Remove Aluminum from Oven

Remember a few weeks ago when I said I was going to finally get the oven cleaned? Well, I finally did. Let me start at the beginning. Not too long ago, we got a new oven. So pretty! One day, I thought I was being smart by lining the bottom of the oven with aluminum foil to catch the spills on a particularly messy dish. What I didn't know was that newer oven models have a heating element in the bottom. Oops. So, my trying to keep my oven nice backfired. The aluminum foil adhered to the bottom of oven. 

I managed to get some of it up, but a lot of it remained. I tried everything on it, but nothing would get it up. Then I found something on the web and I thought it was worth a try.

How to Remove Aluminum from Bottom of Oven

The next challenge was finding the materials to do this. I looked at Wal-Mart and Publix, but they didn't carry it. I finally found what I needed at Home Depot. The solution? Drano Kitchen Crystals. Who would have thought?

I just sprinkled some into the bottom of the oven.

Then poured in a little water.

You can see how the chemicals are reacting to the aluminum foil.

Before you know it, this stuff really starts going! It's kind of pretty, don't you think?

Be forewarned, this IS a chemical reaction so you need to take precautions. You should wear gloves (oops, I didn't) and make sure you have plenty of ventilation. I started the exhaust fan up before I put in the crystals. It's not horrible, but it does smell like ammonia and does smoke up a little. Just don't go putting your head in the oven. Also, with the reaction, the water really heats up, so be careful in the next few steps. 

I used a wooden skewer to push the solution around to be sure all the aluminum was up and then poured some vinegar in to neutralize the chemicals.

Use paper towels to sop up the mess (I did remember to use gloves here) and then dispose of them promptly. I bagged mine up and put in the trash outside to remove all lingering smells. I then used a solution of vinegar and baking soda to really clean it all out.

Much better, don't you think? There are still dark marks where the aluminum adhered to the metal, but I can live with that. You just never know what you can discover on the Internet, so get out there and find something new!