Judy asked: How do I clean up melted, cheap aluminum paper? I have a brand new stove, and like an idiot, I placed a sheet of aluminum paper on the bottom oven pan (for drips). It was directly over the heating unit, and after using the oven a few times, the aluminum was completely melted on. I have tried everything to remove it, and over the past three days, have gotten off about 75% of the mess! I can’t clean the rest! Any help would be appreciated as this oven is brand new!
Table of Contents:
Unfortunately, when the aluminum foil melts on the bottom of the oven, there is no way to completely remove it. The good news is that the bottom plate can be replaced relatively cheaply, usually for less than $30.00. Contact your manufacturer for a replacement part and guidance on installing it. Once the new piece is installed, avoid leaving aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven while baking.
Additional Tips and Advice
- If you are worried about food dripping and burning on the bottom of the oven, there are oven liners available that will not melt under the heat. UPDATE: Maybe not… Joy, who posted a comment below (Thanks!) reports that her melted mess is a result of these very liners.
- A cookie sheet can also be placed on a lower rack to catch any drips or spills.
- If you have melted foil in the oven, do NOT run the self cleaning cycle on the oven until the part is replaced.
To all those who think this problem description couldn’t be true, you’re wrong. You’re right that the aluminum did not get hot enough to melt though. What happens is that the non-stick Teflon coating they put on the aluminum gets too hot and bonds with the oven bottom, like a crazy epoxy!
Furthermore, this isn’t a problem in older, conventional-type ovens… this is more so a problem with ovens that have a hidden bottom element. The bottom element is actually directly below the oven bottom, and lining the oven bottom with foil is basically like putting it directly on the element. And that part gets extremely HOT!!!
Thankfully I’ve got the solution to this! But it takes some extreme patience, a lot of respect for what you’re working with and some good ventilation.
I went back to my high school chemistry class to get the answer. It’s Lye, aka Caustic Soda aka, Sodium Hydroxide.
I used Drano Kitchen Crystals off the shelf of the grocery store. It’s about 70% lye with some added salts to aid the chemical reaction.
You’ll need some plasticine, Drano, water, GLOVES!!, a lot of paper towels and wood skewers and GOOD VENTILATION.
Start the ventilation and open a window or door.
Put on your gloves.
Use the plasticine to create a dam about .25″-.5″ high around the area in the oven you’re looking to remove the aluminum from. The area’s you’re working in should be about 2.5″ in diameter.
Pour some of the Drano into the dam and add enough water to touch all the sides of the dam. if the chemical reaction hasn’t started (should be almost instant) keep adding the Drano bit by bit until it does. the dam contents will start to boil and ammonia fumes and a little hydrogen gas will form, hence the need for some good ventilation!!
Once the reaction is done, poke around with the wood skewer to see if the oven bottom is clear. If you’re satisfied with the results, add some some vinegar to help neutralize the solution a bit, then use the wood skewer to remove the plasticine dam to a dish to be rinsed off ASAP.
Use paper towels to wipe up the mess on the bottom of the oven. See your results! The area of the oven bottom you treated should be free of aluminum and just be discolored instead. Not from the Drano, but from where the Teflon bonded.
Repeat the process until the oven bottom is clean.
To get a ‘feel’ for the chemical reaction and what to expect, experiment first! Take a square of aluminum foil, go to the backyard with the foil shaped into a little bowl, place it on a dish or pan, add some Drano crystals to it then add a little water. Step back from the dish and try not to breath the fumes! The dish will be hot!!
It took me about 6 hours to clean the bottom of my oven when this happened to me.
Hopefully this helps some other poor unfortunate souls who finds themselves in this situation!
plasticine, what is it?
How doable is this for someone who does not know anything about chemistry?
Searching through various websites, looking for a way to remove the aluminum stuck to the bottom of my new Sears Kenmore self cleaning oven. For years, I have used these same oven liners and have never had a problem.
I noticed that you suggested under “Additional Tips and Advice” that oven liners can be safely used without sticking. I just want to say that it is the oven liner that stuck to the bottom of my oven, not any foil. It just melted in a large circle, leaving a hole in the middle of the liner pan and the liner pan glued into the bottom of my oven. I am attempting to soak paper towel with ammonia and let it soak for a while and then will try and get it off. But so far nothing has worked.
Joy, I had the same thing just happen to me with an oven liner! Did you have any luck with the ammonia? Mine didn’t melt as much as yours. I think I caught it before too much damage was done. Most of the liner came up in one piece but I still have about 5 small pieces of foil that are stuck. It just happened last night so I haven’t had time to try any of the suggestions yet. I am just sick about it. The oven isn’t even a month old!
And, it doesn’t appear that the bottom plate can be removed on mine as there are no seams.
Twizzttid1- Your suggestion did not help me at all, I’ve tried using the Drano granules and the reaction did happen, but the aluminum is baked into the enamel and it looks like
.
I’ve done it 2 times and no change at all.
As an answer to Emerald, above; the ammonia soaked into a paper towel and left in the bottom of the oven does not work either. Neither does SOS or anything else. I even tried a plastic scraper. It is now just a part of the enamel. I read over the manufacturers book that came with the oven and tried their suggestion or cleaning method with ammonia, but it does not work for aluminum. My book does say to remove any aluminum liners from the oven bottom or sides when using the self clean feature. I do feel that manufacturers that can’t put in huge letters on the oven and in the front of the book should take some responsibility.
Emerald, you might call the manufacturer and ask them if the bottom of your oven is removable, and also replaceable. I can find 2 screws in the bottom of my oven. I have a friend who put in built in double ovens in her brand new home and this happened to her. She has decided to just ignore and continue cooking for now. She did run the self cleaning, but it did virtually nothing to remove it. She has it in both of her ovens.
Hi Joy,
Sorry to hear the ammonia did not work. I’m waiting to hear back from the manufacturer with any suggestions. My oven has a steam clean feature which I ran and then tried to scrape the foil with a plastic scraper but that didn’t do a thing. I read somewhere that applying a paste using baking soda and letting it sit overnight might work … also soaking with vinegar. I think I’ll try those next but from everything I’ve been reading, I’m not holding out much hope. I may just have to live with it and at least be grateful that it is not as bad as what some others have experienced … like your poor friend with two ovens!
I totally agree with you that the manufacturers should make the warning not to use foil much more prominent, like a warning sticker right on the oven window. I think many people who have always used liners in the past instinctively put one in a new oven right away because they want to keep it looking new. In my search for solutions it appears that many new owners have had this horrible experience. What upsets me the most is that I looked in my manual and read the section “using the oven” before I put the liner in and the warning is not there. It’s buried in another section of general warnings which I stupidly did not read before using the oven. With such severe consequences that warning needs to be greatly emphasized!
I’ll let you know if I have any luck or if my manufacturer suggests anything new to try. Oh, and there are no screws in my oven, it appears to be one piece so I don’t think replacing the cover is an option. Sounds like it might be for you though! I read somewhere that it only costs about $45 to get the part from Sears. Hope it works out for you!!!
I discovered that I have the same problem this morning and you are right, while it is buried in the owner’s manual, it is not noted in the section that it should be in. Mine is an LG oven and it has no plate with screws in the bottom. It really screwed up a perfectly good oven, just trying to keep it looking like new. I agree that the manufacturers should highlight this, I’m sure they like it when we mess up and have to replace things.
Twizztid,
Thanks for the lye tip. I have successfully removed the aluminum and now there is a stain as you said there would be. Do multiple lye applications eventually remove the stain also or just the aluminum?
I have used Lye to remove foil, not only did it not remove the foil, the process blew the element that is underneath and it blew the fuses 2 times! The reason I think lye did not help me was the fact that I’ve used a self cleaning process before that, what baked the foil even more into the enamel. Beware, as soon as you have a problem (melted foil) use lye ASAP!
I got ALL that resolved a month later with a company by getting a new liner!
What an ordeal!
I have a brand new Kenmore Elite oven and I placed a foil liner to protect it which I learned the hard way that you are not supposed to do with these types of ovens. Foil melted and is stuck. Tried several attempts to remove with no success. Tried self-cleaning and now it won’t heat up. Is my oven damaged for good?
I did the same thing trying so hard not to have my oven soiled with my roast so I put the aluminum foil on the bottom of my brand new Electrolux oven and it is so sorry looking now, I have written asking about paint remover but have heard nothing, also can I still use the self cleaning element? I am afraid to do so – please help!
Amsureen, do not use a self cleaning process until you try baking soda, vinegar and last but not least, LYE!
Lye did work for some one, read other comments.
Did NOT work for me, but I’ve used a self cleaning function prior. Call Electrolux ASAP and ask them to make a note of the issue, DO NOT MENTION ‘FOIL’,
Good luck!
I too got aluminum foil stuck to the bottom of my brand new oven. I called sears today and ordered a replacement tray for the bottom. The cost for it shipped to my house totaled 89 dollars. I tried to get it off, but the enamel was coming off too. I probably could’ve painted it, but I don’t think it would match.
I have an older Kenmore self cleaning oven, I too made the mistake of using Reynolds Aluminum foil, Now I have a mess on my hands. I can not use Lye due to health problems, however, I tried scraping it off with a metal spatula and scrapped the enamel, also I used Easy Off for self cleaning ovens and let it sit for 2 days, it still did not budge it, I also used Goo Be Gone that did not work, I hate gas stoves as this never happened when I had an electric stove at least with oven liners, can you help me?
So it looks like after reading all of the comments, it happens in both, Electric as well as Gas Ovens. Wow, what a horrible surprise I received after lining the bottom with foil, like I have done, for the past 50 years. I feel so terrible. It wasn’t even my stove/oven. It sure spoiled my delicious dinner. I am just sick.
Well, at least I know now I am not the only one who put an oven liner in my new Sear’s Kenmore Electric oven only to have it melt! I was so disappointed because I had used oven liners in my gas oven before and it worked great. I think I will talk to the manufacturer now.
Sure are a lot of people that messed up their new ovens just doing what has been done for years. I think each manufacturer should personally be responsible and replace those bottoms on the oven. It seems fair to me.
Back in November I searched for a way to fix our new oven, could find no help, didn’t know of twiztidd1′s method. I think twizttid1 method will work, but I can offer a gentler, but longer process.
Naval Jelly is pink goop containing phosphoric acid that is used to remove rust from iron or steel, leaving a clean surface that must be painted right away before rust forms again. You are warned not to use Naval Jelly on aluminum because it will dissolve aluminum (slowly).
Well, dissolving aluminum is what we want to do, and naval jelly won’t dissolve steel, so at the suggestion of my plumber (an ex Navy guy), I tried it. It works very slowly, very little ammonia smell, but will take much longer than twiztted1′s Drano. I’ve been at it for a week, I have almost all of the aluminum off, leaving dark discolored enamel. Once I have the aluminum off, I will let my wife run the self-cleaning cycle. It looks much better, should be safe with self clean, but will not look like new. I may try to buff off the discolored enamel (any advice?).
My method:
Pour small gob of jelly onto aluminum.
Spread over aluminum with Q tip.
Smear around the jelly every hour or two when you think about it. I’ve left it on overnight, no problem.
Wipe off jelly, wipe with wet paper towel, then towel dry.
Use masking tape to “pluck” the aluminum (the jelly apparently penetrates under the aluminum and loosens it).
Reapply jelly and start over.
This takes days, but is gentle, with no fumes. The only time you can smell ammonia is when your head is in the oven. My wife has not smelled ammonia yet.
Good luck.
Hubby used one of those aluminum oven liners, (like we had previously used for 20 years in our other various ovens). However, our latest oven (Kenmore) has a hidden element and it does say not to use one. I didn’t see him do it. All of a sudden, I hear “Oh Oh”. Needless to say, the middle of the tray fused with the bottom of the oven. Most came off (with scraping – I’m sure the oven enamel is damaged), but there is still some there. Anyone have any solutions (I don’t want something that is toxic and smelly – we have a realtors caravan and then an open house coming up!!)
Naval Jelly works too, but slowly, no fumes. Back in November I searched for a way to fix our new oven, could find no help, didn’t know of twiztidd1’s method. I think twizttid1 method will work, but I can offer a gentler, but longer process.
Naval Jelly is pink goop containing phosphoric acid that is used to remove rust from iron or steel, leaving a clean surface that must be painted right away before rust forms again. You are warned not to use Naval Jelly on aluminum because it will dissolve aluminum (slowly).
Well, dissolving aluminum is what we want to do, and naval jelly won’t dissolve steel, so at the suggestion of my plumber (an ex Navy guy), I tried it. It works very slowly, very little ammonia smell, but will take much longer than twiztted1’s Drano. I’ve been at it for a week, I have almost all of the aluminum off, leaving dark discolored enamel. Once I have the aluminum off, I will let my wife run the self-cleaning cycle. It looks much better, should be safe with self clean, but will not look like new. I may try to buff off the discolored enamel (any advice?).
My method:
Pour small gob of jelly onto aluminum.
Spread over aluminum with Q tip.
Smear around the jelly every hour or two when you think about it. I’ve left it on overnight, no problem.
Wipe off jelly, wipe with wet paper towel, then towel dry.
Use masking tape to “pluck” the aluminum (the jelly apparently penetrates under the aluminum and loosens it).
Reapply jelly and start over.
This takes days, but is gentle, with no fumes. The only time you can smell ammonia is when your head is in the oven. My wife has not smelled ammonia yet.
Good luck.
‘BK’, IT WORKED!!! WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH!
We had an expensive (for us) kitchen aid range, that I waited years for. It was 2 DAYS OLD on Friday, when in order to protect and keep it clean, I put foil on the oven bottom, as so many others have! Of course, our story is the same, and we were horrified several hours later to see the scraps of foil burnt onto the oven floor, after our first baking experience! Our oven interior IS ONE PIECE, and so there is no way to replace damaged sections, even if we could have afforded it, which we could not. This range was delivered last Friday, and this happened Sunday NIGHT! My husband tried to scrape it off with a plastic piece, while in shock, I went online to seek help. I read post after post of ‘forget it—no way to remove the foil’, and was ready to break down when I happened upon YOUR post!
As luck would have it, WE HAD NAVAL JELLY IN THE HOUSE, and my husband had come across it only days ago, and put it on our work shelf!
Well, it is now Tuesday, and the FOIL IS GONE, AND OUR OVEN UNDAMAGED!!!!!!! The one thing I would add to your wonderful instructions is to USE THE JELLY GENEROUSLY—COVER EVERY BIT OF FOIL WITH A THICK LAYER OF THE NAVAL JELLY, AND THEN LET IT SIT UNDISTURBED FOR ALL DAY OR ALL NIGHT, AT LEAST. The first night we didn’t put enough on. On Monday AM we put a THICK coating of naval jelly on the foil and within several hours saw more improvement than we had after all night. We put more on on Monday AM, and left it completely alone for 24 hours. Now, on Tuesday AM, OUR foil mess IS COMPLETELY GONE!!! I can now wipe up all the jelly, and wash the oven interior, and finally USE my brand new oven again!
AGAIN, WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR YOUR TERRIFIC ADVICE, AND HOPE THAT OTHERS WITH THIS DILEMMA FIND THESE POSTS!
These products also work very well: Lime-Away, CLR, The Works
I have used “The Works” which is a stronger version of LimeAway, CLR, and similar products, for removing rust. When the above post mentioned Naval Jelly, I knew I could use anything which removes rust. “The Works” is a toilet bowl cleaner for mineral deposits and I have used it to remove rust from my car as well. The Works removed the aluminum foil but, a slight discoloration remained which I would describe its appearance as a spot of much faded baked on grease.
A few months have passed since I last left a comment or tried suggestions again to clean up the aluminum liner pan from the bottom of my Kenmore oven. I did try Mariana’s suggestion and bought some pink Naval Jelly. Did this for several weeks, but I might add, not diligently. But I could see a little bit coming off. Finally tried to put it on as Adam & Mary had suggestion, by applying a very thick layer of the pink stuff and then forgetting about it for a couple of days. By the second application it was all gone. No mess, no smell, no fuss. Yes, there is a discoloration in the bottom, but it does not show like silver aluminum shows. I might add that I did buy new aluminum foil liner pans and put one of the racks on the very bottom rung of the oven. Then I put the liner pan on top of that rack. I have another rack on top of it to cook on and the 3rd rack is way up on top leaving me plenty of room. Also, it states right on the aluminum liner “do not place in the bottom of your oven”. It also suggests putting it on a oven rack on the lowest level of your oven. I have done this. I also line it with an extra piece of aluminum foil so if I have run overs I can just change the foil on the pan rather than changing out the whole liner. My oven works perfectly and does not smell. Thank you so much for your suggestions with the Naval Jelly. It worked.
OK, so this also happened to me last weekend, with both my wall ovens, while baking peach pies. I’ve used the naval jelly for 5 days on one oven. It’s a slow process, but most of the foil is gone, another 2+ days to go… Now, how do I remove the teflon on the foil, left behind? It looks like a clear liquid has been painted on the bottom of the oven-with brush marks, but it’s hard and won’t scrape off. The naval jelly hasn’t loosened that at all. How do I get rid of this? I’ve written a complaint letter to Renold’s Foil Co- and i’m about to write another to GE.. I wonder if I’ll ever get a reply…
I went online and asked GE help what to do. His suggestion was to use the finest grade sand paper and use it with water. He said it would take a lot of elbow grease, but should remove the foil and epoxy-type clear residue from the foil, and not harm the enamel coating on the oven floor. At this point, I have nothing to loose.
We personally would advise you to disregard the advice to SAND this off!
We think that guy’s advice is really a bad idea. The ‘discoloration’ left after the naval jelly has removed ALL of the foil is permanent. There is no way to remove it as it is actually now a burn mark shadow in the oven floor itself. We weren’t too thrilled to see that on our brand new kitchen aid range after we removed the foil, but honestly, it doesn’t hurt anything, smell, or get worse. It is just what happens when you put foil down in these new ovens. We are just so thankful the naval jelly took off all the foil! DO NOT try the sanding. We feel you would definitely make the problem worse and more unsightly!
Kathy:
I am in agreement with Adam & Mary Spencer. Go up 5 messages to Joy and read my post. After use of Naval Jelly I am free and clear of the aluminum on the bottom. I do have a shiny type residue like you mentioned, on the bottom of my oven. But that residue beats the look of the bright silver aluminum and I can safely run my oven, which I have done at high temps without any burn smell or smoke. The oven has 3 racks and I put one rack in the very bottom rung of the oven and placed an aluminum liner pan on the top of that rack and then another rack at the height I wanted it. And removed the 3rd rack. The liner pan works perfectly on the top of the rack on the bottom rung and you can’t even see the residue and since it catches any spills I can change the foil that I put on that aluminum liner and have not had any burn smell or smoke.
Where does one purchase Naval Jelly?
I got my Naval Jelly at a True Value Hardware Store. But probably any Hardware Store will carry it. You might try Home Depot or Lowes also..
Count me as one of the lucky ones to find this post! On Thursday I made the fateful decision to bake a pizza in the top oven of my Kenmore Elite Double Oven. This oven was approx $1600 and purchased only 6 months ago. Of course not wanting to ruin the bottom of the oven with melted cheese and sauce I placed Reynolds aluminum foil in the bottom. Approx 10 Minutes later The pizza was burnt to a crisp and the aluminum foil was melted to the bottom of the oven. I then tried the usual route of trying to clean it off by scrubbing and then burning it off at a high temp. Nothing worked. The next day I looked online and found these posts. I purchased my naval jelly at true value Hardware and nervous smeared it all over the bottom of the oven and let it sit for 24HRS. After the first day I took a scraper and carefully and lightly scraped the aluminum. I could immediately tell that it was working as I saw aluminum pieces in the pink jelly. I then left it on for another 24HRS and then again scraped it. I then wiped up all the Jelly and neutralized the oven bottom with baking soda. I would say that 98% of the aluminum was eaten up. There is a small amount of residue on the bottom but I may try it again to see if I can remove that. This residue is some dark discoloration and a little bit of glazing. This is way better then melted aluminum though! Thank you again for all your info you all have saved the day! P.S. if any one has any ideas to remove the discoloration and glazing let me know.
A little over a month ago I used a cheap foil on the bottom of my brand new expensive Electrolux oven. I called the company the next day. They raised my hopes by telling me it would come off by soaking Dawn Dish Detergent on it and scraping off with a razor blade. I have been soaking for a month and scraped twice. Sadly, I’ve gotten some off, but a lot seems to be fused right on the liner.
I think I will try the Naval Jelly today. Do you think generic brand foil makes this problem worse?
Although it took me four applications, the bottom of my oven is now foil-free!! Thank you so much for recommending Naval Jelly (in the paint dept. at Lowes) as the solution to my dilemma!
Sure wish someone would label the new ovens with this warning!!
Has anyone tried running the self clean cycle after using the naval jelly? Has there been a problem? Am going out to get naval jelly now.
Will the Naval jelly remove baked-on non-stick oven liner?
I have been reading all your comments & I’m running out to get this NAVEL JELLY NOW!!! I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 15 people and used my new oven. Like every one else I put foil on the bottom to prevent spills and I have been trying to use everything from everywhere and nothing works. But I am going to try this jelly and I will keep you all posted on how it turns out.
Wish me luck, because I’m going to need it .. My husband is going to kill me! lol!
Yes, Janice; the Naval Jelly will work. It may take a few applications and leaving each one on for 24 hours. But it does work. I don’t think your hubby will kill you, but if he’s like mine they can be quite sarcastic. It’s a man thing. They are so lame. They just don’t get it since they don’t cook. LOL. I agree over and over with Aurelia. Seems like they would put a big sign or label on the oven when it is purchased. If these companies had to buy all the woman new ovens or oven bottoms and install, maybe they would do something about this problem. Good luck with your oven and keep us posted.
I read these reviews about the naval jelly and I’m going to try. My question is; will it be safe to use the self cleaning option after cleaning with the naval jelly?
I am now officially a member of the “oops, foil should not be placed in the bottom of an Electrolux oven” club.. Has anyone used the Navel Jelly on a blue interior?
Thanks in advance!
My oven liner is about $800 also. I guess if you have a single floor piece that can be taken out instead of an entire liner, it’s $30. Wish I had that. Sorry to hear you had to go through this too. What a disappointment and a pain. Hope your New Year is better.
I recently did the obvious as well, this morning as a matter of fact, sigh. The foil is baked onto the bottom of my 3 month old convection oven.
But I remembered when my husband and I made a pan of ribs a few years back and marinated them overnight in a large thick aluminum pan with a thinner aluminum covering the top of the BBQ sauce coated ribs. The next day I noticed there were small holes in the aluminum foil covering the ribs. I was also concerned the pan was leaking. Needless to say the thicker aluminum was OK, but I researched why the thinner aluminum would dissolve.
Turns out the the salt and vinegar from the BBQ sauce touching the aluminum caused a reaction which dissolves the aluminum, and fortunately the byproduct is an aluminum salt which was safe to consume or my pan of ribs would have been trashed.
Currently the vinegar and salt solution is soaking the bottom pan of the oven. I’m going to leave it overnight. I will keep you posted of the progress. I hope it works the same way it did for the foil on my ribs!!
Wish me luck!
I was successful with the Naval Jelly and I am still successful in using an aluminum liner on the bottom rack of my oven now. However, I am curious as to whether or not the salt and vinegar worked for CLP. I tried everything known out there, to no avail and stumbled across this site and learned about the Naval Jelly. I am so thankful that this site is here.
I also want to say to K. Lippitt that my new Kenmore did not come with any sticker on it for the installer to remove. There is a barely there mention in small print in the manual for the oven; but that is the extent of it. I guess it would hurt these companies to put a large yellow caution ribbon across the front or top stating not to lay aluminum on the oven floor. I still say all these oven company’s should have to face class action suits and replace all ovens will top of the line ovens due to NO obvious warnings. What is wrong with them anyway? Don’t they know that most woman line their oven?
Update:
Well, I initially had applied the salt and vinegar solution in the bottom of the oven Sat afternoon. I scraped with a plastic scraper, not metal, several times throughout the weekend and noticed that some of the foil that I initially could not scrape was looser.
So it did seem to dissolve some of the foil, enough for me to be able to scrape more… however, much if the foil was still stuck. So I waited til Mon evening to clean up the solution. More foil did seem to be looser but not enough for the bottom to appear foil-less. There was definitely still foil that would not budge.
Also I highly recommend removing oven racks before letting the solution sit. It seemed to corrode the racks slightly. So I ended up using another page’s post’s advice: soaked in laundry detergent overnight in the tub which did remove b/up, but the shininess is no longer present.
I think the salt and vinegar mix did help, but only for the more superficial foil. What was baked in did not seem to dissolve. I became frustrated and decided to break out a razor blade… even though I’ve read other posts saying don’t. Some of the larger baked in pieces did come off with the razor… did I scratch the bottom?…I don’t know…but look at the mess I’ve already put myself in. I decided it’s practically ruined already….but it did remove more. I’ll let you decided for yourself if that’s what you’d like to do.
Since the bottom of the oven still noticeably has foil, I’m going to call manufacturer to find out how much a new bottom pan will cost for future reference. But I will live with what I have done for now…. sigh.
I don’t know who’s responsible for mentioning “NAVAL JELLY” (no, not found in the kids section at Target, try the paint section at Lowes) – I used it 3 days in a row (oven was really bad), left it on for 24 hours each application, removed it and then added more, after 4 days all but a tiny amount is GONE!!! The inside of my ovens have a blue finish – there was zero damage to the oven, I didn’t experience the clear finish left behind that others mentioned. I high five, kiss, hug, whatever you want to the person that mentioned in this series of postings (no, I didn’t want to make the chemical weapon that is mentioned by others). Side note, no odors from the jelly – cleaned up well after I wiped it out – fired the oven to 425 and only slight smell that went away quickly!
I am very thankful for this site!! Just like everyone else, I was unaware that aluminum foil melts on the bottom of the oven. After creating a huge mess, I looked in my owner’s manual. They say not to use foil for possible fire hazards (no statement that says it will ruin your oven floor). Seeing all these posts and other blogs, the manufacturers have to be well aware of this issue. Why are they not more forthcoming with this info?
Anyway, I’m convinced that naval jelly is the way to go and I’m on it tomorrow! Thanks to all of your postings.
PS~ I posted a “Public Service Announcement” on Facebook to all my friends. Maybe I can save someone from this aggravation.
We had to have the cavity of the oven replaced because it had warped from the incident and were told that it might malfunction again. Wolf told us the repair would take two servicemen 8 hours and they finally agreed to fore go the part which they said was $250. They told us the repair, however, would cost us $600. The two servicemen came out and it took them a total of 2 hours to replace the cavity. One of the servicemen acknowledged this was not an uncommon occurrence. He charged us $700 for the labor! I’m filing a complaint with the Dept of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Electronic Appliances (916) 574-2069.
K.
Thank you VERY much for the tip on using Navel Jelly to take the aluminum off the porcelain oven bottom. I went out last night and bought some, and after applying several coats, it’s nearly all gone.
Another Navel Jelly fan
Thank you for the Navel Jelly idea. It removed the aluminum foil from the bottom of our new Kitchen Aid oven. Our oven has the blue interior color, so a black shadow left behind from the non-stick surface of the heavy duty aluminum foil that bonded to the oven bottom is still visible, but this is a huge improvement over the alternative. The Navel Jelly did not seem to do any harm to our oven interior. To add to the previous comments, we let each application of Navel Jelly sit for 24-48 hours, then the jelly with any dissolved aluminum was lifted off with a hard rubber scraper (being careful not to scratch the oven), then reapply as many times as necessary. It does take a few applications. Now, if we can just get the manufacturers to paste a warning on the front of the ovens…one small step for man, one giant leap for manufacturers.
Great Info – Put foil bottom of new Samsung oven and it is now bonded to bottom of oven. Luckily it was placed loosely so the majority of the two (2) pieces came up. But, the middle is there to stay. Went out to buy Naval Jelly at Lowes and they were sold out! Lowes is where I bought my oven, thought this was alittle comical, if you can find any humor to this mess. Then went to True Value hardware and they were out! Found it at Home Depot.
I will be using my Naval Jelly this weekend and will let you know if it worked as good for me as it has for all of you.
Naval Jelly:
Naval Jelly is hard to find in Canada. I used a product called Permatex Rust Dissolver Gel ($6.29 Home Hardware). It is a pink jelly-goo. I placed it on the foil and let it sit 24 hours or more…. It removed about 98% of the foil. I just have some very tiny stubborn specks that don’t want to lift up (even after 3 or 4 applications). I scraped the tin-foil using plastic cutlery (forks and knives mostly)
No odour….. no scary chemical reactions…… no dangerous fumes…..and my tin foil is almost all gone. Good luck with the battle!!
Holy Cow, what a nightmare!!! I was just trying to make Pizza and didn’t know I was ruining my sister’s new Electolux oven in the process. That foil is bonded and part of the oven bottom. I kept staring in disbelief at what I had done. Nothing could get it off!! I am now in the process of putting the naval jelly on it and will let everyone know how it works. Who ever heard of an oven that can’t take tin foil! Shouldn’t there be a breaking news banner on all the news channels? Thank you to the person that gave me some hope with the naval jelly tip. Here’s hoping it works!
Hi, I used Naval Jelly as well and it worked. Has anyone found a solution for the black spots left behind after applying Naval Jelly? Any advice would be appreciated!
I put a very thick layer of naval jelly on the area and left it for a day. I scraped at it and it still seemed stuck. I wiped it off and saw it wasn’t eating away at the bottom of the oven, and put another very thick layer on. This time I left it for 2 days. I scraped at a small section and it still seemed pretty stuck, so I put more on without wiping any off and left it another two days. I would check every once and awhile and it seemed to be bubbling up at the foiled areas, which was encouraging. I scraped away and it mostly came up, with a few stubborn areas, but overall it is almost gone. There is a browning to that area that is not from the naval jelly, but the foil. I will have to get more naval jelly and do another long saturation on those stubborn spots. I still feel horrible, but it is alot better than it was!
Like many of you, I thought about keeping my new Electrolux blue oven nice and clean. I didn’t have one of those nice black oven liners purchased so thought I would use aluminum foil as a temporary liner. I feel so dumb now, but never gave the hidden heating element a thought. The result was aluminum foil stuck to the bottom of the oven. I’m trying the naval jelly method….
I am so grateful to find this web site. About to try the naval jelly solution to bonded aluminum foil, but I noticed that one question went unanswered. After the aluminum foil is removed (optimism here after reading these creative posts) can I then use the self-cleaning feature of my Electrolux oven? Thanks to all you helpers.
Yikes, I did it too, on my 3-week old range! Thank goodness I found this site before I did too much damage trying to remove it. My Eagle Scout husband had naval jelly in the basement, so it’s happily (hopefully) soaking now. I will give everyone an update in a few days. In the meantime, I am going to send an email to the cooking folks in the local paper suggesting they publicize this problem. Let’s face it, who reads appliance manuals cover to cover, and haven’t we all lined our ovens with foil for decades???
Can we use the electric oven cleaer after using the naval jellY???
I searched and found a material safety data sheet for naval jelly http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Visual_Art/documents/NavalJelly.pdf . It looks like it also has a small % of it as sulfuric acid. The majority appears to be phosphoric acid. I had seen on a mountain biking forum that people were using Coke (also has phosphoric acid) to remove rust from their bikes and allegedly it “worked like a charm”. Pepsi also has it so tonight I am putting some foil in a bowl to see what happens as a quasi experiment.
Has anyone tried these (i.e. coke or pepsi)? It’s been about 6 months since I melted foil on the bottom of my brand new kenmore double wall oven and I’m still not over it … doubt I ever will be. I’m in canada so will be looking for a similar product such as naval jelly. I am not sure about replacing the part but this site has given me some hope that I should at least call sears and ask if it is possible.
DON’T USE VINEGAR! We too put foil at the bottom or our new Samsung oven. We are currently arguing with Sears as to who is going to pay for a new oven bottom/liner, and a new fan system. Our manual says in one place not to put foil at the bottom, yet in another place, it says before cleaning the oven to remove any foil. ??? We tried a number of methods to get the foil off, including vinegar. To all those using vinegar in their ovens, DON’T. If you leave vinegar in the oven for any length of time, its vapors will cause corrsion to other parts of the oven. I know now that vinegar is so acidic it will actually corrode STEEL and all metals. As a result, this condensation from the vinegar has caused corrosion and rust on the fans in the back of the oven (behind the grill, for the convection feature) and actually ate away parts of the corners of the grill racks. We had a technician come out, who had “something ten times stronger than Easy Off” and that didn’t work. Don’t continue to use your ovens either. What happens is some of the bottom of the oven is eaten away, whether you can see it or not. What may look like a stain may actually be corrosion. If that oven bottom eats through, which it may if you continue to use the oven, you will have an explosion when the hidden element is exposed.
I have learned a great deal from reading all your comments. I am happy that I have not used foil, etc. on the bottom of my oven. — Be careful about having companies stick reminders on stoves about the foil & liners. We had a terrible time removing the stuck on paper energy-saving advertising that was on the oven door. A tag dangling from the handle of the door might be safer & better.
We have just moved into a new home and I had not used the oven because I hadn’t had a chance to read the manual. (It is a brand-new Jenn Air double convection wall oven.) My husband felt that he could save himself the trouble of reading the manual by just using foil at the bottom to keep it clean when he baked a pizza on the oven rack. Today I read the manual in order to use it this evening. On page 11 it states under “Notes”: “Do not cover an entire rack with aluminum foil or place foil on the oven bottom. Baking results will be affected and damage may occur to the oven bottom.” (Note #4 in regular print.) I immediately went to my oven and slowly pulled off the foil. I had no trouble removing the front piece, but the back piece was sticking. As far as I can tell, there are mostly small pieces of foil stuck to the bottom, but there is a rather large area where it almost looks like the enamel is rippled. Maybe small pieces of foil in a strange pattern? The most alarming thing to me, however, is that it looks as if some of the enamel has come off. I was hoping this was not the case, that it was actually foil, but they are very small dark spots (not silver at all) and look as if they are embedded IN the enamel, not on top like the pieces of foil.
I know this is a long, detailed explanation, but I am so upset! My main questions: Is it possible that the enamel has melted as well? Could I fix that? If so, how? If it is enamel and I cannot fix it, can my oven still be used as long as I can remove the foil?
I read on a different forum that you cannot use the oven until you remove all of the foil because it releases toxic aluminum dioxide fumes. Anyone know if this is true?
I know not to use the self-cleaning feature unless all of the foil is removed, but if I try the naval jelly (which is what I intend to do) and it works, I also would like to know if you can use the clean cycle afterwards.
Lastly, Mona kinda scared me! If there is a stain is it true that this is actually corrosion? I cannot replace the bottom as the inside of my oven is all one piece! What if there is no stain after the foil is removed? Is it safe in that case? I know this is wishful thinking, but that is what I am all about right now. I just can’t imagine that my oven would be completely unusable now! Help!!!
WOW, I covered the bottom of my brand new Maytag oven with foil for easy clean up as I have done with the many old hand me down ovens I’ve recieved in the past. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect this. I told my husband about this web site and the many recomendations to use Naval Jelly, thinking he would have some in the garage. Stubbornly he has been trying just about everything else, and we are on day 3 now and really the only foil removed thus far is what was lifted prior to any chemical applications. I think I am just going to order a new bottom from Maytag, the floor of the oven is now warpped as well. AGH, I did check the instruction book and it does say not to use foil but the reason is so that the heat will remain even. There has to be a better warning for this as foil on the bottom is a common practice. I have appartments with stoves in them and I have always put foil in them and never had this problem.
What about foil melted onto the heating element? Will naval jelly or anything else work on that?
Anybody ever notice how tomato sauce eats holes in aluminum foil when you use it to cover foods in the refrigerator? Well, guess what? Try it or catsup overnight or longer in the oven and you might have success removing the aluminum foil as long as it hasn’t melted into the glass (porcelain) surface.
I wouldn’t mess with it too much, more then often messing with it wrecks the finish even more. The cooking and baking in the oven will not be affected at all, it’s just stained not destroyed. After some time of using the oven it should start to flake away (due to the repetition of heating and cooling)
SOLUTION:
I’ve had the same problem with my stove and I got rid of the melted aluminum foil by spraying my oven with the “EASY OFF HEAVY DUTY” over night and the next day I just wipe it off and it was gone.. you can try it again if it doesn’t go. but I’m sure it will. make sure you got the heavy duty spray it’s yellow ..
I melted some foil in the bottom of my GE monogram. No way to replace the bottom as it is one piece all the way around. I scraped most of the aluminum off with a plastic spatula and did some we sanding on the larger pieces that were stuck fast. The sanding did not affect the ceramic liner. However, because the aluminum foil created craters in the liner, once the surface aluminum was gone, sanding didn’t get into the craters. I read further in the post and decided to try the Naval Jelly. It is definitely working. I used about 1/2 of an 8 oz can spreading it thickly and evenly over the aluminum. I checked on in an hour and there were bubbles everywhere that had aluminum. After a few hours I stirred it up figuring that the bubbles were decreasing the contact to the aluminum. After 24 hour 95% of the aluminum was gone, or wiped away. I placed a fresh layer over the foil that was still there. At this point I have no doubt it will all be gone tomorrow (48 hours). The inside of the oven is blue and has not changed color any more than the aluminum did in the first place.
Works well, I would recommend it.
Hi, I’m feeling like I’ve joined an elite Desperate Housewives club, having the same dilemma with doing a pyrolytic self-clean with a piece of tin foil on the oven floor. Really awkward asking the average Kiwi blokes working at hardware store and car parts sore, if they stocked/had heard of Naval jelly!
Took advice of a friend to soak oven bottom with Drano, and after two applications still have an oven floor covered in rough adhered residue plus now there are lots of small pitted holes in enamel.
I’m attempting to get some Naval Jelly online to try although it may not pass our Customs, but would be grateful if anyone else has perservered beyond this point? I’m worried about what Mona said about having an explosion. Should I leave the sorry mess alone now or do you think i can brave the Naval Jelly?
Thanks for any help you can offer.
The solution is to not use foil in the first place. It is not the manufacturer’s fault. You bought a self clean oven for a reason right? If you slop or boil anything over you just push a button and it cleans itself.
Funny after reading all the inputs that one question still remains un answered. “Has anyone run the self cleaning oven after using Naval Jelly?” Is the left over residue safe to run through a self clean? I have a convection oven that is one piece . Same old story just trying to keep the oven clean like our grandmothers taught us.
I really need to purchase naval jelly, but I am having trouble locating a seller in Hobart, Tasmania or even Australia. Would really appreciate any help on how to get some.
I tried posting ages ago , but the comment would not “take” . I cannot purchase naval jelly in australia, are trying to buy it through eBay…have contacted henkel (manufacturer) and the company reps in Australia , no real joy there either. I am thinking of trying a dulux product that has the same ingredients as naval jelly. Has anyone tried an alternative product with success? Tips an feedback much appreciated. Thank you
I did the same thing to my brand new oven. The bottom piece comes out of the oven and I was able to call the manufacturer and replace it for about $40.00.
I also had this problem with the stuck foil on the bottom of my brand new stove. I tried what HD said, the Easy Off Oven Cleaner. I sprayed it on three times and let it set for 20 to 30 min, and scraped with a plastic scraper. It is gone! Thanks, HD, for your solution.
Can you use the oven if the enamel has lifted off as a result? Does anyone have an answer?
Hi everyone, just a heads up for those of you in Australia and maybe New Zealand: I have successfully bought naval jelly from ebay without any hassles whatsoever, after contacting customs who referred me to another government department. They did not get back to me, so I just went for it and bought it and waited to see what would happen. It took not even 2 weeks to get here by post, and not really costly either. Good luck to you all, and have a great Christmas. Gayle
Regarding Canada and perhaps Australia/Tasmania.
I found a similar product at Napa Canada that has a Product Code of NJ1C manufactured by Permatex.
Not sure if Napa has outlets in Australia.
code PER
Part number NJ1C
Description Naval Jelly
Attribute Size: 237 ml.
Features and Benefits: brush on to remove years of accumulated rust, provides flash rust protection, replaces sanding and scraping.
Product Features: Rust dissolver gel.
Application: Chemically dissolves rust from all iron and steel surfaces.
Dry Time: Brush on and wash off rust with cloth.
Manufacturer: Permatex.
Hazards or Warnings: Extremely Corrosive
Thank You! Thank You! My husband thought he would save me some oven cleaning by putting tin foil on the bottom while I was out of town for an extended period. I went to remove the foil, and it was stuck in the middle. I read your suggestion on using Naval Jelly. It took two days and I have mild discoloration, but that is better than replacing a less than one year old oven. I ran the self-cleaning function after with no issue. Naval jelly rocks! BK rocks!
For those in Australia, I had the same problem and could not buy Naval Jelly anywhere in Australia, and could not order it over the net. I used a 3M product called Rust Dissolver, containing Phosphoric Acid. I purchased it from a Supercheap auto store in Qld for about $9. It worked a treat, and same as everyone else said, it dissolved the aluminum but leaves a black mark where the enamel has been damaged. Black looks better than aluminum, though. Found the only problem is because it is a liquid, it worked well on the level areas, but you need to work out some way to cover the angled bits, as it runs off. Took a fair few treatments, but keep at it and it definitely works. Thanks to the original person who came up with the Naval Jelly!
First, my thanks to all those who came before who posted on this issue and then confirmed that Naval Jelly works. I live in Canada and it was hard to find. I finally got some through ebay, shipped from the US.
Second, in gratitude to all those who took the time to post on this I decided to be the guinea pig. Today I ran the self-clean on my Electrolux oven after using Naval Jelly. There were no problems. No noxious fumes, and nothing terrible happened. Prior to running the self-clean, I used a wet paper towel and went over the base of the oven a number of times to try and ensure the maximum removal of Naval Jelly residue. My other worry was about a dozen small flecks of tin foil still stuck to the bottom. Each is only about a millimeter in size at most. Very small, but nonetheless still there. The tin foil did not explode during the self-clean, and is still there. My theory that such small specks wouldn’t matter seems to have held. I could try and get those small flecks off the bottom with another application of Naval Jelly but I think that I’ll just end up living with them, especially now that I know the self-clean works.
I will go and get some Naval Jelly ASAP! However, can I still cook in the oven? Or will the smell, or chemicals from the aluminum foil get in the food and harm whomever eats it?
Are the chemicals in Naval Jelly safe to use in an oven? I’m just afraid of the chemicals left behind in the oven while cooking foods in it.
Can anyone confirm whether or not you can use the self-clean feature after using the Naval Jelly? We are all waiting for this answer!
I am feeling so sick right now! I too used aluminum foil in my brand new electric oven and have foil melted at the bottom of my oven. It sure was nice to read these comments, and it makes me feel better to know that others have made the same mistake I did. I’ve used foil for years in my old oven trying to keep the mess from falling on the bottom. I will try the Naval Jelly, and I will also call the manufacturer to see if they will pay for a new bottom piece. If the jelly works, I will be so grateful that I found this information from some very nice people!! :0)
You can get Naval Jelly from the US ebay website (www.ebay.com) and they will deliver to Aust/NZ. It cost me USD17 including postage. Yet to receive it.
I too have aluminium burnt in on my new Electrolux Pyro oven. I will let you all know if it works.
Has anyone turned the pyro cleaner on after using Naval Jelly or turned it on with the aluminium stuck on?
I would love to know the outcome as I only have a small amount left on at the moment and I’m happy to live with it as long as I can turn my pyro on.
OMG! ME TOO! evidently this problem is an epidemic! I lost sleep over this. The oven manufactures should put warning hang tags right on the oven handles so people see it right away, not hidden in the back of the user books. My grandmother and mother used foil on the bottom of their ovens for years with no problems, now in new ovens it melts. We learn from our parents and do what they did so why would anyone think twice about doing this. WHAT A MESS! My new KitchenAid oven KEBS107SBL looked like a gem before this happened. How ironic this is happening to people that really care about keeping their ovens clean and perfect. Now it’s no longer perfect and is like a A BAD irreversible JOKE! I am so livid! This is just UNREAL! Foil melting… who would think? No one I asked and know even thought foil could melt. I can’t get over it. KithenAid said they don’t make a part to replace the bottom liner on my oven. WHAT! This is one of their top of the line ovens. I see where the bolts are and how the liner slides out, how could KitchenAid not make the part? I spent so much money for this oven and it has no part available for replacing the liner. KitchenAid said even if I wanted them to service it and replace it they wouldn’t be able to do it because there is NO part for it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! What if the liner ever cracked or chip? Then you would have to buy a whole new over. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I am going to send an official letter to their corporate office about this. I don’t know what I am more upset about, the melted foil or KichenAid not having the part and at least giving me that option. UGH!
Okay so we scraped the bottom with a razor blade and it not only took off the foil it also took off enamel with the foil. If anyone is thinking of doing that, don’t do that. I should of left it alone and just used the Navel Jelly but I found that advice after the fact. My husband said lets just cover it with a bottom broiler pan. Lowe’s has the correct matching color to match the inside of the oven. At least I won’t have to look at the bottom mess and remember the horror I went through trying to get the melted foil off. Oh well it’s getting covered up now. As for the Drama in my household because of all this… it’s not worth the stress and really isn’t the end of the world as my mother put it to me
The oven still works and the outside is beautiful.
I have a Wolf double oven, and I did this on both sides in December, and just found this site after I was quoted $1200 in parts (liner is one piece in each side). I have gently scraped and continued to use it thinking I will get a little off at a time. It may be too late for the Navel Jelly for me, but I will try it and let everyone know if it works. I have not run the clean cycle.
BTW – The builder evidently bought the oven from a dealer as it was a floor sample with no labels and no manual. Builder filed for bankruptcy, or else I would go after him.
I ran the cleaning cycle on my oven with a silicone mat still in the bottom! The horrible smell alone should have been a clue that I had really messed up. Once the oven cooled we were able to pull the “paper” part of the mat out in pieces but unfortunately all the silicone melted off and has discolored not only the bottom of the oven, but the door as well. I don’t know how to proceed from here. I tried a bowl of ammonia overnight without success. Help!
For those in Australia, I used a rust cleaner bought at Supercheap in Qld for about $9. Its main ingredient is phosphoric acid and probably works the same as the naval jelly. It took a few applications, but I finally removed all of the melted foil. I could not buy naval jelly over the net from USA for some reason; they said they can’t export to Australia?
We had this happen a week ago. I made a paste of baking soda and white vinegar and coated it liberally, left it over night, and the following day I scraped it off.
Then I soaked a towel with water, put it under the lower element, turned on the stove to 200 degrees, and heated for 30 minutes. The steam curled the few remaining bits of foil and they came off easily.
We had the same issue. My wife threw some tin foil in the bottom of the oven during a major overflow while cooking a lasagna. After it was all over, the foil had melted to the bottom. We have a in-wall double oven and it doesn’t have a removable bottom pan. We avoided too much scraping and used the Works toilet bowl cleaner solution mentioned above. Fortunately the bottom of the oven has a small dip in it to contain the liquid. I let the Works set for about 10 minutes (the reaction foams and does produce fumes, but nothing too crazy). After that I neutralized it with vinegar, cleaned it up and did it again. Within 30 minutes all the foil was removed! Pretty impressive. The chemical reaction didn’t seem to harm the enamel finish, either. As mentioned above, there was some minor staining, but nothing significant.
I’m going out to get the naval jelly for my brand new electrolux stove. The question has never been answered: HELP…can you use the self cleaning once the foil is gone? I too have the convection.
After reading these posts I feel like I live in some alternate universe where everyone’s oven is ruined.
I too put foil on the bottom of my brand new Electrolux oven/microwave combo. I was sick because it replaced my 21 year old oven and I loved the spanking new clean look. Unfortunately, I ran the self-cleaning cycle before I read these posts and probably made it worse. I have used naval jelly twice and it took care of the majority of the foil leaving the dark shadow. I’ll try a couple more applications to see if it takes care of the rest. Still haven’t seen a reply to the question if you can use your self-cleaning cycle after. I’m assuming you can, but hate to assume. Can anyone tell me?
Last night I put foil in my brand new double ovens (kitchen aid convection ovens) to bake pizza, and same as the rest of you – I did not want the spill over. Even though I have self-clean I don’t want to use it all the time. I would rather just STOP the mess before it happens! I went to take the foil out and parts of it were stuck to the bottom! I was SICK also! I tried every cleaning product I had in my house and nothing seemed to touch it! I decided to get online this morning before I ruined my ovens, and found this site. Thank you to the person who said “the works” toilet cleaner. I had some and tried it! It took not only the foil, but also the residue off, and my ovens are brand new again! I had to put it on several times and let it sit each time for 15 – 20 min. I kept rinsing out a rag in warm, sudsy water to wipe. Each time more and more came off until pretty soon the whole thing was shiny clean! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Just purchased a new Kenmore Elite stove that has the hidden bake element on the bottom. I am glad I came across this site. I also have always used aluminum foil to line the bottom of the oven to catch drippings and help keep the bottom clean. I will no longer be doing that after reading the problem it gave others. I was wondering if anyone uses those aluminum pan trays they sell everywhere that you can cook in and then throw out when done? They are cheap to purchase and save the work involved with cleaning a regular metal pan. I would not be putting the aluminum pan on the oven bottom, but on the racks (possibly even the lowest rack). My question is can these pans be used the way I have stated without them melting? I have not yet had my stove delivered so I have not yet seen the owners manual. I will, however, be reading it front to back, very carefully.
I have had very experienced repair guys tell me NEVER, EVER use the self clean on ovens. It gets too hot and damages the seals and other parts. Using the self clean is the number one reason ovens break down or have issues, they said. I used the self clean a couple of times on my Miele double ovens years ago. Shortly thereafter I had big problems with the seals, and the oven would not seal or turn on properly. The seals had to be replaced. Just clean the ovens out old school style. I recently melted the foil onto my brand new Kitchen Aid blue ovens and am going to try the Naval Jelly. Thanks!
I am in a brand new, rented apartment and this has happened to me. I have tried a lot of things but with no luck. I am in Australia and can’t find it anywhere. Cost of a replacement oven is $1500. Help! I rang a chemist from a company which deals with solvents and cleaning products. He said to heat the oven to a very high temperature and then use asbestos gloves and with a scraper remove the foil that way. He does not know of Naval Jelly, nor do the hardware stores. Can anyone help, or do I go with the high oven temperature idea?
Same story from New Zealand,
New Westinghouse Oven(Electrolux), 6 days old, wanted to keep it clean, and lined with foil while I prepared the roast chicken.
I smelt the foil melting into the base, and when I opened the oven door, there was the warning message from the manufacturer right in the hinge. When I phoned the customer help line they said, ‘this happens often’ but there is nothing to fix it. A new liner (whole cavity) is needed. The recommended repair company said they had never done this, and there is no part number in the catalog!
Groan…
So much for trying to keep catch the drips. Aluminum foil ruined my new Electrolux bottom as well. After researching several sites, it seems to be a prevalent problem. Electrolux said there is a warning inside the manual and foil can cause a fire. Great, what happens if I have a caterer come in or guests who attempt the same? The only product that removed about 80% of the foil was naval jelly (Home Depot, 16oz for about $7); the label warns that it contains a chemical known in the state of California to cause cancer. In some situations, the old adage, “don’t fix what ain’t broken” applies.
Thank you, Sandra, for mentioning “The Works” toilet bowl cleaner! That was the main ingredient, and hubby added a little goo gone, and some engine de-greaser mixed into it, and within minutes it was off. It is very caustic! Be sure to wear gloves, and wash it two or three times before using the oven pan again!