Ovens are great for roasting your favorite food but they're not always the safest place to keep your plastic wrap and aluminum foil. If you've ever left them in too long, then you know that a melted mess is inevitable.
Luckily there's an easy way to clean up all that goop. In this article, we'll give you some tips on how to clean melted plastic from an oven so that your kitchen will be back to normal in no time at all.
Let's dive deep into this topic.
Remove the oven racks
The first step is to remove the oven racks since you'll most likely be throwing those out.
If there's any melted plastic on the bottom of the oven, then take a flat head screwdriver and scrape it off with that now. Take some caution when doing this if the pan is really hot.
Also, take care to remove all the melted plastic. If you don't, then it can just dry back into its original shape and be nearly impossible to remove a second time.
The thinner parts of your bin may melt when cleaning off the bottom of the oven. This is best done with gloves and eye protection to avoid burns.
Clean the walls of the oven
Take a spray bottle with some water in it, and start spraying the sides of your oven. Use an SOS pad or steel wool to scrub away all of that nasty goop and melted plastic. Next, take a window cleaner and use that on any streaks left behind by the spray bottle. Make sure everything is cleaned thoroughly before you move onto other steps.
If there's still a lot of stuck-on melted plastic, then consider using a metal scouring pad instead for this step as it's good at cutting through most residue. Remember though – be careful about how hard you scrub. You don't want to damage your oven.
This step is best done when the oven is still warm so that plastic residue melts and is easier to wipe off. It's also a good idea to do this step first as it will make all other steps easier afterward.
Clean around the door hinge
This next step may not be necessary depending on how much melted plastic you have, but if there's any goop left around where the oven door closes then scrape it off with a flat head screwdriver like before. You might want to wear gloves for this one too because it can get pretty nasty.
Afterward, spray some WD-40 on that area because it makes removing melted plastics a lot easier. Let stand for about 15 minutes or so. Wipe off with an SOS pad or scraper. If there's still some left, then just repeat this step until all the melted plastic is gone.
Remember though; be careful not to damage your oven with any of these scraping methods.
Clean the inside of the oven
Now it's time to clean the inside of your oven. Take some baking soda and sprinkle it all over the bottom, sides, top, everywhere really. Then take your appliance sprayer and spray away on that baking soda until there are no spots left on the walls or floor. Hold a rag over the vent holes so this will cause a minimal mess when spraying in there – protect surfaces around your oven too. Finally, just wipe everything off with another clean rag and you're done.
This step is necessary because baking soda will soak up all the stinky smells that may remain, making it much easier to clean everything. If you skip this step then your oven might just end up smelling like burnt plastic for a very long time.
Clean the outside of your oven
This next step is probably the most important – removing melted plastic from an open door. Remove any remaining decals or stickers on your appliance so that you can scrape them right off later on. Also remove anything hanging over the edge – thermometer, clock, etc. You'll need access all around and above when cleaning the door to get those tough spots. Again, make sure that the floor is protected with large sheets of paper or something similar.
This process will make your oven door look brand new again. Just remember to brush the melted plastic against the grain when you're scrubbing it off. This makes it much easier for that melted plastic to come right off with minimal effort.
Next, take your WD-40 and spray about 8 or 9 squirts all over your oven door where there's been a lot of melted plastic build-up. Let sit for 15 minutes while you're working on other areas of your oven. Finally, clean everything up with some hot water (and a little soap if desired) in an appliance wash bucket, and then wipe down with your rag. You'll be left with a nice, shiny, clean oven just like new. Enjoy.
Tips & warnings
Wear rubber gloves for all steps that involve the use of water and soap, especially during this last step. This will protect your hands from chemicals that might be left behind from melted plastic after you've removed it. Also, make sure to protect surfaces around your oven with large sheets of paper or something similar – hot water dripping on these can cause some pretty big stains. If there's a lot of melted plastic built up, just use an SOS pad, steel wool, or even a metal scouring pad to scrape off the majority of it at first.
Then clean up what little is left with the appliance sprayer. It works great for getting that last bit out. Just remember though; if using any scraping methods involving metal then be very careful not to scratch your glass door and/or ceramic top. I would recommend using an SOS pad or scraping against the grain. If you have any little scratches on your oven then try to buff them out with some fine-grit sandpaper (about 1,500 grit).
And that's it. You're done removing melted plastic from an oven.
Choosing the right oven for your needs
Sometimes, you just need to start from scratch and buy a new oven for your home. After having reviewed the best countertop convection ovens in the market, we recommend that you look for these features when choosing your oven:
- High power wattage (should preferably be over 600 watts) – this will ensure your food cooks evenly and quickly.
- Large LED display – the clock should be easy to read from all angles, and a countdown timer is useful for many things during cooking such as keeping an eye on how long something has been in the oven or letting you know when they're ready.
- Adjustable temperature control – some models allow you to set a high or low-temperature setting which can make it easier to reach precise temperatures and prevent overcooking.
How do you clean plastic off an oven without damaging the oven?
If the plastic melted against the glass then you would need to sand it off. If it is on top of the glass and not against it, then try scrubbing with a little Goo Gone or similar product – be careful not to get too much on as it can damage the oven.
What about removing unwanted stuff from a toaster oven?
When you use a toaster oven, it will also get dirty. You can clean it the same way you would a regular oven. You will want to make sure that you remove any food crumbs or oil from the outside of the window of your toaster oven before cleaning.
Otherwise, those things could easily be transferred onto your glass or ceramic top during the cleaning process. You may also want to use silicone utensils and bakeware when cooking with your toaster oven, as this prevents food from sticking on your pan.
When you are ready to clean, cleaning it while hot is best. Make sure that everything has cooled down completely before removing it from your toaster oven though. Then take out your removable racks and trays and give them a quick wash in some warm soapy water – just remember: NEVER put anything in the dishwasher that is made from aluminum, as this can cause a chemical reaction and damage your oven.
Then you can go ahead and use your favorite cleaning agent to clean the glass/ceramic top – just remember to wipe up any overspray carefully.
Final thoughts on how to remove melted plastic from the oven
In conclusion, prevention is the best cure for this problem.
However, you can remove melted plastic from the oven by following any of these options. By using any of the above-mentioned methods, you can get rid of this problem without any difficulties.
