Beware of Toxic and Corrosive Oven Cleaning Products

Most off-the-shelf oven cleaning products are the most toxic and corrosive oven cleaning products you can use.  Many contain Caustic Soda which can not only damage your oven but also the health of your family. If these products are not used correctly the damage they can cause is irreversible. I have seen many ovens where the product has been applied incorrectly and/or not completely removed. It is when these products are not completely removed that they continue to ‘eat away’ at the oven parts eventually leading to corrosion. The effects of this are rusty racks and chipped or flaking enamel. Self Cleaning liners will absorb the cleaning product and lose their functionality and appear stained as in the photo above.  I’ve also seen heating elements so badly corroded that they needed to be replaced, chrome racks completely rusted, enamel interiors with chipped and rusty spots and white streak stains on and in between the glass door.  Beware of using caustic products on the oven door. They can dissolve the glue holding the glass onto the door with disastrous results. In my opinion the lifespan of these ovens have been reduced due to the corrosive damage. I often point out the corrosion and residue stains before I start cleaning and ask the client what they have used in the past. Most of the time it is usually these types of oven cleaning products they have used incorrectly.

A lot of these products are sold as ‘non-caustic’ as the ph value of caustic is around 14 and they test below this value. The product may be technically ‘non-caustic’ but still have a relatively high ph and high alkaline bordering on being caustic. If the product you are using requires that it ‘sit’ or ‘react’ with the dirt for a length of time then more than likely it is high alkaline or caustic.