What Is the Effect of Oven Cleaner on Kitchen Countertops?

Ovens are sensitive to grease development and expansion; that’s why you may find a thick layer of grease and stains on ovens that are not removable with regular cleaners. Oven cleaners must remove a heavy, crusted layer of grease and grime.

These cleaners remove dirt and a thick layer of grime and give your kitchen countertops a shiny look. It removes the grime without extreme scrubbing. But these cleaners have toxic chemicals, such as butane, monoethanolamine (MAE), salt hydroxide, diethylene glycol, mono butyl ether, etc., that harm your countertops.

These cleaners may cause health issues, loss of color, fadedness on countertops, or make them useless. That’s why it is not a good idea to utilize oven cleaners. 

Different oven cleaners have various effects on countertops. So, we are going to discuss what is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops. And also discuss other ways of cleaning countertops.  

List of Oven Cleaner Effects on Various Types of Countertops:

What is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops depends on the material used in the countertops. Various materials react differently with the ingredients used in oven cleaners.

These are some effects of oven cleaners on kitchen countertops containing various materials.

Stone Countertops:

These countertops have natural stones; granite and marble are examples. Natural stones are hard to lose color or discolor, but oven cleaners still greatly affect stone countertops; they may be susceptible to discoloration. But this does not happen in minorly.

Quartz countertops are also stone countertop examples, but these countertops are made up of man-made stones, so these are at high risk. Specific pigments are used to join these stones naturally, and artificial colors are used in them.

So, we will discuss the effect of oven cleaners on quartz kitchen countertops in detail.  

Quartz Countertops:

Rusting effect on a Countertop:

Oven cleaners have harsh and harmful chemicals, and manufacturers clearly and specifically mention them on oven cleaner cans.

These products are only safe for ovens because ovens contain stainless steel acrylic enamel covering that helps to form a hard shell on metal. This enamel layer also protects the oven from chemical fumes and their reveal from inside the oven.    

Quartz countertops are not completely breakable because quartz resists the chemicals naturally and do not perform any reaction with acids at normal temperature. 

But quartz also contains polymers that hold quartz together and resins that can react to harsh chemicals or heat, so oven cleaners have the effect of rusting on countertops. You must read the warning label when you buy any oven cleaner so you will be aware of its disadvantages and cautions. 

Discoloration of Countertops:

It is compulsory to leave the oven cleaners for at least 3 to 10 minutes to get its results and pure cleaning of grease. But this is when the oven cleaners affect quartz countertops by reacting with polymers. 

The reaction leaves white and dull marks or spots and stains on the countertop that can be noticeable on quartz countertops of light color. It is hard to remove the stains or spots with stain remover and alcohol.

Mark Streaks or Lines on the Countertop:

Using oven cleaners on countertops may mark streaks of food residue, grime, and grease on the countertop. These marks fade the newish or shiny look of your countertops and make it look like your countertop is still dirty. 

Fading of Countertop:

When you use the oven cleaner for the first time, you may not see its effect and visible change on the countertop, but continuous use may fade or stain it. The fadedness looks like a dark countertop that will not be good for the kitchen’s physical appearance.  

Other Ways to Clean Stone Countertops:

You can use warm water and dish wash soap to clean the stone countertop. If you have a granite countertop, you can also use granite sealer; it makes a protective barrier that will help to resist stains. You can also use cleaning products according to a specific surface. Do not use vinegar to clean these countertops; vinegar will dull their shine. 

Stainless Steel Countertops:

These types of countertops are usually used in professional and modern kitchens. If you try to clean them with oven cleaners having chemicals, the chemicals put stains on the countertop.

Some countertop survives against the chemicals used in cleaners, but it is still risky because the surface contains chemicals that come into food later when you cook food. 

Other Ways to Clean Stainless Steel Countertops:

Use warm water and dish wash soap to clean these countertops. It is a great facilitating countertop because it does not crack easily and prevents stains.

You can use warm water and a white vinegar mixture for stains that are hard to clean. Leave the mixture for a few minutes, then clean it with warm water and soap. 

Tile Countertops:

These types of countertops are not usually used; people use oven cleaners because of their concrete lines that are hard to clean. Oven cleaners may help people clean concrete lines, but it has a very bad effect on the countertop.

Spraying the oven cleaner will ruin the countertop and cause issues with the concrete areas after some time. It may crack the concrete areas that fill up with sand to bond the tiles together. 

Oven cleaners may also dim the shine of tiles and harm the countertop appearance to a great extent. 

Other Ways to Clean Tile Countertops:

Mix dishwasher soap and warm water in a spray bottle to clean tile countertops. Heartily and efficiently clean the tiles by putting the mixture on a cloth or sponge. Clean it until it looks like new tiles.

For the concrete areas, use an old toothbrush or toothpicks.

Formica/ Laminate Countertops:

Compared to stone countertops, these have fewer chances of corrosion and damage when you wash them with oven cleaner, but still, there are many disadvantages to using oven cleaners.

These countertops have coverable surfaces/ tough surfaces, but it also has the effect of oven cleaners. They may damage, fade, or be discolored with oven cleaners. 

Always use natural cleaners to clean your kitchen countertops because they are a better and safer choice. But if you already use oven cleaners to clean your countertops, then it is extremely late to understand What is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops. 

Other Ways to Clean Formica Countertops:

General kitchen cleaner or warm and dish wash soap mixture works well for these countertops. You can also use Windex, formula 409, liquid dish wash, and original pine-sol to remove strong and vigorous stains. 

Wooden Countertops:

If the countertop has a wooden surface covered with a thin coating, avoid oven cleaner to use.

Using oven cleaners softens it and results in an unexpected adhesive/ sticky paste that completely demolishes the wooden countertop. You may require immense repair on wooden countertops if you use oven cleaners. 

Get a detailed guide about How to Make OAK kitchen Cabinets Look Modern – 6 Ideas.

Other Ways to Clean Wooden Countertops:

Use warm water and mild soap to clean wooden countertops, then leave them to dry. You can also use a paper towel to soak up the moisture. Do not pour over water on wooden countertops; this can damage the wood deeply and may cause issues. 

After cleaning a countertop of this type, use wood oil to save the material and enhance the elegance of the kitchen appearance. 

If you feel discoloration on the countertop, use half a lemon with salt and start rubbing it on affected/ damaged areas. Then clean with a mixture of water and vinegar.

The Finest Trick to Clean Kitchen Countertops:

After guidelines on What is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops. Now, we will discuss the best and finest tricks people may use to clean their kitchen countertops. Let’s discuss them briefly.

The best way of cleaning the kitchen countertop is to use dish wash soap and warm water. Dishwashing liquid is convenient for smooth and strong grease stains without damaging countertops.

Use a soft cloth or sponge to wipe up immediately the dishwasher and water solution. But this technique is helpful for stone, Formica/ laminate, and stainless-steel countertops. 

Avoid using cleaners that contain acids such as vinegar and lemons on natural stone kitchen countertops. You can use lemon or vinegar to clean off wooden kitchen countertops. 

You can also get a guide from kitchen countertop manufacturers about which cleaner is best and right to use.

What Can You Do If You Have Already Used the Oven Cleaner on the Kitchen Countertop:

As mentioned above, what is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops? You have already used the oven cleaner on your kitchen countertop and feel anxious, so don’t worry, and it’s ok. You can continue using your kitchen countertop through the tips discussed here.

Polish the Kitchen Countertops:

It would be best if you cleaned the kitchen countertop regularly using cleaning products and then polished them completely and perfectly.

It has great significance to get back the countertop color and may remove the stains that happen because of oven cleaner use. This technique is helpful for countertops not made up of wood, like stone and tile countertops, etc. 

Windex:

Many cleaners may allow streaks/ lines on the countertop. Many glass cleaners help to clean your surface without streaks, and Windex is one of them.

It may have no strong as alcohol which helps in removing strong strains. 

Oil Up the Wood:

If you have used oven cleaner on wooden countertops and want to recover it, use soapy water or cleaner on wooden countertops for a thorough clean.

Then leave it to dry and apply wood oil to give it a new look and get back the color of the countertop. 

How to Remove the Difficult-to-Clean Strains from Kitchen Countertops Without Oven Cleaners:

You are eager to remove the strains that are difficult to clean but now, you realize not to use oven cleaners on kitchen countertops because it contains harmful chemicals. So, what can you do? 

The solution is here!! You can use these DIY ideas to remove these stains easily. 

Use of Baking Soda to Remove Stains:

Make a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar having equal amounts. Apply this mixture on stained countertop areas and leave it for 24 to 48 hours.

The mixture consumes all the stains, and you clean your kitchen countertops without using any oven cleaner containing harmful chemicals. 

Use of Plastic Wraps:

Plastic wraps on your kitchen countertops also prove helpful for you in maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen countertop.

It is also a convenient method to remove stains from countertops effectively.   

Use of Bleach to Remove Stains:

Just take cotton and soak bleach into it, then rub this cotton full of bleach on the stains for a while. After that, clean the countertop normally.

This method is also helpful but remembers that use less bleach. Because bleach makes clear color from things, if you observe discoloration, quickly stop rubbing cotton.

It can remove colorful stains efficiently, but it can also change the countertop color, so always use it in a very serious condition. 

Conclusion:

Cleaning the oven is an essential and tough task. Hopefully, we delivered what is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops and a message efficiently of not using oven cleaners to clean kitchen countertops because it contains harmful chemicals. 

It affects the countertops badly, or it may ruin them. So, we discussed many other ways to remove the stains from countertops. Mostly dishwasher soap and water mixture help you to remove your stains from countertops. If not, use the DIY ideas discussed in this article, especially the baking soda and water mixture method. 

If you have already used oven cleaners on kitchen countertops, this article provides information about what you can do in that case. You can polish your kitchen countertops, use Windex (a glass and hard surface cleaner), or oil up the wood. 

Related: How To Get Rid Of Cockroaches In Kitchen Cabinets?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the result of putting oven cleaners on the countertop?

It may damage the countertop material or ruin them completely because of its toxic and powerful chemicals. If you use oven cleaners on the countertop, you may also face discoloration, fades, etc.

What things can we do to clean kitchen countertops?

Apply dishwashing soap and water mixture on effective areas, then wipe out the stains with a cloth. When the countertop dries then, polish it using a piece of cloth.

Does the oven cleaner reduce the granite countertop color?

Yes, it can reduce the color to such a point that you cannot repair its color. Even you cannot get its shine and color back if you polish it.

How to restore the kitchen countertop’s shine?

Make a water and vinegar solution in a bottle, spray it on the countertop, leave it for 2 minutes, and then wipe the solution with a cloth.

What is an affordable agent that is effective in cleaning the kitchen countertop?

Dish wash and water solution in an effective way. You can also use a water and vinegar solution for extra greasy or water stains.