to make a paste. Spread it on the glass door and use a scrubbing brush to work it into the glass of the oven door. When you wipe off the paste with a paper towel, it should lift the melted plastic, too!^{[5]
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- You may have to repeat this if you still see a little melted plastic on the glass.
- This is also a great way to clean built-up grease from the glass door.

Question 4 of 5:

How can I remove melted plastic from a glass cooktop?

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1
Scrape off the plastic with a razor blade. Carefully work the blade under the plastic at a 45-degree angle. Keep moving the razor blade under the plastic until you've removed most of it.
- Don't have a razor? You can use any firm, plastic spatula as long as it doesn't scratch the glass.
2
Scrub baking soda and vinegar onto the surface to remove the rest of the plastic. Sprinkle baking soda right onto the stovetop where the melted plastic is at. Then, fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray it onto the baking soda. Let it sit for up to 20 minutes before you scrub the stovetop with a heavy-duty scrubbing sponge.^{[7]
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- Wipe off the baking soda to check if the plastic is all gone. You might have to repeat this if there was a lot of melted plastic on the stove.

Question 5 of 5:

Can I use cleaning products to get rid of melted plastic?

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Try WD-40 to make it easier to scrape off the plastic. You don't want to scratch the surface of your glass stovetop or oven door so spray a little WD-40 lubricant onto the melted plastic. Let the product sit for 5 to 10 minutes and then scrape the plastic off with a razor or firm plastic spatula.^{[8]
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- Be careful not to get lubricant on your hands before you pick up the razor. This could make it slippery and tricky to handle.

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Tips

Don't cook with your oven or stovetop until you've removed the melted plastic. Melted plastic releases harmful chemicals that could contaminate your food.

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