How to remove melted plastic from oven? Ever since fire was discovered, heat has and will continue to be one of man’s best friends
But it is also one of our worst enemies, and plastic is no stranger to the dangers of heat.
The kitchen is one of the heat’s territories in our home, and intense temperature can pop in and out just like that.
Sometimes we forget to take out our plastic containers but it’s alright, we all make mistakes.
Is Melted Plastic in Oven Dangerous?
You open it up and there is a massacre in there. Take a whiff of the smell and it’s horrid.
You think it’s just a bad sight with the smell to go with it but you’re not sure, so you ask yourself: “Is melted plastic in oven dangerous?”.
Remember the smell?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology confirms that when plastic is burned, it releases harmful chemicals that are known to cause health related problems like respiratory ailments and stress human immune systems.
If you take too long to clean it, it becomes a hazard for everything you put in it afterward and ultimately affects all of your future dishes.
Don’t fret. Instead of moping around, here are a couple of ways on how to remove melted plastic from oven.
Remove Melted Plastic from Oven
There are two methods in how to remove melted plastic from oven.
One is the Cold Method, which makes use of low temperatures to brittle down the melts, which makes it easier for you to scrape it off. This method is best used for electric and gas ovens.
The other method is the Hot Method. Which from the name, uses high temperatures to make the melts all mushy and gooey so that we can scrape it off.
This method is best used for Self-Cleaning ovens. This is primarily because we can’t use the Cold Method on the Self-Cleaning type because it can damage the coating of the oven.
Cold Method
Step 1. Cooling Down
Before you begin cleaning the inside, give the oven some time to cool itself down. We wouldn’t want you burning yourself or inhaling the gas while fresh off from ground zero.
Make sure to open the windows and ventilate the room. Clear the area of any unneeded personnel so make sure to steer away from your little ones before you start.
Step 2. Add a Little Icing
Once it has cooled down, take out the rack and store it in your freezer. Leave the rack in there for about a couple of hours.
Doing so will make the plastic that’s been stuck more brittle, thus making it easier to remove.
If you don’t have a freezer or if it’s unfortunately broken, you can buy a couple of bags of ice from the store and use it on the rack.
If some plastic got to the floor and walls of your oven, you can also use the ice bags on the parts affected.
Step 3. Scraping
After a few hours have passed, take the rack out of the freezer and/or the ice bags off from the racks and oven.
You will be needing a scraper for this, or if you do not have one pick out something else that can do the job such as spatulas, or for worst-case scenarios, you can use credit cards or rulers.
Scrape the plastic away gently and increase the force if there is a bit of resistance.
You wouldn’t want to go too soft that you’re not getting anything done, but you also don’t want to go too rough, or else you’ll damage it. Do this part for both the racks and the oven.
Step 4. Cleaning Up
Once you have finished scraping it off completely, start sweeping away the chips of plastic that have fallen off to keep it nice and clean.
Wipe the floor and walls of your oven thoroughly so there aren’t any traces of any residue inside.
Scrub the rack with dishwashing soap and leave it overnight so you can rinse it off in the morning. Put the rack back in after wiping it dry and there you have it, good as new.
Devoid of any evidence that there was a crime scene inside just a while back.
Hot Method
Step 1. Safety First
This process is going to cause some toxic fumes to circulate the room so be sure to open all windows in the room, so it does not get trapped inside.
It is suggested that you wear a face mask since you are going to be cleaning it while the inside is still hot, so a face mask is needed so you do not take in the harmful gas.
Wear shirts with long sleeves and use gloves so you do not burn yourself while cleaning.
Step 2. Heating Up
If you have an extractor hood, switch it on. Doing so will filter the air in your kitchen, making the room more breathable.
Set the temperature of your oven to the lowest possible, around 200°F or 93°C is fine.
You are going to have to be alert here so you can watch out for the scent of the plastic burning. If you start to smell it, that’s your cue to turn off the heat.
Step 3. Scraping
The plastic is going to be all soft now, so start working on it with your trusty scraper. If the rack is detachable, remove the rack and scrape over a container to catch anything that falls off.
If it is not detachable, then place an oven-safe container below the rack to catch the molten plastic as it falls off.
You are going to want to practice haste here because the plastic is going to harden again if you take too long. If it does, close your oven and heat it up again, to the same temperature as before.
Step 4. Cleaning Up
After you are done scraping off the plastics, let the oven cool down so you do not burn yourself.
When it is all cooled down, wipe off the scrapings from the heating element and/or the rack if you didn’t take it out earlier.
Then, wipe the oven clean and there you have it, ready to be used once again.
How to Get Melted Plastic Off Oven Heating Element?
Do the same as before, but only this time, it is suggested you avoid using wooden or plastic scrapers.
This is because doing so may cause your scraper to melt because it’s touching the coils directly.
Before doing make sure you follow all safety precautions.
Conclusion
Removing melted plastic from the oven is not rocket science. You just need to know the basics of how things work.
You can use any of the methods explained above to make your oven perfect again for the next dish!
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