Was just wondering if anyone knew the name of a cookware cleaner that would
have more muscle than the Dawn. Any stronger commercial ones out there that can
be bought in a gallon size, or less?

"Sheellah" > wrote in message
...
> Was just wondering if anyone knew the name of a cookware cleaner that
would
> have more muscle than the Dawn. Any stronger commercial ones out there
that can
> be bought in a gallon size, or less?

Oven cleaner is stronger than DPD. It works on non-reactive surfaces like
stainless steel, glass, ceramics, and Corningware. You can't use it on
aluminum or copper. The active ingredient in oven cleaner is lye (sodium
hydroxide). You can get lye in the supermarket on the shelf with the drain
cleaner. I have considered mixing up a solution and keeping it in a plastic
container so I can use it as a bath. I suspect that you could use it over
and over. Lye is very caustic, so be sure to wear skin and eye protection
and keep it away from children and pets.

I would be interested if anyone has any experience on using a lye solution
to clean cookware. My main interest would be for the drip pans and grates
on my stove. I only clean my cookware about two or three times a year, but
the stove could use a more frequent cleaning. Oven cleaner can get
expensive buy lye is cheap.

> Oven cleaner is stronger than DPD. It works on non-reactive surfaces like
> stainless steel, glass, ceramics, and Corningware. You can't use it on
> aluminum or copper. The active ingredient in oven cleaner is lye (sodium
> hydroxide). You can get lye in the supermarket on the shelf with the drain
> cleaner. I have considered mixing up a solution and keeping it in a plastic
> container so I can use it as a bath. I suspect that you could use it over
> and over. Lye is very caustic, so be sure to wear skin and eye protection
> and keep it away from children and pets.

This is pretty common in chemistry labs - to keep a relatively mild
solution of sodium hydroxide (mild by chemistry standards - still pretty
concentrated by kitchen standards) and to throw glassware into it and
let it soak for days or weeks.

The problem is that it tends to damage many surfaces - plastics, some
metals, etc. (Even stainless steel will be damaged eventually.) In the
lab, most glassware is just glass, but in the kitchen, you have many
items that have handles, finished surfaces, etc. that would be damaged
by soaking in this kind of bath. But if you wanted to clean plain
Corningware that way, it would probably work - it would probably strip
off any decorative finish on the outside, but it would probably work.

I'd still be interested in alternatives to Dawn (that could be generally
used for all cookware, particularly plastic). Ever since Dawn changed
their formula to "ultra" Dawn, it hasn't been the same, especially in
cleaning grease on plastic. It just doesn't do as good a job any more -
and I've heard this from other people as well, so I don't think it's my
imagination. I don't have a dishwasher so this is really an annoyance
in the kitchen - getting plastic freezer containers clean has become
much more of a chore.

Karen

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...

>snip<

> I would be interested if anyone has any experience on using a lye solution
> to clean cookware. My main interest would be for the drip pans and grates
> on my stove. I only clean my cookware about two or three times a year,
but
> the stove could use a more frequent cleaning. Oven cleaner can get
> expensive buy lye is cheap.

Sure, lye works alright, but why bother. If the pans and grate are
detachable, it's much easier to stick them in a large plastic bag, and pour
in an oz or two of triple strength ammonia water. Close the bag tightly,
and leave it for a couple of hours, or longer depending on how dirty, then
you can practically wipe off the burned grease and everything with a little
water and no effort.

Kim

"Kim Grauballe" > wrote in message
k...
>
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> >snip<
>
> > I would be interested if anyone has any experience on using a lye
solution
> > to clean cookware. My main interest would be for the drip pans and
grates
> > on my stove. I only clean my cookware about two or three times a year,
> but
> > the stove could use a more frequent cleaning. Oven cleaner can get
> > expensive buy lye is cheap.
>
> Sure, lye works alright, but why bother. If the pans and grate are
> detachable, it's much easier to stick them in a large plastic bag, and
pour
> in an oz or two of triple strength ammonia water. Close the bag tightly,
> and leave it for a couple of hours, or longer depending on how dirty, then
> you can practically wipe off the burned grease and everything with a
little
> water and no effort.
>
> Kim

I've tried the ammonia, and it doesn't work as well as oven cleaner (lye.)
I think I will get a big plastic container and mix up a saturated solution
of lye and use it as a dip. I would like something more economical and
convenient than cans of oven cleaner and something that works better than
ammonia.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Kim Grauballe" > wrote in message
> k...
> >
> > "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> > >snip<
> >
> > > I would be interested if anyone has any experience on using a lye
> solution
> > > to clean cookware. My main interest would be for the drip pans and
> grates
> > > on my stove. I only clean my cookware about two or three times a
year,
> > but
> > > the stove could use a more frequent cleaning. Oven cleaner can get
> > > expensive buy lye is cheap.
> >
> > Sure, lye works alright, but why bother. If the pans and grate are
> > detachable, it's much easier to stick them in a large plastic bag, and
> pour
> > in an oz or two of triple strength ammonia water. Close the bag
tightly,
> > and leave it for a couple of hours, or longer depending on how dirty,
then
> > you can practically wipe off the burned grease and everything with a
> little
> > water and no effort.
> >
> > Kim
>
> I've tried the ammonia, and it doesn't work as well as oven cleaner (lye.)
> I think I will get a big plastic container and mix up a saturated solution
> of lye and use it as a dip. I would like something more economical and
> convenient than cans of oven cleaner and something that works better than
> ammonia.
==
Have you tried Kaboom?
==
>
>

Funny, it works a treat for me, could there be a difference in
concentration?

Still, you have to be pretty desperate to work with a saturated soution of
lye, I dont think anything in my kitchen has ever become that dirty.

There is actually an alternative, which is not quite as dangerous. Old
fashioned brown soap, the semi solid kind, that you have to scoop out, not
the fluid with loads of coconut oil etc. If applied liberally it works very
well as an oven cleaner, and will even remove paint if covered and allowed
to work long enough.

You can also combine the two. A mixture of brown soap and ammonia works even
better, although I admit it is a bitch to mix, it turns into a consistency
almost like freshly chewed gum.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...

>snip<

> I've tried the ammonia, and it doesn't work as well as oven cleaner (lye.)
> I think I will get a big plastic container and mix up a saturated solution
> of lye and use it as a dip. I would like something more economical and
> convenient than cans of oven cleaner and something that works better than
> ammonia.
>
>

"Kim Grauballe" > wrote in message
k...
> Funny, it works a treat for me, could there be a difference in
> concentration?
>
> Still, you have to be pretty desperate to work with a saturated soution of
> lye, I dont think anything in my kitchen has ever become that dirty.
>

When you have a gas range, eventually all your cookware gets a varnish like
coating. The burner grates and drip pans along with the grill parts also
get pretty nasty. I don't like to scrub my cookware with abrasives because
they scratch the surface and that accelerates the problem. While I don't
think I am compulsive about maintenance, I do like to bring everything back
to "like-new" condition periodically.

"Kim Grauballe" > wrote in message . dk>...
>
> Still, you have to be pretty desperate to work with a saturated soution of
> lye, I dont think anything in my kitchen has ever become that dirty.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I have a gas range, too, and I
have no problem cleaning it with just a soapy sponge. I've also never
seen the "glaze" other posters spoke of. I never fry & I don't cook
with a lot of oil or fat so maybe that's why.