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I don't know how to clean the front of the oven


idnib
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We rent so I don't own my oven. 

 

I've kept the inside of the oven clean using a combination of the cleaning cycle and oven cleaner.

 

As I was walking by this morning I noticed that the outside front has become dirty. It's kind of a brownish/yellowish stain and is unevenly placed. Some of it is around the vents at the top of the door and extends high enough to get on the keypad and digital display. It's also on a plastic lip. I think I'm dealing with metal, glass, and plastic for sure, and the display has tiny raised dots for texture; those may be rubber.

 

It's a vertical surface and there are different materials so I'm not sure what to use. Also, the top of the door is dirty, but is has vent openings in it so if I spray it or put something on it unless I'm very careful it could go inside the door.

 

Any ideas?

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For the vents, you probably need a degreaser formulation on a cleaning cloth (so - yes, you don't want to spray directly on the vents). If you have Dawn dishwashing detergent, a little diluted with water would be good, just wring it out well. 

 

Is the oven surface white/a light color? I'm expecting so with your description of the brown stains. Is this sticky? If so, I would say degreaser again. If it's just a burnt-on discoloration, it may not be fixable. 

 

Whenever I'm not sure what materials I'm dealing with, I use diluted vegetable soap, such as Dr. Bronners in a spray bottle. AFAIK, it would be hard to ruin any surface with vegetable soap. The worst outcome would be that it simply doesn't have any effect. 

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Thanks. I'll try the things mentioned. I'm in a bit of a panic because the owner is very detail-oriented and I'm angry at myself for not noticing this before.

 

Yes, the oven is white. It matches a cooktop built into Corian so it's very difficult to replace. She had mentioned that to me when we moved in and I've taken good care of everything. You can't see the stain much unless you're at the correct angle but once you see it you can't help but see it. It's very light but over the width of the door.

 

Off to try the suggestions...

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The magic eraser got about half of it off! The rest is still on there but I have to do some errands so I can't try the other things until later. It's not sticky so I'm worried it's baked on and permanent. :-(

 

The self-clean cycle doesn't get everything clean so I use the oven cleaner to spot-clean. Is that a problem for a self-clean oven? It doesn't seem to have caused any damage.

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I'm wondering about your comment about using the cleaning cycle and oven cleaner.

 

Is it a self-cleaning oven? If so you should not be using oven cleaner.

 

As to the outside, I'm not sure.

 

Not to steal the thread, but how does one use the self-cleaning part of the oven? I've never done it before.

 

And my outside is a stainless steel. I think. . .? It's silver. What should I use to clean it.

 

Sorry to steal!!

 

Alley

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Alicia64, there should be a self-cleaning button on the control panel or a locking bar/handle in the front that you push across.  Wait until you can have windows open, if at all possible, because the burning smell can be strong.  Be sure the racks are the only things in the oven.  The door will lock and it won't open again for several hours.  Afterward, you just wipe up the ash in the bottom of the oven.

 

As for the stainless steel, you can buy stainless steel cleaner at the grocery store.  It comes in an aerosol can and is probably in the same aisle with the Comet and stovetop cleaners.

 

 

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The magic eraser got about half of it off! The rest is still on there but I have to do some errands so I can't try the other things until later. It's not sticky so I'm worried it's baked on and permanent. :-(

 

The self-clean cycle doesn't get everything clean so I use the oven cleaner to spot-clean. Is that a problem for a self-clean oven? It doesn't seem to have caused any damage.

Yay! For tougher stuff, I find a very hot, wet cloth left on the spot will soften it enough to keep working it.

 

I have no idea about why one shouldn't use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven (obviously not during the cleaning cycle... I'm sure that would have tragic results).

 

For my stainless, I use Barkeeper's Friend (per Mrs Mungo's suggestion... That woman is brilliant!) for cleaning, and. Mrs Meyer's stainless polish for discouraging fingerprints and such.

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Not to steal the thread, but how does one use the self-cleaning part of the oven? I've never done it before.

 

And my outside is a stainless steel. I think. . .? It's silver. What should I use to clean it.

 

Sorry to steal!!

 

Alley

 

The self-clean usually works by heating the oven extremely hot and burning off whatever is stuck on there. As mentioned, it will lock the oven out and you will have to let it operate for 2-3 hours. It creates an odor of burnt food. Always wipe up the ash left behind when you've finished! (I know someone whose oven looks like a fireplace because it has a 2-inch pile of ash on the bottom!  :svengo: She's not a good cook, either and I'm sure ash-flavoring doesn't help.) 

 

My racks are supposed to be OUT of the oven during the self-clean cycle. 

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Not to steal the thread, but how does one use the self-cleaning part of the oven? I've never done it before.

 

And my outside is a stainless steel. I think. . .? It's silver. What should I use to clean it.

 

Sorry to steal!!

 

Alley

 

The self-clean usually works by heating the oven extremely hot and burning off whatever is stuck on there. As mentioned, it will lock the oven out and you will have to let it operate for 2-3 hours. It creates an odor of burnt food. Always wipe up the ash left behind when you've finished! (I know someone whose oven looks like a fireplace because it has a 2-inch pile of ash on the bottom!  :svengo: She's not a good cook, either and I'm sure ash-flavoring doesn't help.) 

 

My racks are supposed to be OUT of the oven during the self-clean cycle. 

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