Table of Contents
- With all the cleaning powers it shows, oven cleaner seems perfect for dealing with every surface (for example, kitchen countertops). After all, it’s designed to be around our food anyway, isn’t it?
- It’s crucial to notice that using an oven cleaner isn’t a good idea for kitchen countertops. There are too many dangers deriving from the presence of the toxic chemicals included in it. When chemicals from the oven cleaner contact your food, they can cause food poisoning or other health issues.
- Not only our bodies but also kitchens can suffer from having to deal with what chemicals from oven cleaners contain. Materials such as marble, stainless steel, granite, wood, laminate, Formica, quartz, or Corian, that kitchen counters are made of, may not react well to this product. Read on to discover the effect of oven cleaners and more.
Introduction to oven cleaner
December is coming, and there’s a great need to prepare our ovens for Christmas thoroughly. How to do it if not with the specially prepared oven cleaner?
Oven cleaner is a liquid or a fume-free gel.
Besides using these chemicals in the oven, we can also apply them on:
- microwave oven interiors, and
- glass fireplace doors;
Oven cleaners quickly penetrate a surface, dissolve grease, and remove stains, helping you get rid of the nasty crud in no time.
It’s not a secret that oven cleaners contain toxic chemicals. Some harsh chemicals to watch out for are:
- turpentine,
- degreasers,
- sodium hydroxide,
- foaming agents,
- diethylene glycol, and others;
Important: One chemical that oven cleaners contain is sodium hydroxide. It releases hydrogen gas, which is flammable when it reacts with aluminum. As a result, the aluminum will be discolored permanently if it ever meets oven cleaner.
Consider it when you want to use the oven cleaner on your kitchen countertop surface material when you clean your kitchen.
Dealing with dirty kitchen countertops
Let’s say you’re trying to remove stubborn stains from your kitchen counters and come across an oven cleaner in your house.
You may be eager to use it, especially if you notice some persistent stains when cleaning your kitchen:
- old food splatters,
- hardened grease, or
- oil;
You know as well as we do that wiping these stains clean from kitchen countertops is not enough.
How to get the kitchen counters surface to look its best?
You know this oven cleaner works wonders for you and your oven every time. “That’s a strong and proven way to a top-notch cleanliness”—you think—”Why not use it for a countertop as well?”
After all, oven cleaners tackle stubborn residue perfectly, don’t they? So isn’t it precisely what we have to face on our naughty countertops?
On the other hand, there are a couple of questions that pop into our minds when we think about the whole thing:
- we’re typically using an oven differently than we use a kitchen countertop, and
- materials used to manufacture these surface materials vary;
It looks like methods to clean ovens and countertops will differ as well.
What is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops?
Let’s tackle it before we pour an oven cleaner where we cook and eat.
Countertop material and how oven cleaner affects it
There are various material used for kitchen countertops—and we can expect different effects of oven cleaner use on them.
There are wood, stone (marble, quartz, granite) Formica, stainless steel, tile countertops, and others.
Wooden countertops
Typically, a wooden countertop has a transparent or varnish coat.
They are the first on the list to be susceptible to damage caused by an oven cleaner.
The oven cleaner chemicals penetrate through the top layer of the kitchen countertop make of wood quickly and soften it, making it sticky.
As a result, some wooden kitchen countertops will harden back, while others won’t return to their original look ever again.
This way, instead of having your countertop beautifully cleaned up, you’ve got another household issue to resolve—refinishing the surface of the kitchen counters.
We told you it wasn’t a good idea.
Tile countertops
With tile countertops in your kitchen, it’s better not to clean the kitchen countertop using an oven cleaner.
Keep in mind that if you leave the oven cleaner on the tiled surface for too long, toxic chemicals will damage the top glaze completely.
Tile countertops can get seriously damaged by an oven cleaner.
Stone countertops (marble, granite, quartz countertops)
Kitchen countertops made from natural stones (such as marble countertops and granite countertops) are relatively resistant to the corrosive effects of oven cleaners.
These kitchen counters materials are more rigid, in most cases withstanding the harsh chemicals included in the oven cleaner.
However, it’s still advised not to use an oven cleaner on kitchen countertops made of natural stone.
They may not end up seriously damaged, but the finish will surely lose its sheen—dull, spotted, and faded away surface is not what we expect from our cleaning efforts, do we?
The engineered, artificially “manmade” stones, such as quartz countertops are at the highest risk of degrading and color damage.
Formica countertops
Like stone countertops, using oven cleaner for kitchen countertops made of Formica brings a lower risk of damage, but be careful, a risk of color damage is still high.
Important: To ensure the countertops made of Formica material remain clean, rinse and wipe the kitchen countertop immediately after use every time.
Corian
Corian is a light, 100% acrylic, entirely artificial material. It’s commonly used for the surface of kitchen countertops.
Some people claim oven cleaner leaves marks on the Corian countertops as if the chemicals eat away through it.
Others say that their kitchen countertops look tremendous, and stains are gone after using oven cleaner on Corian.
Stainless steel
What is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops with steel?
Stainless steel countertops are trendy. We’ll see them in modern kitchens and in professional kitchens in restaurants.
What will happen if we use oven cleaners on kitchen countertops made of this material?
We’ll usually notice stains on the stainless steel. They will be caused by the chemicals coming from the oven cleaner.
While some steel counters will survive this unpleasant meeting, we suggest this game is not worth the candle.
Not to mention that the chemicals can get into food prepared on the surface later on.
Clean your kitchen countertops
The good news (and a good idea) is that your counter will be happy with the simplest ways to clean kitchen there is.
Take some warm water and dish mild soap and clean kitchen countertops regularly.
After we explained how dangerous it may be to use oven cleaners on your countertops, we’re here with alternative options.
How to deal with your precious kitchen counters? Use the natural DIY kitchen countertop cleaner recipe instruction below:
1. Take a spray bottle and pour inside four parts (400 ml) of water and one part (100 ml) white vinegar.
2. Add a few drops of dishwashing mild soap.
3. Close the bottle and stir it gently.
Important: Remember that you should stir but not shake the bottle.
4. Spray the solution on your kitchen countertop.
5. Wipe it clean using a microfiber cloth.
It’s an open secret that it’s safer and healthier to choose natural cleaners over those containing toxic chemicals.
Effects of oven cleaner use on your kitchen countertops are significant to underline—after all, it’s where you prepare the food that you and your family consume.
Go for a safer and healthier alternative for a clean and sparkling kitchen.
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