When you have to clean your countertop and don’t really have time for all the fussy, expensive cleaners out there, you may want to consider using oven cleaner. Many people have found this product to be very effective on a number of surfaces, not just in the kitchen. That’s a question we hear all the time at Ace. Using the wrong product can damage and even ruin your countertops.
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Oven cleaner is a harsh chemical designed to remove baked-on grease from ovens
Oven cleaner is a harsh chemical designed to remove baked-on grease from ovens. These cleaners should not be used on kitchen countertops, backsplashes or anywhere near food preparation areas because of the health risks of exposure to the chemicals. The fumes from oven cleaners are very toxic and can be fatal if inhaled for prolonged periods.
The liquid inside the bottle and once it is sprayed on an oven is corrosive and will burn skin.Oven cleaner works best when left on the surface for a period of time, so it should not be used in a home with children or pets that could come into contact with the cleaner while you are away.
How do you know it’s oven cleaner?
Oven cleaner should never be used on kitchen counters. There are a number of reasons for this:Oven cleaner is caustic and will burn skin, eyes, etc.If oven cleaner gets into food, it is poisonous.Oven cleaner will damage almost all countertop surfaces. It may not show immediate results, but it will damage the surface over time.Oven cleaner is corrosive to metal finishes. It can strip the finish off faucets and cause permanent damage.
Why is it so charmingly called “oven cleaner”?
It might be a bit confusing why oven cleaner is so charmingly called “oven cleaner” when, in fact, it’s a very useful multipurpose and versatile product. It can help you to clean not only your oven but also a lot of other stuff, including your kitchen countertops.
Oven cleaner is an excellent solution to get rid of the dirt off your kitchen countertop. Oven cleaner is one of the most convenient ways to clean your kitchen countertop as it effectively cleans the dirt without much effort on your part and also works well on hard-to-remove oil stains.
Why does oven cleaner have an effect on kitchen countertops?
Oven cleaner is a harsh cleaning product that removes burnt-on food and grease from the interior of your oven. It is also a harmful chemical that should be used with caution. You should never use oven cleaner on kitchen countertops because it can cause damage to the surfaces in your kitchen, and it can even eat through the finish of your countertops.
Can you use oven cleaner on kitchen countertops?
Oven cleaners are formulated to clean baked-on food and grease from the inside of an oven. These cleaners usually contain caustic chemicals that require precautions such as wearing gloves and eye protection.Oven cleaner should not be used on kitchen countertops or other food preparation surfaces for several reasons. The first is that the chemical in oven cleaner can be harmful if ingested, so using it on a surface where you prepare food could lead to illness.
The second reason is that oven cleaners are designed to eat away at grease and carbon, which can cause damage to porous surfaces like marble, granite or tile grout. This will leave etching or discoloration on your countertop, which may not be repairable.Another reason is that oven cleaners are not suited for cleaning stone countertops because these cleaners’ ingredients can penetrate into the stone, causing permanent staining and etching.
Should oven cleaner be used on kitchen countertops?
Oven cleaner is definitely not recommended for kitchen countertops. Oven cleaners are caustic, and can permanently damage the finish on the countertop. Since there is no specific reason to use oven cleaner on a counter, it’s better to just clean the counters with a non-abrasive kitchen cleaner.
There are plenty of products that can be used to clean countertops. Granite and marble require special care, but most other materials can be cleaned with a mild, non-abrasive soap and water solution.
Oven cleaner may be abrasive enough to damage some surfaces
In general, oven cleaner is not recommended for cleaning kitchen countertops. Oven cleaner is caustic, meaning it can burn and corrode skin, eyes and surfaces.Oven cleaner may be abrasive enough to damage some surfaces. For example, the manufacturer of Corian solid surface countertops says that it should not be used with oven cleaner.
Most laminate countertops are also damaged by oven cleaner. The oven cleaner will probably remove the stain from the laminate, but the abrasiveness of the cleanser may dull or scratch its finish.Granite and marble countertops should also not be cleaned with oven cleaner. The chemicals in these products will likely cause damage to these natural stone surfaces.
Conclusion
Oven cleaner is a powerful mix of chemicals that will do more harm than good to kitchen countertops if left as is for too long. It is designed to clean oven, not the countertops. Oven cleaner contains active ingredients such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide among many others. When these chemicals are left on top of a surface for too long, they eat away at the current surface coating, like granite in your case and can damage it beyond repair.
While many consumers will continue to use these products for their intended purpose, (cleaning out an oven) the downside risk of damage to countertops or sink basins is too high. Therefore, based on my analysis I would have to conclude that the best use for Oven Cleaner is strictly limited to cleaning your oven.