CLEANING PRODUCTS:OVEN CLEANERS.

OVEN CLEANERS

Oven cleaners are formulated to remove burned-on and baked-on greasy soils and other food-based soils from the walls of ovens used for food preparation. Usually dispensed in aerosol form with thickeners and propellants, the primary active ingredient of oven cleaners is sodium hydroxide. These cleaners are formulated into a thick consistency to ensure that the product will cling to vertical surfaces within an oven. A strong alkali will react with fat (e.g., triglycerides) to produce soap plus glycerine. After oven cleaner application, the greasy deposits on the oven walls are converted to soaps upon reaction with sodium hydroxide. Thus, the sodium hydroxide also reacts with some of the fatty grease, converting it to soap (i.e., saponification), which then is available to assist in cleaning and emulsifying the remainder of the grease within the oven via a detergent action. The resulting mixture can be removed with a dampened sponge or cloth. The extremely high-temperature oven-cleaning cycle settings of many modern household ovens ensures the ease of greasy dirt removal once the saponification process is completed. However, it is recommended that the consumer wear protective rubber gloves while wiping off the mixture, as the highly alkaline sodium hydroxide is extremely caustic and potentially very damaging to fingernails and skin tissues.