How to Clean Baked on Grease Off Glass Dishes

Co-authored by Susan Stocker and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: September 1, 2021 References

Baked-on grease can be an eyesore, especially when it comes to your glass bakeware. If you’re dealing with a particularly stubborn grease spot, there are few easy remedies that you can try out. To loosen any baked-on grease, pour a mixture of dish soap, hot water, and baking soda in the bottom of your glassware. Additionally, you can use a dryer sheet, baking soda and vinegar, a Magic Eraser, toothpaste, or denture cleaning tablets to weaken the stain. With a little elbow grease and the right supplies, you can save a lot of time and effort in your dishwashing routine!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Soaking with Dish Soap and Baking Soda

1
Coat the bottom of the dish with a liquid soap and baking soda. Using a bottle of standard dish soap, drizzle a cherry-sized amount of cleaner over the greasy parts of the dish. Next, sprinkle at least 1 tsp (6 g) of baking soda over the especially greasy areas. If your glass is completely covered in baked-on grease, feel free to use more baking soda as you see fit.^{[1]
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- You can use whatever type of dish soap that you have on hand.
2
Fill the glass dish with hot water. Fill the bottom of your glass dish with hot water until the dish soap and baking soda are completely covered. Continue pouring until about 1 in (2.5 cm) of the dish is filled. If you’re cleaning a smaller dish, you might not need to use as much water.^{[2]
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- Hot water helps wear down old stains like baked-on grease.
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3
Wait 15 minutes so the dish can soak. Don’t wipe off any grease until you’ve given the dish soap and baking soda enough time to soak. If the baked-on grease stain is especially bad, let the dish soak for at least 30 minutes.^{[3]
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- If you want, you can also soak your greasy dishes overnight.
4
Scrub down the greasy spots with an abrasive sponge. Pour the dirty, sudsy water into the sink. Using a clean, abrasive sponge, start rubbing over the stubborn grease spots. Once you’ve cleaned off the baked-on grease, rinse off any leftover residue with warm water.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a Dryer Sheet to Soak the Dish

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Fill the bottom of the dish with warm water. Pour enough water into the dish to cover all of the grease spots. If the baked-on grease is stuck to the sides of the dish, you can add more water.^{[5]
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- Don’t use cool water for this, or the grease might not come off.
2
Pour a pea-sized amount of dish soap into the water. Drizzle a small amount of soap along the bottom of the dish, so the grease can be soaked away. Next, try spreading the soap around, so entire dish is sudsy.^{[6]
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- Any kind of dish soap will work for this process.
3
Place 1 dryer sheet into the glass dish. Place the item on top of the water, so it can float in the center of the dish. If you’re cleaning an especially large item, consider soaking multiple dryer sheets in the sudsy water.^{[7]
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- Similar to the dish soap, the chemicals in the dryer sheet help to work away the grease from the dish.
4
Leave the sheet in the glassware for at least 10 minutes. Set a timer, then step away from the soaking dish. Don’t try to scrub or rinse out the dish; instead, give the grease time to loosen and soak. After 10 minutes pass, remove the dryer sheets and toss them out.^{[8]
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- If you remove the dryer sheet right away, you won’t notice a difference.
5
Wipe off the baked on grease with a sponge. Take an abrasive sponge and scrub over the baked-on grease spots. Use short, quick motions to coax the grease off your dish, until you’ve removed all the residue. Continue scrubbing the bottom surface and edges of the dish to completely clean off the dish.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Other Home Remedies

1
Combine baking soda and white vinegar to clean the surface. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda along the bottom and sides of your glass dish, focusing on the especially greasy areas. After filling a small spray bottle with white vinegar, spritz over the baking soda. Let the dish sit overnight, then wipe away any excess vinegar and baking soda the following day.^{[10]
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- You can repeat this process as many times as necessary.
2
Scrub the dish with a Magic Eraser if you don’t mind using some elbow grease. Take an unused cleaning sponge or Magic Eraser and soak it under the faucet. Using long, forceful movements, rub the areas of the dish that have a lot of baked-on grease. Keep scrubbing the glass until the patches of grease are completely gone!^{[11]
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- You might need more than 1 Magic Eraser to clean out your dish, depending on how bad the grease stains are.
3
Mix at least 2 denture tablets with hot water to get rid of grease. Fill your glass dish about halfway with hot water. Next, drop at least 2 denture tablets into the water. Wait at least 3 hours before emptying the dish into the sink. Then, wash it as usual.^{[12]
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- If your dish has a lot of greasy spots, consider letting your glassware soak overnight.
- For a stronger cleaning solution, add in 3 denture tablets.
4
Brush toothpaste over any problem areas with a toothbrush. Squeeze a pea-sized amount of regular toothpaste onto a greasy area of your dish. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, scrub over the toothpaste to get rid of the baked-on grease. Once the dish is completely clean, rinse it out with dish soap and warm water.^{[13]
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Expert Q&A

Question

Will vinegar remove baked on grease?

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Green Cleaning Expert

Expert Answer

Yes, vinegar may help soften up the grease. Olive oil is another great degreaser if you're explicitly looking for organic solutions.
Question

How can I get grease off of a glass cooktop?

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Green Cleaning Expert

Expert Answer

Use a razor blade. Just drag the edge along the surface of the glass to pull up any grease. Then, you can just use dish soap and water to wipe up any residue.