Stubborn Oven Cleaner

This recipe is from Natural Cleaning for Your Home by Casey Kellar.

• 1/4 cup ammonia
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/4 cup white vinegar

Preheat your oven to its lowest setting; once the light goes off, turn off stove. Put ammonia in a bowl or pan and let sit in the closed oven for 4-6 hours. Remove the ammonia and add vinegar and soda to make a paste. Use the paste and a heavy duty sponge to scrub most stubborn areas. Mist the oven with water and wipe clean. This cleaner also works great for cleaning your barbecue grill.

This is cheaper and better for you than bought oven cleaners.

By Paula

Answers:

Stubborn Oven Cleaner

This works great. So easy and no mess or bad odor. Thanks so much. (05/25/2005)

By Phyllis

Stubborn Oven Cleaner

I have a gas stove/oven. I assume you can't use ammonia for this type. Does anyone know of a way to clean this type of oven with a non-toxic cleaner? (07/26/2007)

By Julia

Stubborn Oven Cleaner

Heated chemicals aren't a good idea. Some are MUCH more toxic when hot and in gaseous form. I think I'd try it cold instead? God bless you. : ) (07/29/2007)

By Lynda

Stubborn Oven Cleaner

I am just wondering how this works. The fumes from the ammonia in the oven react with the grease to create "soap" that should just wipe or wash off. This is a chemical reaction. Ammonia is a base. A base plus grease or fat makes soap. However, the second part of this cleaner does not make sense to me.

Baking soda is a milder base; vinegar is an acid. When you mix baking soda and vinegar, you get water plus carbon dioxide plus salt. The carbon dioxide bubbles off; the salt is dissolved and is no different than salt water. You could just as well add water to the ammonia to dilute it. It would have the same effect. I suppose if there is not enough acid to neutralize the two bases you have, you will have a slightly basic solution to clean with, but you would do just as well by using straight ammonia, ammonia in some water, or baking soda dissolved in water. It is chemically the same thing.

By the way, ammonia is very toxic. The smell is terrible and it is a caustic substance, no better for you or the environment than regular oven cleaners. (07/29/2007)

By louel53

Stubborn Oven Cleaner

Ammonia releases toxic fumes to humans and is bad for the environment! (02/13/2009)

By mary