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Slimy grease is the worst enemy of beautiful kitchen cabinets. As careful as we may be, we can’t always prevent food and oil splatters and the stubborn stains they create. To make matters worse, these stains cannot be removed with water, and we need a more efficient means to get rid of them.
The first idea that comes to our mind is to use our oven cleaner. We see no reason why these highly effective oil residue removers shouldn’t get the job done on our quartz countertops or stone slab baords. But is this a good idea? Matter of fact, oven cleaners were not designed as general kitchen cleaners.
Your oven cleaner probably contains chemicals that are corrosive and toxic. Some of them can cause even more damage to the kitchen countertops than oil and grime stubborn stains.
Check the following article to check what is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops
The dangerous ingredients of oven cleaners
Oven cleaners are very helpful for messy and dirty ovens. An effective supply may even make your oven and stove look like the first day you bought them. But this doesn’t simply happen – there are harsh chemicals inside that make it possible.
Which are these toxic chemicals in oven cleaners to keep an eye for?
- Heavy degreasers
- Tupertine
- Butane
- Crystallization and foaming agents
- Monobutyl ether
- Monoethanolamine (MEA)
- Diethylene Glycol
- Sodium Hydroxide
All of the abovementioned chemicals produce toxic fumes and sometimes stubborn stains. There are prescribed guidelines for manufacturers to produce oven cleaners without fumes.
And yet, you can’t always rely on their promise. If you use heavy-duty supplies on regular basis, they can degrade the quality of indoor air in the long term.
What is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops?
The material of your kitchen countertop can have a specific reaction in contact with these chemicals. Some materials are more resistant to oven cleaners, while others suffer serious consequences.
Different types of kitchen countertops react with the chemicals in the oven cleaner in different ways. It also highly depends upon the quality of the material used and its structure.
Let’s check what happens on each of the standard materials.
Marble countertops
You may also have fallen victim to this common kitchen myth. Oven cleaners may be able to eliminate water deposits from marble countertops, but they can cause even more serious damage.
The oven cleaner may not damage the marble countertops board per se, but it can corrode its sealed coating and reduce its shine. You will face similar consequences on any glazed layer, including painted wood or tiles.
The surface will be uneven, and you may have to pay for expensive repairs. Altogether, you better skip oven cleaners for marble countertops.
What are your other options?
There are many great alternatives to oven cleaners.
According to experts, marble or granite countertop should be cleaned with towels and non-abrasive cleaners only. You even need to be careful which soap you apply.
This means oven cleaner is out of the question.
We recommend you consider using only natural substances to clean marble countertops. They may not be all shiny, but at least they will be protected.
Quartz countertops
Compared to marble, quartz countertops are very resistant. Quartz is a mineral by nature and therefore doesn’t build reactions with heavy acids, at least not at normal temperatures.
Still, your kitchen countertops are not made of natural quartz, but rather an engineered stone polymer. And this is the one that reacts heavily when exposed to harsh chemicals, such as an oven cleaner.
Make sure you know whether you are dealing with quartz countertops and choose your cleaning supplies accordingly. You can get an oven cleaner, but make sure the chemicals inside are not that dangerous for your countertop.
How to clean them instead
Quartz is not only beautiful but also very practical and stain-resistant. You may not get to the point where only an oven cleaner can help. Quartz kitchen countertops won’t show even if a stain lays there for days, but don’t let this be the case. Dishwashing soap will help you clean the spot right away.
Oven cleaner, on the other hand, can cause serious damage to quartz countertops.
Granite countertops
Granite is a natural stone, unlike quartz. It means there is no risk of unwanted reactions between polymer resins and harsh chemicals.
Oven cleaners, however, may not be the luckiest choice for granite countertops. Granit is normally protected with a thin sealant layer that will most likely react to the oven cleaner. It is, therefore, less sensitive than quartz countertops.
If you use oven cleaner on granite countertops in the long run, you will notice some adverse effects. New and persistent stains will appear on the stone itself, and you may not be able to remove them at all.
What are your other options?
Granite countertops are not only beautiful but also easy to maintain. You only need water, soap, and a microfiber cloth to get the job done. We recommend you keep acidic and abrasive oven cleaner away from it because you don’t want to dull its finish. The same process applies to all stone countertops.
You should also avoid cleaning granite countertops with vinegar.
If you want your granite countertops to look beautiful, reapply the sealer here and there. Granite soaks it so it doesn’t look shiny, and becomes very stain resistant in comparison to other countertop materials. Your beautiful stone countertops will be protected.
Tile countertops
Tiles are a bit more resistant compared to stone countertops. Oven cleaner may help here but remove it as soon as possible. The longer it stays, the more top glaze it will remove, and your tile countertops may suffer some serious damage.
What are your other options?
Make your solution with dish soap and water. Apply it with a cloth or a sponge, and repeat the process until the tile countertops are completely clean.
If you are trying to remove grout from tile countertops, repeat the dish soap routine with a sharper cloth or a toothbrush. There are even specialized cleaners that won’t damage the surface of kitchen countertops.
Aluminum, steel, and laminate countertops
In modern times, we see fewer stone countertops day by day. They are replaced by minimalist steel or laminate countertops.
This is also the case in almost any restaurant and professional kitchen, which assures us that maintenance is very easy.
And yet, the steel oven cleaner combination is one of the worst ones, depending on the formulation of the supply.
Some stainless-steel kitchen countertops will get away with it without a scratch, and others will react heavily. The real risk here is that you don’t remove the oven cleaners and have food absorb the chemicals instead. We’d say, not worth it!
What are your other options?
Steel kitchen countertops will be shiny and clean even if you maintain them only with water and soap. You can even buy stainless steel-appropriate cleaners if the smudge persists.
There is no danger here to using vinegar instead of soap, so try it out. It will need to stay on for at least five minutes before you wash it off.
Formica Countertops
Formica Countertops are constructed using thermally fused melamine resin. They are afterward laminated or painted to make them look like stone or wood.
Formica countertops react to oven cleaners just the way stone does, but the damage is not that serious.
If you decide to use oven cleaner, wipe it off right away with water. Keep in mind that the color may be damaged during the process.
What are your other options?
You can clean Formica kitchen countertop with any regular kitchen cleaner. All-purpose supplies, for instance, will do a great job. Water and soap are also effective.
Butcher’s blocks and wooden countertops
If we had to put an absolute stop to using oven cleaners on certain kitchen countertops, we would do it right there. Wood is extremely vulnerable to these chemicals, and so is its varnish coating.
Oven cleaner will soften it and slowly dissolve it. As a result, wooden countertops become gummy, sticky, and non-resistant to water.
Your wooden countertops will never look as beautiful as in the beginning. The holes oven cleaners create in the finish accumulate all sorts of dirt and bacteria, and your food will no longer be safe.
But what happens with wooden kitchen countertops that have been painted? Pretty much the same. Oven cleaner dissolves the paint layer and removes it in a matter of minutes.
Which are your other options?
Get a non-abrasive detergent or use distilled vinegar instead. A spatula will help you remove scrape off the stain, and you can finish with water and dry cloth. According to some experts, vinegar may also discolor wooden countertops, so try lemon and salt instead.
To prevent damage from happening, maintain your wooden kitchen countertops properly. Now and then, reapply way or oil over them to stop stains from damaging them.
How to fix oven cleaner stains from countertops
In case you found out about the negative effects of oven cleaner firsthand, don’t panic. There is still plenty you can do. Hopefully, the only thing that was damaged was the sealant or the protective layer, and your kitchen countertops are safe and sound.
Here are some ideas and anti-oven cleaner tricks
Use vinegar
An accidental oven cleaner spill can be solved with white vinegar. The two acids neutralize each other, and the stain will not spread. This is the best way to protect kitchen countertops and to remove stubborn stains.
Use baking soda paste
Oven cleaner stains can be easily removed from natural stone with a baking soda paste. Keep in mind that soda is also abrasive, and you shouldn’t scrub. Apply it there and let it do its magic.
Use your all-purpose-cleaner
Multipurpose cleaners usually remove several types of stains, so they might be able to prevent oven cleaner damage. Read the instructions and check whether they are safe to use.
Oil the damaged wooden countertop
If it is your beloved butcher block that got damaged, prepare some soapy water, and clean the surface. Once it is completely dry, apply specialized wood oil all over the kitchen countertops. The result will amaze you!
Final thoughts on what is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops
Damaged countertops are not only unattractive but also dangerous. If we take proper care of them, they can last a lifetime. This article informs you what is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops and discourages you from using it.
We, therefore, discourage you from using oven cleaners on kitchen countertops. There are many safer and easier options, such as the ones discussed in this article. If you choose the right cleaning supply, you will spare yourself both time and effort.
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