I had this brilliant idea to put aluminum foil at the bottom of my oven while I cooked pizza at very high temperatures. I was hoping it would catch any toppings that fell off so I could quickly remove them and prevent smoke. The result is that the foil bonded to the oven and now I'm not sure how to get it off. Any chemicals or tools I should use in this situation? 
-
Removing answers-in-comments.– Cascabel ♦Jan 2, 2016 at 13:47
-
It is not an answer to your question, but since I can't post comments, a suggestion for the future: I always place a piece of baking paper (not quite sure about the english word for it) at the bottom of my oven to catch the drippings, works better than aluminium. Recently I also bought a special rubber mat for the same purpose, and that works even better.– NoralieJan 12, 2016 at 14:00
-
This happened to me. The foil was from the dollar tree so I noticed it is extra thin quality.– user44295Mar 17, 2016 at 17:57
Add a comment
|
6 Answers
That looks a lot like melted aluminum.
I'd use a solution of sodium hydroxide to dissolve it; probably won't even hurt the oven paint.
Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner is NaOH based, so that'll probably work for you, and is easier to find than straight lye nowadays. Just follow the directions. If the aluminum is thick, you may have to do things twice.
Other brands of oven cleaner will likely work as well as long as they contain sodium hydroxide (lye). It will help A LOT for you people who need aluminum foil off your oven!
answered Nov 8, 2015 at 21:16
-
Looks melted to me too. Would not try to remove it with even more heat (self cleaning etc), you might remelt it but will not be able to remove it that way, and will bond it to the enamel even more - and you might create metal vapors that are not very healthy to have around. Nov 9, 2015 at 7:37
There was an article about How to Remove Melted Aluminum Foil from the Oven, but following several disappointing results by the participants, a user suggested a solution that was met with resounding success by those who tried it.
The author suggested an application of naval jelly (from the paint department at your local hardware store) as the solution that actually worked. Naval jelly is pink goop containing phosphoric acid that is used to remove rust from iron or steel, leaving a clean surface.
Essentially, you spread aluminum jelly over the aluminum, smear it around every few hours, leave it overnight, wipe clean and repeat process until the residue is gone. It might take a few days, but it is a gentle process with no fumes. The solution was was verified enthusiastically by several users in that conversation. You can read more about the process and reviews starting here:
BK says: Back in November, I searched for a way to fix our new oven …
Bonus solution: The original article also claims that the entire bottom plate of your oven can be replaced usually for less than US$30.00. Contact your manufacturer for a replacement part and guidance on installing it.
answered Jan 6, 2016 at 16:10
-
Thanks Robert, this sounds promising. And who wouldn't want a can of Naval Jelly!?– dpollittJan 6, 2016 at 16:23
-
I used to do the same thing with Dr Pepper or similar fluids when cleaning small valves. Aug 30, 2017 at 0:13
Trying to burn it off with self clean heat does not work. I tried. Maybe made is worse. Easy Off Heavy Duty works but takes many tries. I'm on sixth application and o 75% gone. Putty knife helps. Careful of the fumes. I read that when sodium hydroxide reacts with aluminum it can be dangerous.
Unfortunately I can't post my pictures. But I recently did exactly what he did here and with worse consequences of foil. After reading everyone's post on several web sites, I tried the Heavy Duty Easy Off Oven Cleaner. After 4 applications and scraping with a "decal razor" scraper, I got nearly 97% of the foil off. I let the solution sit for an hour on each application. I was able to take the oven plate out of my oven and do this outside of the house.
Lining the bottom of an oven with aluminum foil or a foil liner is quite common and acceptable provided that the electric heating element is ABOVE the oven bottom, not below and that the liner is between the element and the bottom. This of course is not possible with a gas oven.
With that said, you could try scraping the foil off with a putty knife, if it is not interfering with the operation of the oven, leave it. Unsightly, but better than scratching up the porcelain finish of the oven. The oven bottom should be removable and you could order another and be back to pristine in a matter of a few days. Probably not what you wanted to hear. If you are thinking of ordering a new bottom pan, you might get a friend to try heating the stuck on aluminum with a portable propane torch to soften the aluminum and maybe it can be scraped off with little to no damage to the underlying oven bottom thus saving you some money.
-
My oven has no heating element on the bottom at all. Only at the top. I probably ran into this issue because I had the oven at 550°(max) and broiler on hi to cook pizzas.– dpollittNov 8, 2015 at 19:04
-
Yes that's understandable but it sill doesn't make sense to melt like that because aluminum's melting point is around 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but its possible if it was left there over time it would soften and melt.– trippt02Nov 8, 2015 at 19:09
-
-
If there was anything oily or sticky on the bottom of the oven before you put the foil down, it might have adhered to that. If so, you may be able to remove the foil by soaking the bottom with oven cleaner or soapy water. Nov 8, 2015 at 19:17
-
1385 degrees is enough to soften the aluminum foil enough to creat some mechanical bond to the bottom of the oven. I know this for certain from experiencing it first hand. Foil is so very thin it doesn't need much softening for it to flow around something and make a mechanical bond.– EscoceNov 9, 2015 at 15:58
The Works toilet bowl cleaner from Wal Mart will dissolve it. Put it on and let it sit for 4 or 5 hours. What ever is in it dissolves the whole mess.
