I knew better than to leave 2 guys alone in the house for a month...really I did. I've about got a path shoveled into the back of the house...only took me a week and a half :o). Now I need to tackle the monumental task of cleaning the gas oven. I guess I ought to be proud that they cooked...just wish they had touched soap and water afterwards! I'm allergic to the commercial oven cleaners(aggravates my asthma somethin aweful too). When I'm home I keep it wiped down so it isn't a problem. Anyone know of a good way to clean it without all the fumes? I'm remodeling my kitchen. I've been removing old ceramic tile...slowly I might add...very slowly. This morning I got frustrated with how long it was taking so I grabbed my claw hammer(at this point I said to heck with trying to save the wall...lol) and started hitting at the top of a tile with the claw end of the hammer. It takes a bit of aiming but the things just pop off with a bit of a prying motion! Also you can remove a tile that is in the middle of other tiles by giving it a good anger cleansing whack right in the middle with the business end of a hammer. Just thought I'd pass this along in case anyone else has been trying to do the same thing.

-- Amanda in MO (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), August 27, 2001

Answers

The only oven cleaner I know of besides the spray-on stuff is ammonia, and that still has fumes (although maybe not as obnoxious as the aerosols). I put a shallow pan (I use a glass pie pan, it's ammonia-safe)of ammonia in a warm oven, leave it overnight. Next day, discard the ammonia and just wipe out the gunk. Maybe you could get the "culprits" to do this for you and save you the trouble. After all, it's their mess, right?

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), August 27, 2001.

Moisten the oven then spread salt on it. Let sit over night. Wipe out. Wipe oven to removed salt residue.Works well, no fumes.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 27, 2001.

I've never tried this, but have read that it really works for the oven racks. Lay them on the grass and let dew fall on them. It is supposed to really do the trick.

-- ruth in se Illinois (bobtravous@email.com), August 27, 2001.

This was from my days as a dumb and broke 22 year old desperatly needing my apartment deposit back on move out. I soaked the burn on with vinegar to being real damp, then scrubbed with a plastic scrubber and tooth paste. The enamel came out real shiny. Worked on the shower stall too.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 27, 2001.

A paste of baking soda and water would work too but your oven wouldn't be minty fresh like Jay's. :o)

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), August 30, 2001.

i would recomend buying a new oven

being a college student, its much easier to just get more loans than to actually clean something

-- nutsaq (nutsaq@from.colorado.com), April 26, 2002.

Mandy-----I was like Erma baby-----I was waiting for some one to invent an oven that flushed!!!!!!! ha! But instead I use warm vinegar-----spray it really good--then you can put paper towels soaked with warm vinegar in that pupppy---close the door---& then the next day---spray it again for what didn't come out the first time---it works & no chemicals!!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), April 27, 2002.

Oven liners work really well--or at least maybe putting cookie sheets under everything....Or you can make them clean the oven for you....

I would heat the vinegar as hot as possible (maybe even bake it in the oven for a bit) before spraying or brushing it on.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 27, 2002.

I've found that baking soda placed in a spray bottle works pretty well. Basically its just water and baking soda. The key to making this work is constant application. It takes a lot of baking soda sprayed many times over several days. Its the water reacting with the baking soda that does the trick. The easy part is the bottom of the oven. A wet baking soda paste will work there. The hard part is the top and sides of the oven. For this, you need the spray bottle. Just spray the oven every time you happen to go by it. Keeping the baking soda wet and sticking to the surface that you wish to clean is important. This is not a particularly speedy technique but it is not terribly burdensome either. I've written an article about it here: http://www.websiterepairguy.com/articles/household_tips/clean_oven.html If you need to finish the job in a day, this technique may not be for you. However, if you have a week to experiment with spraying your oven a little bit each time you go by it, this technique may be for you. It works very well with constant application. Ed

-- (cdrwplayback@yahoo.com), April 09, 2004.

I've found that baking soda placed in a spray bottle works pretty well. Basically its just water and baking soda. The key to making this work is constant application. It takes a lot of baking soda sprayed many times over several days. Its the water reacting with the baking soda that does the trick. The easy part is the bottom of the oven. A wet baking soda paste will work there. The hard part is the top and sides of the oven. For this, you need the spray bottle. Just spray the oven every time you happen to go by it. Keeping the baking soda wet and sticking to the surface that you wish to clean is important. This is not a particularly speedy technique but it is not terribly burdensome either. I've written an article about it here: http://www.websiterepairguy.com/articles/household_tips/clean_oven.html If you need to finish the job in a day, this technique may not be for you. However, if you have a week to experiment with spraying your oven a little bit each time you go by it, this technique may be for you. It works very well with constant application. Ed

-- Ed Abbott (cdrwplayback@yahoo.com), April 09, 2004.