Kitchen counters are where you prepare meals for your family, so you want them to be as safe as possible. When you invest in high-quality countertops, we know you want to do everything you can to keep them in peak shape.
To protect your family from illness, you want to make sure they are bacteria-free, some people try to use oven cleansers to speed up the cleaning procedure to defeat the stains.
However, many fail to consider how oven cleaners may affect kitchen counters and end up causing damage to their kitchen cabinets.
Unfortunately, selecting the appropriate cleaner can be challenging, and many homeowners use the incorrect cleaners for their counter materials.
Use this article to learn why and how oven cleansers can harm kitchen surfaces, as well as what to use in their place, and various other difficulties that may arise while using these cleaners.
How Does Cleaner Affect Your Countertops?
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Oven cleansers could assist you in cleaning up your dirty, disorganized oven and returning it to its former gleam. Because they are made of strong chemicals, they clean things effectively.
It should not come as a surprise that oven cleaners contain toxic, harmful chemical cleaning agents like butane, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, or monoethanolamide (MEA), sodium hydroxide, which are not just highly caustic for the countertops but also quite hazardous.
Additionally, using an oven cleaner on your kitchen countertop may leave grease, food particles, and other filth streaks.
Besides, an oven cleaner needs to soak into the area for three to ten minutes to cut through the oil. This gives the oven cleaner more than enough time to interact with the polymers in the quartz.
On light-colored quartz countertops, chemical reactions may leave behind white stains, blotches, and dull patches that can be very noticeable. In addition, there’s a chance that the toxic residue from the oven cleaner will come into touch with food particles.
This may result in several further chemical reactions, and the chemical may seep deep through the countertops, leaving holes and other damage to your work area.
Effects Of Oven Cleaners On Different Countertops
Oven cleaners are frequently used to remove grease, oil residue, and even liquid stains from kitchen countertops, whether they are wooden, laminated surfaces, or stone slabs.
The quantity and type of damage that an oven cleaner might inflict depend on the exact material of your kitchen countertops. They are unaware that it causes more harm than good in terms of solving the issue.
Using abrasive cleaners, bleach, or other similar substances won’t help. Oven cleanser ingredients respond differently to various materials. Your surface may deteriorate or be largely unharmed depending on what material it is made of.
Let’s explore how different kitchen countertop materials are impacted by oven cleaners-
Wood
On wooden kitchen countertops, particularly those with a thin layer in the form of laminate, do not use oven cleaner. The top layer of protection on the kitchen countertop is easily penetrated by the chemicals in the oven cleaner.
It will become softer, stickier, and gummy as a result of this. As a result, it will be more vulnerable to losing its structural support.
Permanent discoloration and holes in the finish may also result from damage to wood countertops. Bacteria may be more likely to grow inside the countertop as a result of these holes.
Stone
Granite, marble, and quartz are a few of the most common stone countertop materials. Compared to other materials, they can survive the potent chemicals in oven cleaners.
Countertops made of marble and granite are quite resistant to the corrosive effects of oven cleaners. They escape any significant damage, but there is a potential that the stone countertops’ lust and gloss will wear off, dulling them.
However, natural stone kitchen worktops like granite or marble will hold up better to the effects than artificial stone counters like quartz.
The most susceptible designed material to deterioration and color loss is quartz. One benefit of natural stone is that it is long-lasting and simple to maintain.
The only things needed are a microfiber towel, soap, and water. On this kind of surface, never use vinegar since it will dull the sheen.
Tile
Think twice before cleaning your tile counters with oven cleaner. It is never a good idea to do so. Long-term contact with pollutants may cause the top glaze of the tiles to fade away, thus diminishing the countertop’s aesthetic appeal.
Simply prepare hot water and gentle soap solution in a spray bottle or small mixing bowl for cleaning purposes. Utilizing a sponge or rag, thoroughly clean the tiles until they are like new.
Stainless Steel
Kitchens in restaurants and modern homes frequently have stainless steel surfaces. Oven cleaners can still do some harm even though many of us are aware of stainless steel’s invulnerability.
The majority of the time, if you clean steel with oven cleaner, your countertop will get stained. The lye and steel combination produced this, and the resulting staining can be long-lasting.
Clean these kitchen surfaces frequently with some hot dish soap—it couldn’t be simpler.
Spraying a solution of hot water and white vinegar in a spray bottle and letting it rest for a few minutes before rinsing it away with warm, soapy water can be used to remove harder stains or to clean surfaces more thoroughly.
Formica
Formica countertops have a low risk of damage and corrosion, just like stone countertops did, as long as the oven cleaner is rinsed and washed right away after use.
However, oven cleaners will unquestionably fade the hues of your Formica countertops. The lye in oven cleaners will eat away at the finish if you use them to clean Formica surfaces. Additionally, this will leave behind stains and discolorations that are persistent.
Additionally, it weakens the substance, which makes it more prone to chipping. It is not worthwhile to put this pricey countertop’s beauty in danger.
Both the traditional method of cleaning using mild dish soap and water and water, as well as all-purpose kitchen cleaners, usually work effectively.
Should You Use Oven Cleaner On Kitchen Countertops?
You shouldn’t use oven cleaners on kitchen countertops, to put it simply. Powerful, poisonous, and caustic chemicals are found in oven cleaners.
The countertop material may suffer harm or damage as a result of oven cleaner because it may corrode, fade, lose color, or degrade.
Additionally, you don’t want to use oven cleaners on a surface that you make food on and touch frequently because they include potent substances that could be dangerous to humans if swallowed, including butane or turpentine.
Best Way To Clean Your Kitchen Countertop
Observe the fundamentals. The solution can be prepared at home using simple components like water, vinegar, and mild soap. Mild soaps, natural cleaners, or homemade solutions can also be used.
Don’t put off cleaning until after you have finished cooking since it could take some time to scrub the fats off the shelf.
Immediately clean up spills with a soft sponge or microfiber cloth. Dish soap and some elbow grease usually take care of messes, even if they are left too long. Use a fresh microfiber cloth to wipe away any leftover soapy water from your counters.
You can also ask the maker of your countertops for advice on the best cleaner to use if you’re unsure.
Conclusion
In the end, it’s preferable to refrain from using hazardous chemicals to clean your counters. A dangerous chemical that is both acidic and caustic, sodium hydroxide is a common ingredient in oven cleaners.
While removing dirt and food stains, particularly gravy, it also contaminates the area by leaving a harmful residue behind.
Imagine your toddler picking up a piece of bread that fell off a tabletop that you had cleaned with one of those dangerous chemicals. Get to scrubbing instead by applying some elbow grease.
Additionally, you ought to experiment with products made specifically for cleaning countertops as well as do-it-yourself stain-removal techniques like the baking soda and vinegar approach. Though it can take more than 15 minutes, doing it will make you and your home’s resale value safer.