Oven & Grill Cleaners

Even the greatest chefs leave greasy messes when they create their masterpieces.  Splatters and drips happen to everyone.  Your stove-top, oven, and grill can all collect baked-on grease and grime.  Fortunately, oven and grill cleaners are strong enough to do the job and get your cooking surfaces spotless.

 

But I Thought Ovens Were “Self Cleaning”?
Most ovens in today’s homes are labeled “self-cleaning.”  You turn the oven to the “self-clean” setting and in several hours, the oven has turned any grease or spilled food into ash, and all that’s left for you to do is wipe it up with a damp sponge.

Today’s oven cleaners are specially formulated to also provide effective cleaning of cook-tops and grills.  Remember to always follow label directions.

The soils found in household ovens and on grills and stove-tops are greasy black burned-on food residues, and have been subjected to high temperatures over extended periods.  This makes them perhaps the most challenging cleaning problem in the home.

 

So How Do We Clean Those Greasy, Baked-On Messes?
Commercial oven cleaners are highly alkaline, or basic, having a pH over 11.0.  The alkalinity in oven cleaners attacks the greasy black burned-on food residue breaking them down into smaller, easier to clean components.

This alkalinity makes oven cleaners corrosive to skin, therefore wear rubber gloves and make sure the area is well-ventilated when you clean.

Oven cleaners need time to “eat away” the junk in your oven, so usually the product is specially formulated to cling to the surface in the oven, keeping the product in contact with the soil long enough to work as indicated.

 

Keeping Your Oven Clean Between Cleanings
Here are a few tips to keep your oven clean from day one:

  • Before you clean your oven for the first time, consult your owner’s manual.
  • Keep your oven clean by wiping up spills and splatters as they happen.  Of course, let the surface cool first.
  • If you suspect you are baking something that might bubble over, line the bottom of the oven with tinfoil, making sure it doesn’t touch the coils.

 

Are There Different Kinds Of Oven Cleaners?
Oven cleaning products are commonly thick liquids packaged in aerosol cans or in bottles with spray pumps.  The product is sprayed onto the soiled surface, allowed to stand for a period of time, and then wiped off.  In another type, a pouch containing the liquid is encased in a pad covered with an abrasive synthetic sponge.  The pouch is punctured to release the product which is then scrubbed over the grime with the sponge.

You can remove the oven trays and soak them in warm, soapy water to wash them.  You can also clean grills by soaking the tray in warm soapy water.  However, on heavy-duty grill messes, you can apply oven cleaner directly to the grill tray.

Read the product instructions carefully, as oven cleaners can vary.  Some might tell you to warm the oven to 200 degrees first, which softens and loosens the baked-on residue.  Others work best at room temperature.  Some take 6 to 8 hours to work, others take only 15 minutes.  With any commercial cleanser, always read the directions first.  You’ll find out how to safely and most effectively use the product, ensuring a clean and healthy living environment for you and your family.