There are many Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media platforms dedicated to providing users with hacks for everyday items. Well, I, Mark Roemer, will try my hand at delivering cash strapped renters with alternative uses for oven cleaner.
Oven cleaner is a magical product that can clean your oven in a matter of minutes. All you need to do is spray the product in your oven, wait the suggested amount of time, wipe it out, and voila, you have a nice clean range. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could find some other uses for this miracle product? Well, you needn’t look any further than the list I have compiled for you below. Keep in mind that results may vary, and you should always test the method on a small inconspicuous spot before diving in headfirst. Sometimes what will work for me or others may not necessarily work for you. So, without further ado, I present a few different uses for oven cleaner that might help you save some money by not having to replace something or possibly having to buy a new one altogether.
Cast Iron Pans
While most proponents of cast-iron claim you should never wholly strip your pan of seasoning, there may come a day that you have no choice but to do so. Fear not, you can re-season a cast iron pan once you are done.
Let’s say that you have something stick to your cast iron pan that you cannot get rid of. It is not healthy to continue to cook with that pan anymore. Alternatively, you may be driving around your neighborhood and find a cast iron pan for sale at a yard sale. You do not know the cooking and cleaning habits of the prior owner. In both cases, you will be left with just one option. You need to completely de-season the pan and start from scratch. Cast iron can be expensive, so replacing or buying a new one may be out of your budget. Conversely, a can of oven cleaner and a wire brush are relatively low in price.
What you will want to do is to spray the cast iron pan on all surfaces. Then you slip it into a bag to let it do its work overnight. When you get up in the morning, wet the wire brush and scrape at it until you get the pan to the original metal. Make sure you clean it with soap and water after this as the oven cleaner is toxic. You are now ready to re-season your pan and start making your own memories with this beautiful piece of kitchen equipment.
Grout Lines
While they make products exclusively for use in these situations, you can substitute this in a pinch. Perhaps you ran out of your mold and mildew cleaner and have company coming over. Perhaps it is also a holiday weekend, and the stores are closed. Thankfully, the last time you spilled something in your oven, you had some left-over oven cleaner. Quickly run into your kitchen and grab the can.
To safely and effectively use this, you need to follow my instructions. Start by opening a window in the bathroom. Should you not have a window in your bathroom, make use of the exhaust fan. The chemicals in the oven cleaner can send you to the hospital. Quickly apply the oven cleaner to all the grout lines and let it sit for approximately five minutes. During this waiting period, leave the room, so you are not breathing all those harmful chemicals. Once you return, the exhaust fan will have done its job and removed the smell with any luck. Rinse off the oven cleaner with warm water and a sponge or small rag. Your bathroom tile should be as good as new.
Fireplace Doors
I am going to start this section with a huge warning. The oven cleaner is in a compressed can and can be flammable. Do not use this if you have a fire going or even if you have a hot fireplace. The chemicals could ignite, and you will have much more than a dirty fireplace as a result.
That being said, this one is quite simple. Start by opening a window near the fireplace to dissipate the chemicals. Second, grab some rubber gloves and spray the glass. I recommend putting something below the glass that you are not afraid will get damaged to be safe. Something like an old pie tin that you would throw out anyway or a couple of rags that you can toss out after you are done. Remember, when throwing anything out with chemicals, you will want to rinse them off first. If the chemicals sit in a bag, they can decompose other items in that bag, start a fire or give off a toxic chemical smell.
After about ten minutes, you should be clear to wipe off the glass of your fireplace. Once you have cleared the oven cleaner off, take some warm soap and water and give it a thorough rinse. Just wiping it off will not protect you the next time you try to light the fireplace.
Glass Cookware
If the oven cleaner is good enough to get baked on grime off the oven, then it should be good enough to get it off your Pyrex casserole pans. Much like using it on your cast iron pan, you are only going to need a few things to make this happen. As always, start by opening a window and putting on rubber gloves. Spray all the surfaces of the cookware and seal it in a plastic bag overnight. When you get up in the morning, use a scrub pad, and get off all the stains left from old butter and food. Once this is done, you will want to wash it properly, and you will be good to go.
Conclusion
Many products have more than one use they can be used for. While it may not be the intended use, it can be useful if you have no other options. I, Mark Roemer, will be on the lookout for more of these hacks and share only the most useful ones with you. I like to help out renters who often have limited funds or storage space. This is just one of the ways I can help.