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 How to Clean an Oven
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| Author | Topic: How to Clean an Oven |
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LParker Housemate |
posted 01-09-2003 12:28 PM
  
Being as this is the first time in my life that I've used an oven on a regular basis I'm finding it's time to clean it. Any suggestions on how to get through, what seems like, the worst chore ever? Are there any products that you swear by? IP: Logged |
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Dewgirl Housesitter |
posted 01-09-2003 12:37 PM
If your oven has a self-cleaning mode, I'd try that. It heats the oven up to an unbelievably high temperature and pretty much just turns any ickiness in there into charcoal, which you can then just scrape out. It puts quite a dent in your gas/electric bill, though, so I wouldn't do that too often. Unfortunately, that's the only thing I've ever tried. IP: Logged |
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yam Housemate |
posted 01-09-2003 12:52 PM
Self-cleaning is definitely the best way to do it, because all oven cleaners are either incredibly nasty and toxic, or don't work worth a damn and take hours of scrubbing. Anyway, my ancient ovens have never been able to self-clean, so I use Easy-Off. It is incredibly vile. It smells horrible - you can pretty much feel the brain cells dying - and if you get any on your skin you can get a chemical burn. But oh, does it ever work. Lay down newspaper everywhere, including the drawer underneath the oven if you have one, preheat your oven to the temperature it says on the can, spray on Easy-Off (WEAR RUBBER GLOVES. LONG ONES. I'M SERIOUS. And check that you're pointing the nozzle in the right direction.), let it sit twenty minutes, then scrub it off with a wet cloth. Years of grease stains will wipe right off, it's quite amazing. Have the fan on full-blast and all windows open, take frequent fresh-air breaks, do not breathe in while you're scrubbing because it's really gross. Scrub the door first and then work your way from the bottom up so you don't end up with soapy easy-off dripping down on to you. If you happen to get any on your skin, rinse it off with cool water immediately. So, it's totally awful stuff, but it makes the cleaning go fast, like 10 minutes fast. Comet won't cut it - you'll be there for hours and still not get all the crud off. Also! After your oven is all sparkly clean, line the bottom (underneath the element!) with aluminum foil and change it whenever it gets too full of crumbs and drips. Then you have to clean WAY less often. IP: Logged |
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septembergirl Housemate |
posted 01-09-2003 01:12 PM
Yam's advice is great, as always - I would just add that she is NOT KIDDING about the ventilation and being careful not to breathe it in. I would actually not try Easy-Off at all if you have any breathing problems. It brought on an asthma attack for one of my roommates. I've heard that leaving a bowl of vinegar in the oven overnight also makes it easier to clean, but I'm inclined not to believe it. Tin foil is my best friend too. Once you've cleaned your oven for the first time, you NEVER want to let it get that bad again. IP: Logged |
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Dewgirl Housesitter |
posted 01-09-2003 01:45 PM
I'm going to feel stupid in T-15 seconds, I imagine, but... I didn't know that you had to preheat your oven to use Easy-Off. How do you clean it without burning yourself? IP: Logged |
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yam Housemate |
posted 01-09-2003 01:49 PM
You don't have to preheat it, but if you do it works faster. If you do it in a cold oven you have to let it sit longer. And you don't preheat it very hot - I think it's pretty close to the lowest temperature. I've never been burned by the oven, anyway - just by the easy-off. IP: Logged |
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Dewgirl Housesitter |
posted 01-09-2003 01:50 PM
Speaking of which... Does anybody have a glass-topped oven? You know, where the burners are just flat hot spots? If so...how the heck do you clean it? I'm good about wiping it off every time I use it, but there's some God-only-knows-how-old, baked in, spots on the burner we use most frequently, I'm assuming from some sort of food that spilled and was never cleaned up, and just got baked over and over. How do I get this off? It's old enough that the little scraper they give you doesn't do it..it's almost in the glass. I also have this problem from some tomato-like discolouration around the burner. IP: Logged |
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tiranda Subletter |
posted 01-09-2003 02:27 PM
Is it an electric oven? here is the OLD-FASHIONED way to clean that comes from the original Heloise. I did this once or twice as a teenager and again a few years ago. Time consuming but cheap and effective. Follow instructions! 1. Ventilate kitchen throughly. REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT. You want to be able to breathe.... 2. Block oven vents with newspaper or paper towels (where the heat and steam escape the oven). ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. 3. Put a dish of straight ammonia in the bottom of the oven. (Ventilation VERY important here). The fumes are what loosens the baked on stuff. (I used about 3/4 cup in a glass custard cup). (3a. Remove racks, put in bathtub, soak in soapy water.) 4. Close door. 5. Let it sit 4 or 5 hours. Go read, or watch TV, or sew, or clean house, or something. 6. Open door. Usually, even with a lot of baked on stuff, it will wipe off with little trouble. 6a. Scrub racks. I left them in the oven once while the fumes worked and they were fine. You might have to scrub a spot or two. 7. Wipe oven walls down with water to rinse. If any spots remain, use baking soda on a damp sponge as abrasive cleanser. Blocking the vents means you avoid having the Thousand-Cats' Worth of Ammonia-Fumes greet you when you walk in the kitchen. (Personal testimony: not pleasant! On the other hand, my sinuses got REALLY clear). A further tip: Immediately pour salt (pout it heavily right from the box, not the shaker, you want a -lot-) on spills as soon as they happen or while still hot. The salt soaks up the spill and once the oven is cool you can remove the lump with a spatula. As a former pizza baker I can say this did wonders on cheese and sauce spills. Also you can scrub off little spots right away once oven cools with baking soda on damp paper towel, if you want to be diligent about it. IP: Logged |
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heather Housemate |
posted 01-10-2003 06:28 AM
quote: There's a special cleaner for the glass-topped ovens that you can buy. However, if your scraper isn't working, then the cream cleaner may not help much....hmmmm....The cleaner is in a small squirt bottle (kinda like sunblock) and it's smooth like a lotion. You just wipe it on and off to get rid of gunk and then it leaves the top with a nice shine. Maybe check with your local Sears or the sort to see if their employees have any ideas and also to inquire about the cleaner. IP: Logged |
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KirstenL4W Housemate |
posted 01-10-2003 06:38 AM
Easy-off makes a fume free formula which isnt exacly fume free, but its not nearly as suffocating as the regular stuff. Its seems to work just as well. I definitely agree about the venitlation, though. Fans and open windows are your friends. And be very careful not to get any on your skin - use very long gloves. That stuff has a pH of 13 or something like that - it's lye based but burns almost as bad as acid. I've got a scar on my arm from oven cleaning 15 years ago. IP: Logged |
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fairystar Housemate |
posted 01-10-2003 11:38 AM
On a relatively related note, how do you clean the vent fan above the stove then? I think mine has remained in place for 35 years, the age of the apartment. It looks absolutely disgusting, and I have no idea where to start with it. IP: Logged |
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yam Housemate |
posted 01-10-2003 12:08 PM
Usually there's a filter which is cheap to just replace (they get so greasy, cleaning would be a major pain), and then the actual fan you can dust if you want. (Unplug it first, eh.) IP: Logged |
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yam Housemate |
posted 01-10-2003 12:11 PM
I sound like a freaking oven repairman this week. I do have a life outside my oven, I swear! I don't even use it that much. IP: Logged |
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Dewgirl Housesitter |
posted 01-10-2003 12:42 PM
The first step is admitting that you have a problem, Yam 
IP: Logged |
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Chelle Housemate |
posted 01-10-2003 05:13 PM
I have another suggestion for the oven cleaner, but it's a bit unusual. Castrol Super Clean Tough Task Cleaner Degreaser, my goodness what a title. Its that stuff you spray on your hubcaps to remove all the road gunk. It works great. Not too messy. Has no fumes, well it does have some faint chemical-y smell but not stronger than Fantastik or 409. It works really fast, in fact you're not supposed to let the product dry. Just spray on and wipe off. And it's biodegradable. I tried it after going through a whole pack of scrubbers and still having baked-on oil spills on my stovetop. It took about two applications, four for one really stubborn spot. Poof! Shiny clean stove. Yay. IP: Logged |
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Merimoo Housemate |
posted 01-10-2003 08:36 PM
quote: I've used 409 for the parts that aren't the filter. IP: Logged |
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TMeadows Subletter |
posted 01-11-2003 09:37 AM
Oh my. I was going to clean my oven for the first time this week, now I'm totally scared of doing it. I don't want my apartment turned into a toxic wasteland! Why does it have to be such a pain? Why clean the oven anyway if it's such a pain, I mean, how dirty do they get? IP: Logged |
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Susie Liz Housemate |
posted 01-11-2003 09:51 AM
Ahh, hello, when the smoke detectors go off when all you are doing is pre-heating then you know you need to rescue that oven. Actually it really takes alot less effort than it seems. I also use the fume free but have never been brave enough to warm the oven first. I leave mine overnight and just keep my bedroom door closed from start to finish. Happy cleaning! IP: Logged |
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dallas214 Housemate |
posted 02-05-2003 08:26 AM
When I moved into my apartment, the oven was filthy. I never thought I would be able to get it clean. I used ammonia and baking soda to clean it. I believe I put a glass dish of ammonia in the oven and let it sit overnight. The next morning, most of the baked-on crud came right off. I used baking soda to act as a scrubbing agent of a few of the more stubborn areas. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands. http://www.diynet.com/DIY/article/0,2058,7581,00.html IP: Logged |
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dallas214 Housemate |
posted 02-05-2003 08:29 AM
Have you tried Barkeepers Friend Cooktop Cleaner? I've heard that it works great. I use Barkeepers Friend regular cleanser and it's the best for cleaning porcelain sinks, tubs, etc. I buy Barkeepers Friend at Wal-Mart. You might have to check around for the cooktop cleaner -- maybe a hardware store or Bed, Bath and Beyond. http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/products.htm
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Laura Housemate |
posted 02-05-2003 02:26 PM
quote: Go wherever they sell your brand of oven, and they should have the right cleaner, it's specially made for glass-top ranges. My mom recently bought a stove like that, and the cleaner came with it. Heather's right - it comes out of the bottle like hand lotion and you wouldn't believe it works, but it takes just about everything off. Some of the stains might just be from water... if even a couple drops get between the pot and the burner while it's on, it makes this awful splotch which only comes out with the lotion-y stuff. Wierd. (I miss having a gas range where you can SEE the flame and don't have to fidget with the electric dial, turning it back and forth hoping the pot doesn't boil over.) IP: Logged |
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slinkksster Subletter |
posted 02-07-2003 07:31 PM
i know this is a dumb question, but how do you know if your oven is self-cleaning? IP: Logged |
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Dewgirl Housesitter |
posted 02-10-2003 07:31 AM
quote: Yup, the more I look at it, the more I'm thinking that they are water spots... I'll have to track down some of this lotion..
quote: See, I'm just the opposite.. I HATED my gas range... the flame really scared me and I was always afraid the house was going to explode. Plus, I often use the still warm burner on the electric to keep food warm until a second helping.. I don't think I'll ever go back! IP: Logged |
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Dewgirl Housesitter |
posted 02-10-2003 07:33 AM
quote: Not a dumb question at all! It should say somewhere on the front of the oven "self-cleaning", or if not there, perhaps on the inside of the door. I've also seen it where there is no mention at all except for on your temperature settings the end one will be "clean". IP: Logged |
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hbdanielle Housemate |
posted 07-03-2003 05:01 PM
*bump* IP: Logged |
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