An oven owner knows how messy the oven becomes after baking some cakes, making pizza, pasta ready to eat. All the gunk, grime, and crud accumulate in the oven over time. Unfortunately, it is not easy to clean and let the oven work again. In such a case, an oven cleaner works best.
Is Oven Cleaner Flammable? Oven cleaners are highly flammable, especially sprayable ones. They can catch fire as they contain hazardous ingredients. Again, self-cleaning ovens can also cause flames. Always be careful about the cleaning product to clean the microwave ovens.
In this fire proof depot guide We’ll discuss the following:
- Definition of Oven Cleaner
- How Oven Cleaner Works
- The Flammability of Oven Cleaners
- FAQs and more..
Related article links: Can you use your oven after a fire? (safety instruction guide)
what is Oven Cleaner?
Oven cleaner is a familiar cleaning substance like other dishwashers or washing agents. But, you can find this special cleaning agent mostly in an aerosol can. It has some other names like oven degreaser.
Spraying the liquid to the dirty spots can easily cut off the grease, oil, and other food residues. After applying the cleaner, you can wipe off the surface with a cleaning cloth or wash the area with regular water.
The Way an Oven Cleaner Works
It contains versatile, strong chemicals to fight against the grime. Some of these chemicals are:
- Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)
- Butane (C₄H₁₀)
- Ethanolamine (C2H7NO)
- Diethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether (C8H18O3),
- Amphoteric Surfactants.
Some compounds like alkali can clean carbonized, sticky residues. There are also organic soil constituents. These tough-to-call chemicals start reacting to the oily stuff of the oven.
Most degreasers can create good foam for complete and faster cleaning. They may contain water-soluble solvents. Thus, you can also find some commercial cleaners with excellent features. They can sanitize the oven too for safe baking.
Is Oven Cleaner Flammable? Does it burn?
Now, we come to the topic of why oven cleaners are flammable. The corrosive chemicals have a high pH level. They are also highly poisonous. Again, some of them may cause a fire.
pH level means the hydrogen power of any substance. It shows the nature of the substance if it is acidic or alkaline. The range of the pH scale is 1-14, where 7 is neutral. Below 7, all the number shows the substance as acidic. The lower value below 7 gradually shows the strength of the acid. Again, the higher value above 7 shows the alkaline power. The higher the level, the stronger the alkaline.
The chemicals of oven cleaners are mostly corrosive and bitter as they are alkalizing. They have extreme alkalinity as their pH level is around 11-13. Even some cleaners may have the highest pH, like 14. Usually, the alkaline is not flammable. But it can be combustible. Also, it can get fire in Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen (N). Sometimes, the chemicals of the greaser react with water violently.
If you want to clean the oven with caked-on dirt or carbonized soil, you may need a cleaner with a higher pH level. It is too risky as it may get fired accidentally.
Pyrolysis is removing the residues of food and liquid spills from the microwave oven. After removing all of them, you may see white-colored deposits. You can wipe out all the fatty acids turned to white ashes.
The interfacial tension causes the foaming reaction that speeds up the alkaline-based reaction. Thus, the reaction prone to be flammable. Again, if you do not clean the white ashes, they may harm the oven. In some cases, the residues of the oven are also volatile.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can oven cleaners burn off?
When applying the degreasers, you must rinse them from the oven interior. If you do not rinse properly, the harsh chemicals of the cleaner continue to evaporate while you start using the oven. Otherwise, you may see flame while turning on the device. So, it would help if you cleaned all the corners properly without leaving any leftover substances.
2. Can cleaning the oven cause fire?
The self-cleaning ovens have fire hazards. While cleaning the oven, it may catch fire. The grease, oil, and food juice can fire during the cleaning process. If you see any blaze of fire while running the clean cycle, avoid trying to put that out.
3. What should you do if the cleaner causes fire in the oven?
If your oven cleaner caused a fire inside the machine, you should turn it off first. Leave the fire alone to burn out. If still, the fire is present, you must leave the house and call the local administration like national emergency support. Again, if the fire goes out, open all the room windows, and let the air go out. Now, carefully open the smoky oven door. Then, bring out the hot pan of it.
Conclusion
These chemicals are helpful in cleaning tough grime from the machine. But they can catch fire as their alkalinity is very high. So, if you want to use cleaning materials, make sure they have less flaming quality.
