What is the Fffect of Oven Cleaners on Kitchen Countertops?
The biggest enemies to your beautiful kitchen countertops are the grease from coming oils, food splatters and the stubborn and persistent stains. They degrade the looks of your countertops and are very difficult to remove. It takes a lot more than a simple wipe to get these off of your countertop and give it the shiny and magnificent look that it previously had.
For that reason, some people bring in their oven cleaners to help them win this battle with the stains. But often doing so without thinking what is the effect of oven cleaner on kitchen countertops. You should always think twice before using your oven cleaner on the countertop. Here’s why
How are oven cleaners harmful
Oven cleaners work wonders on your dirty and messed up oven and make that old oven shine just like a new one. There’s a big reason for it and it is that they are made up of harsh chemicals. It may surprise you that oven cleaners possess chemical cleansing agents such as salt hydroxide, butane, diethylene glycol mono butyl ether, or monoethanolamine (MEA) which are not only strong chemicals but are also toxic and hazardous to your health.
You may use your oven cleaner on the countertop thinking that it will help you remove stubborn stains, oils and grease from your kitchen countertops, but the toxic chemicals possessed by them will do such an extensive damage which you can’t imagine.
The harsh chemicals react with the paint and varnish of the countertop and can eat away the top layer of your kitchen countertop making it more prone to damage by moisture and other factors.
Moreover, the toxins from the oven cleaner may get in contact with food bits, causing many other chemical reactions that can leech deep inside the countertops causing your working surface to be riddled with holes and making it disfigured.
What Is the Effect of Oven Cleaners on Kitchen Countertops?
The particular way in which a countertop will react to the chemicals of the oven cleaner depends mainly upon the material and its structure. Some materials are more vulnerable to these chemicals as compared to others. Here’s how different countertop materials will react to the attack of oven cleaners:
Wooden Countertops
Wooden countertops are the most vulnerable due to the varnish costing. The chemicals in the oven cleaner can easily soften up and dissolve the top varnish coating and make it sticky and gummy leaving the wood more prone to water damage.
Tile Countertops
Trying to clean tile countertops with oven cleaner is definitely not a good idea. Prolonged exposure to toxins can cause the top glaze to fade away and damage the look of the countertop to a great extent.
Stone Countertops
Stone countertops like marble and granite are more resistive to the chemicals in the oven cleaner. Although not much damage will be done but there is a serious risk of dulling the finish and shine of the countertops.
Formica Countertops
Just like stone surfaces, formica countertops have a relatively low chance of suffering damages if the oven cleaner is rinsed and wiped immediately after use. However, if you use oven cleaners on them, you are definitely running the risk of color damage.
If you have already damaged your countertop before knowing what is the effect of oven cleaners on kitchen countertops, then K&B Cabinets is your place to go for getting your counters refinished and made just like new. You can visit K&B Cabinets for all kinds of professional help regarding your kitchen countertops. You should always try to choose natural cleaners for cleaning your countertops as they are the safest, healthiest, and better choice. Although cleaning stubborn grease in the natural way requires a lot of hard work, it is definitely the best choice for a long lasting and shining countertop surface.
