Glass ceramic: clean real, test concrete

The “Consumer” magazine has already once told about glass-ceramic: what kind of material it is, what its advantages are, how to look after it and what glass-ceramic fears. This time we decided to conduct a practical test of vitrified clay cleaners, which are commercially available.

Freezer Cleaning Arsenal

To begin with, all liquid remedies can be divided into two groups:

1. only for cleaning the glass ceramic

2. Universal, for cleaning different surfaces, including glass ceramics.

Especially for the test, we bought in a regular supermarket all the products that were suggested. The choice turned out not to be so wide:

Domax is a product with silicone for cleaning and protection of vitrified clay.

“Selena-extra” – cleaner for glass ceramic surfaces.

Kochfeld Pflegereiniger – cleans and protects at the same time.

The second group of agents we bought for the test in the lab, but after reading in the manual about the ability of some of them to clean the glass ceramic, we decided to use them to clean our stoves and hobs.

For cleaning glass-ceramic are suitable: “Pemolyuks-cream, Comet-gel, theoretically, Orange FRESH cleaning cream. For details about these tools is written in the test, here we will only say that the special means for the glass ceramic also protect it, and universal means are designed only for cleaning.

Reading the labels

All three products – Domax, Selena-extra and Kochfeld Pflegereiniger – are in flat plastic tubes of 250 ml capacity. Apparently, this volume is considered optimal. We can agree that the bottles are light and take up little space, and since the consumption of funds is small and there is only one area of application, the bottle lasts for a long time. Two of the products Domax, Kochfeld Pflegereiniger have caps with a dispenser, which I can open by lifting upwards. The Selena-extra has an unscrewed lid and a dispenser tube underneath.

In principle, both systems are convenient in operation, and each has its pros and cons. For example, the caps with a pipette are faster to open, but they are both tight, so you have to apply some effort to open them. And Kochfeld Pflegereiniger, after several uses, the lid did not close tightly on two bottles, at two different owners , and the precautionary measures read: “Close the bottle tightly after use.

It takes a little longer to unscrew the cap of “Selena-extra” we are talking about microseconds, literally , but you don’t have to exert any effort.

Domax. All of the labels on the front side are in English, but the only information in American is what kind of medicine it is. A big expressive label makes it impossible to guess the function of the product.

On the back there is a lot of information: here you will find the recommendations of the manufacturers of glass ceramic, the method of application, the expected result, the composition, precautions, expiration date, and information about the manufacturer and distributor.

In general, the information is very comprehensive. But the remark concerns the quality of the printing: after a certain period of use, when the tube is repeatedly taken with wet hands, the inscriptions are erased.

Besides the fact that the information is not visible, the product’s image suffers and the tube looks untidy. A trifle, of course, but unpleasant. Interestingly, I had no such problems with a similar product I bought a year ago. ed. .

Kochfeld Pflegereiniger. Again on the front side there is only one inscription in American, and it is not highlighted, and therefore less visible than the previous product. Only an expressive picture lets you guess about the purpose of the product.

On the back, the information is in three languages, but inconveniently – by rubrics, you have to look through the entire label to “get out” the American text. Dated – intended result, environmental information, method of application, precautions, composition, shelf life, information about the manufacturer and supplier. The lettering doesn’t wear off while the product is in use.

Selena-extra. The inscription on the front side is almost entirely in American, which is logical, because the product is domestically produced. But there was an English-language inscription, probably added for the sake of respectability. I’d like to disagree with the manufacturers on this: the days when customers strongly reacted to foreign labels are a thing of the past.

So don’t try to look foreign – it might even alienate some customers. On the back surface, everything is normal – the American language tells about the purpose, and the expected result, and the way of application, and safety precautions, and the composition, indicates the TU, has a shelf life and data about the manufacturer.

As you can see, everyone has a little remark. The most serious ones are the loose fit of the lid of Kochfeld Pflegereiniger and the poor quality of the paint on the label of Domax. Everything else is trivial and a nag on our part.

What it consists of

Kochfeld Pflegereiniger – less than 5 percent non-ionic surfactants, preservatives, silicone oil, natural jojoba oil.

Jojoba oil is commonly used in cosmetic products. It is a liquid wax, resistant to rancidity. In this agent is introduced to give the glass ceramic an additional luster.

Selena-extra – water, sodium alkylbenzosulfonate, calcium carbonate, carboxymethylcellulose, silicone, fragrance, preservative.

Let us decode the terms: sodium salts of alkylbenzosulfonates are surfactants used as components of detergents soaps carboxymethylcellulose is an additive to detergents that prevents the absorption of dirt from the solution on fabric or surfaces calcium carbonate is chalk.

Domax – less than 5% non-ionic surfactants, silicone oil, preservative, polishing agent, organic acids, flavoring agent, excipient.

As you can see, each product contains silicone oil. What is Silicone?

The term “silicone” was coined by the Englishman Kipping. It does not define the chemical structure of the substance, but only adopted for convenience the name of this class of compounds. Chemical name of substances is oligoorganosiloxanes or polyorganosiloxanes, which are part of organosilicon compounds.

Sand on the beach, crystal, quartz are all silica. When heated in the presence of carbon, silicon is formed. Subjecting silicon to further processing produces long polymer chains in which the atoms of this element are bonded together. This is silicone, which can be liquid, gel-like, or rubber-like. Silicone can be found in a variety of household formulations such as polishes, suntan lotions, hand lotions, antiperspirants, soaps, water-resistant coatings and chewing gum.

Its function in glass ceramic cleaners is to create a thin film. Its presence facilitates the care of the material: grease stains are easier and faster to clean, the glass-ceramic itself suffers less from dirt. But do not wait for magic: burned areas still have to be cleaned with a scraper, the glass ceramic must be protected from sugar syrup and prevent sudden temperature changes.

Shake well before use

Selena-extra – shaken before use. Apply a small amount to a sponge or surface to be cleaned, wipe with a damp cloth. Dishes or items in contact with food, rinse with clean water.

Domax – shake it up before use. Remove coarse dirt with a squeegee. Apply a few drops to the cold surface of the plate and spread evenly with a damp cloth. For greater effect, leave it to work for a few minutes. Then wipe the surface to be cleaned with a clean, damp cloth and polish with a dry, soft cloth.

Kochfeld Pflegereiniger – shake well. Remove the soot with a scraper. Squeeze a few drops of the cleaner on the stove and wipe with a damp cloth. Rinse and dry with kitchen paper towel.

As you can see, almost everything is the same. The nuances are different. The most detailed description of the Domax, so it may seem that cleaning the stove with it is a long time. But it’s not. If you take care of the glass ceramic regularly, then cleaning will take a few minutes including cleaning with a squeegee .

Promising doesn’t mean cleaning

Kochfeld Pflegereiniger – “the formula cleans without scratching” funny translation, though! – Note. ed. , the silicone oil creates a protective film, the jojoba oil guarantees long-lasting shine.

Domax – perfect protection from scald damage, easy cleaning and great shine.

Selena-extra – effectively removes grease and similar stains associated with cooking.

Shine and cleanliness after cleaning

Selena-extra – it was very easy to remove burnt-in grease, without great physical effort. Old and “baked” grease can also be removed. In general, we can give the highest score to this cleaner for cleaning vitrified clay. “Selena” can cope with general cleaning, it is convenient to clean very dirty glass-ceramic cookware.

Domax – the product took care of the stains and fresh uncomplicated stains, but the old dirt was beyond its ability to clean. After polishing, the stove really shines. In general, not for nothing, the manufacturer wrote about daily use – this product is ideal for daily cleaning, but requires the use of other means when cleaning heavy dirt.

Kochfeld Pflegereiniger – it cleans fresh dirt without difficulty, it is less effective against burnt grease – I had to leave it for a few minutes and scrub with effort, still the stain remains. As a result of consistent use, the ceramic glass surface is now cleaner and stains are removed more quickly. We didn’t notice any special shine, as promised by the producers.

And your hands won’t get red?

Kochfeld Pflegereiniger – a rather funny inscription “Tested for skin irritation – negative result” is written in fine print in the environmental information. We haven’t noticed any “irritation” either.

Domax – no special recommendations. We have used the product repeatedly, it has not affected the skin on the hands.

Selena-extra – on the front side the hands are drawn and it is written “Careful”, and among the precautions it is written: “The use of rubber gloves is recommended”. Clearly there is a discrepancy! So it is unclear whether the product is aggressive to the skin or not, the more so as it is recommended to use it for cleaning dishes and cutlery, but it is recommended to rinse carefully. Our testers didn’t wear gloves when cleaning the glass ceramic – no skin irritation or dryness was noticed. Moreover, the contact of the product with hands is minimal.

But, in general, wearing rubber gloves and when washing dishes and cleaning the stove and other work in the kitchen is recommended by all dermatologists, and it does not depend on the selected chemicals.

Test results

“Selena-extra” – the optimal price/quality ratio. This is the cheapest of the described products. A great grease cleaner. The vitrified clay cooktop is exceptionally well-suited for cleaning old, sealed grease stains. The ceramic looks clean and practically degreased, but it is not shiny, there is no feeling that the surface is protected. We recommend to keep this product for general cleaning and washing of very dirty panel, for example after preparation of festive dinner.

Domax is a very delicate product, reminiscent of furniture polish. After cleaning with it, the glass-ceramic shines and looks protected. But it is not good for old grease stains. You need it for daily care of the stove and to give it a shine. Among the disadvantages it is worth noting not very successful design of the bottle and the fact that the label peels off, and the inscriptions are washed away.

Kochfeld Pflegereiniger – coped well with dirt, cleaned the glass-ceramic from greasy stains, suitable for the daily care of the panel, but did not show the best results neither in cleaning, nor in maintenance. Among the indisputable advantages is the fact that with continued use of the cleaner, grease is less likely to “stick” to the ceramic glass and is easier to clean. Among the disadvantages, the half-open cap, which can cause drying out of the product.

In general, agents for vitrified clay cope with their main task well. And if you wash your stove every day, it only takes a few minutes to clean it. If you are not a very exemplary hostess and you clean the panel very rarely, then the process will be long multiply 5 minutes by the number of days you cooked but did not wash the surface – you get the approximate cleaning time .