Oven cleaning

[Lobster]

Is there a way getting rid of really burned-on carbon deposits from an oven /enameled oven tray?

Have tried overnight oven cleaner foam (NaOH?) followed by copious scrubbing with a Goldilocks metal wire panscrub, but it ain't shifting at all.

I have an armamentarium of more oven cleaner, a bottle of NaOH pellets, a steam-stripper - any suggestion as to what might work?

I wouldn't be unduly bothered if this was my own oven (which is actually in a far worse state!), except that this oven is in a rented-out house in which the oven was in pristine condition at the outset of the last tenancy, and I'm trying to return it to that state for the next tenancy, which is about to start - if it's grubby at the outset it's hard to expect the tenant not to let it get worse during their tenancy.

Thanks David

[Huge]

Blowtorch.

And no, I'm not joking.

[Owain]

I'm all for DIY but in this case it's the tenant's fault so can you get in someone like Ovenu and charge the ex-tenant for the cost?

Leaving you more time to spend in bed getting tingles off Mrs L.

Owain

[NT]

this is one reason to have the cooker article. Unfortunately I cant answer the question yet though.

NT

[Martin Pentreath]

Ammonia. The fumes do something-or-other which softens the gunk completely. Either put a cup of it in the oven overnight with the oven door closed, or put the tray and shelves in a sealed bin bag in the garden with a slug of ammonia overnight. You can buy a commercially- produced equivalent with the bag and ammonia packaged up for you in a nice box with pictures on it, but it will cost you rather more than a bottle of ammonia from the local pound shop.

[Lobster]

Well, I've got one of those as every diy-er should... how hot? is there a danger it can melt/damage the enamel, or do you just go for it?

[Lobster]

I would indeed; but this particular gobshite already owes me 1200+ in rent arrears for which I have a CCJ and a cat in hell's chance of ever seeing; so I'm not anxious to rack up any more costs!

David

[Huge]

Well, when we moved into our last house, it appeared that cleaning was the last thing on the previous owners mind (*) and in the end I dismounted the oven, took it in the garden and used a blowtorch and scraper on it. Worked a treat. I doubt you'll be able to get an enamelled metal surface hot enough to melt to enamel with a hand-held gas blowtorch.

(* As my wife tottered past with bucket after bucket of dark brown water from cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms.)

[Cicero]

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Bead blasting will do it and it's not too difficult to find a local firm willing to do small items.

Cic.

[Timothy Murphy]

Not really relevant to the OP's question, but my oven expert told me that the pyrolitic cleaner on our DeDietrich oven damages the oven, and was responsible for the failure of the thermostat.

[Stuart Noble]

If you have a container big enough, soak it in 10% caustic overnight. I think that's what the sellers of reconditioned cookers do. Can't see that ammonia would be any more effective

[Martin Pentreath]

Probably not, as strong alkalis I guess they work in the same way. The advantage of ammonia is that you can do it in situ just by putting a cup of ammonia inside the oven and letting the fumes work overnight.

[Peter Parry]

Ammonia, but it has to be 880 which is significantly stronger than the stuff you get in shops. Pour a cup full into a plastic container and leave in the oven overnight. The next day the deposits will clear off quite well. You may need to repeat the exercise several times if the gunge is really dire.

8080 Ammonia must be treated with respect. Wear a full face respirator or open windows and doors and avoid breathing when pouring it.

[Pete Verdon]

I might need to do something like this soon. Where would I get hold of the stuff?

Pete

[Steve Firth]

Sodium hydroxide.

[Stuart Noble]

Any supplier of wood finishes should stock .880 but IME it's just too strong to handle in a domestic environment. The domestic strength will do the same thing, even if you have to use more of it.

[Jules]

Can't you just put a tray liner down?

[Owain]

They don't work on oven roofs, which is the bit that gets sooty. Trays at the bottom get gungy.

Owain

[Lobster]

Well as I was unfortunately unable to find any ammonia locally on a Sunday (when I had to finish the job) I went for the blowtorch. It certainly did work well on the flat bits; but a lot of the area was too fiddly to really scrape so had to call it a day.

The ammonia trick does sound intriguing; I shall certainly source some for next time.

Thanks David

[Jules]

Hmmm... OK, I think of "oven tray" as being the bit at the bottom of the oven, not the roof! :)