How to Get Melted Plastic
Off Your Oven and Stovetop

Hot burners, ceramic cooktops, and ovens are dangerous areas for plastic. And when the two meet, we can end up with an unhealthy melted mess. Plastic bread bags, cutting boards, and utensils quickly melt when they come in contact with a hot surface and leave behind a hard-to-remove coating. The result is an unsightly stove or oven that can also be a health or fire hazard. Because plastic is made from petroleum, fumes from melted plastic can be toxic, and the hardened melted plastic can also cause a flash fire.

Learning how to get melted plastic off an oven takes patience, the right tools, and this handy guide. Before you start chipping away at the melted plastic, you should take a few precautions. Unplug the appliance you’re working on, make sure it’s completely cool to the touch, and open a window or turn on the ceiling fan for ventilation. It’s also important to understand that removing melted plastic can be challenging, so you may have to take several runs at it. Take your time, be persistent, and read on to learn how to get melted plastic off a stovetop, oven, and even grates and burners.

How to Remove Melted Plastic From an Oven

Most of us are overly cautious when removing our latest creation from a hot oven, so we don’t burn ourselves. But sometimes, we’re not as careful with plastic spatulas and other utensils, and we end up with a melted plastic mess on our oven. You’ll know you’ve slipped up right away because the foul odor of melting plastic is hard to miss. Hopefully, all you’ll see is a puff of smoke but be prepared with some table salt or a fire extinguisher because melted plastic can catch fire.

With a flash fire averted, it’s time to tackle that melted plastic on your oven. Start by unplugging and/or turning off the oven. When it’s completely cool to the touch, use the tips below to remove the melted plastic for good.

How to Get Melted Plastic Off an Oven Without Self-Cleaning

When you’re removing melted plastic from an electric or gas oven that isn’t self-cleaning, you’ll want to freeze the plastic and then scrape it off. It takes a bit more work, but if you heat the oven to melt the plastic and then try to remove it, you’re going to make the mess even worse!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Several bags of ice
• Liquid dish detergent
• Scrub pad
• Razor scraper
• Four bath towels

This method is kind of messy, but it’s one of the best ways to remove the plastic safely. As noted before, make sure the oven is unplugged/off and cool to the touch before you begin, and use these tips to get the job done right.

• Remove the oven racks and use the razor scraper to scrape off the hardened plastic.
• Put the ice bags in the oven, making sure it contacts the melted plastic as much as possible.
• Close the oven door and bunch up your bath towels below the oven to catch the runoff when the ice melts.
• Let the ice freeze the plastic for about 20 minutes, then remove the ice and wipe up the water.
• Use the razor scraper to pry the hardened plastic gently.
• Scrub the oven with a scrub pad and some dish soap to remove leftover plastic.
• Wipe down the inside of the oven with a clean, damp cloth.
• Plugin and turn on the oven on the highest setting to melt off any remaining plastic residue.

How to Get Melted Plastic Off an Oven With Self-Cleaning

If you have melted plastic inside a self-cleaning oven, you’ll take the opposite approach from above and use heat rather than cold. Because you’ll be working with high heat and potentially toxic fumes, be sure to wear some protective gear.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Face mask
• Heat-resistant gloves
• Wooden spatula
• Razor scraper
• Paper towels
• Dishcloths
• Water

Open nearby windows and turn on any ceiling fans to provide ventilation, mask up, and use these tips to remove the plastic.

• Remove the racks and scrape off the melted plastic with the razor scraper.
• Turn the oven on to the lowest heat setting and give the plastic time to begin melting.
• Test the plastic with a wooden spoon to see if it’s pliable enough to scrape off.
• Turn off the oven and begin scraping the melted plastic.
• Clean the end of the spoon between scrapes so you don’t spread the melted plastic.
• Wipe down the inside of the oven with damp paper towels and run the self-cleaning cycle.

How to Get Melted Plastic Off a Glass Stovetop

Ceramic and glass stovetops are easier to keep clean than traditional coil top stoves, and they provide a sleek, modern look in our kitchens. Many of us know tips for cleaning spills and grease on our glass stovetops, but knowing how to get melted plastic off a stovetop is a skill most of us may not have.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Olive oil
• Nail polish remover
• Razor scraper
• Baking soda
• Dishcloths
• Water
• Liquid dish soap
• Wooden spatula
• Paper towels

Gather your supplies and use these tips to remove melted plastic from your glass stovetop and bring back that shine.

• Turn off the stovetop and unplug it if possible, then wait until it’s cooled down.
• Spray or wipe olive oil all over the areas with melted plastic.
• Sprinkle enough baking soda to coat the olive oil.
• Use a clean, soft cloth to scrub the stovetop.
• Wipe away the baking soda and oil with paper towels.
• Wash down the stovetop with a wet cloth and liquid dish soap.
• Carefully use a razor scraper to lift the edges gently, and then scrape the plastic off with a wooden spatula for any remaining melted plastic.
• Use a cotton ball and nail polish remover to wipe off areas where you still feel plastic.
• Rinse the glass stovetop using a clean, damp cloth.

How to Get Melted Plastic Off a Burner

Learning how to get melted plastic off an oven heating element or stove burner doesn’t require much elbow grease, but the process does involve heat and fumes. You’ll need to wear protective gear and ventilate the kitchen by opening a window or turning on a ceiling fan.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Face mask
• Heat-resistant gloves
• Wooden spatula
• Paper towels
• Cleaning cloth
• Water

Now grab your protective gear and cleaning supplies, and let’s get that melted plastic off your burner.

• Turn on the oven or burner and set the heat to low.
• Once the burner heats up and the plastic begins to melt, start scraping off the melted plastic with your spatula.
• Wipe the end of the spatula between scrapes so you don’t spread the melted plastic to other areas.
• Turn the heat to high once you’ve scraped off the excess plastic.
• Turn the oven or stove off and let the heating element cool.
• Once the heating element or burner is cool to the touch, wipe it down with a clean, damp cloth to remove any plastic residue.
• Keep the ceiling fan going or the window open until you no longer smell the fumes from the melted plastic.

How to Get Melted Plastic Off Stove Grates

If you get too aggressive in removing melted plastic from porcelain or ceramic stove grates, you risk chipping the finish, so skip the razor scrapers. To remove melted plastic from porcelain stove grates, use the same method for glass stovetops from above. For unfinished stove grates, feel free to use all the elbow grease you want! You can also use these tips for removing melted plastic from your outdoor grill grates.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Wooden spatula
• Nail polish remover
• Dishcloths
• Bath towel
• Liquid dish soap
• Water

Learning how to get melted plastic off metal like iron stove grates is possible with a bit of patience, the right tools, and the following steps.

• Remove the stove grates and put them in the freezer for three hours.
• Place the grates on a bath towel on a counter or other flat surface.
• Scrape away as much of the hardened plastic as possible with the wooden spatula.
• Dampen a dishcloth with nail polish remover and scrub the melted plastic off.
• Wash the grates with dish soap and water and rinse them.
• Use olive oil and a dishcloth to remove the remaining plastic and residue.

If the plastic is engrained on the surface of the grates, heat them in the oven and then put on oven mitts and carefully wipe the grates with paper towels.

Now that you know how to get melted plastic off your oven and other appliances, why not add more housekeeping skills to your repertoire with our helpful cleaning guides. Whether you do it yourself using our housekeeping hacks or save time when you let us handle the dirty work, we’ve got you covered. Check out our affordable house cleaning services when you get your free estimate.