I love my 1959 vintage GE Pushbutton oven dearly, but I do not love that it lacks the modern ”self-cleaning” feature. Which means that, haha, I must clean it myself every six months whether it needs it or not. And this week, it needed it bad, because there was so much built-up crud that Queenie (I just now named her) started setting off the smoke alarm when we tried to cook. DH was at the grocery store the next day and while there, picked up one spray can of Fume Free Easy-Off and, in case that didn’t work, a can of the caffeinated variety. Yesterday, I tried the Fume Free. Here is my glamorama-pama report.
For this front-lines journalistic endeavor, I really did read the directions. I used the 2-hour cold stove method listed on the can. That’s aluminum wrap around the heating element. Ummm, this summer, I started an oven cleaning project — wrapped the element like this… then got distracted and never started cleaning… promptly forgot all about it… next day turned on the oven… and, arc-ing! hissing! flames! ack!… luckily, I was in the room, so I didn’t burn down the priceless kitchen with its vintage 1963 original aquamarine finish Geneva steel kitchen cabinets demo’d from a cooking school once run by nuns which got me started on this blog in case you hadn’t heard and if not what planet are you living on anyway? So, the element was broken and we couldn’t cook … had to call the electrician dude… and it took like 6 weeks to get the part … and then he finally came and replaced it and also did some rewiring that he said would make the stove safer. Moral of this story: It’s always something. I mean, finish the projects you start. Oh #3, have professionals inspect your old stuff before you install it, you know my spiel.
"After" cleaning oven with Fume Free Easy Off
So, back to Mr. Fume Free, I evacuated the parakeet to the basement as a precautionary measure, then did the spraying, closed the oven door, waited two hours, and came back with a bucket of hot water and rags and wiped the whole thing clean. Results and feedback:
- That is an “after” photo, above. As you can see, the truly grody greasy baked-on remnants of my bad cooking and non-existent clean-up afterward are still left.
- MOREOVER: I did not find this product to be Fume Free. Even though I closed off the kitchen, I immediately got an all-day, splitting headache. Certain smells give me a headache, this is about my only manifestation of Delicate Princess-dom — and the fumes from this product hit me over the head like a frying pan. The family, who is home on school vacation this week, also complained, and kitchen windows were promptly opened. Thankfully, it was only 30 degrees out yesterday, not 10.
Above: This is also an “after” – sides and top were pretty good. Now, I do want to qualify, I bet the hard-working folks at Easy-Off would say I let the oven go too long before cleaning, especially that bottom. Guilty as charged. So I am not casting stones, so to speak.
To make matters worse, I discovered, when I closed the pocket door — which we never close – that I had not repainted it when I repainted the trim. Like, 9 years ago. What did I just say about “finishing your projects”? Arcghk. Bad feng shui, very bad, not to finish projects.
Anyway, so I tried again. Second coat of Fume Free. Spray spray spray. Close oven door. Wait. Rinse. The result of Fume Free Wave 2:
"After" as second application of FF E-O
Basically, no change. Very little, additional gunk came off. The baked-on-like-fossil-fuels stuff was still there, not budging a bit.
It’s supposed to warm up to the 40s or even warmer within the next few days. When it does, I’m closing the pocket doors, relocating the budgie, opening up the windows, and pulling out the big boy: Heavy Duty Easy-Off — which I know from previous experience will work, albeit reek. Meanwhile, the tin-foil is still on the element so it’s stovetop cooking or take-out for this family, until then. Will I learn my lesson and use Fume Free more often, to avoid a Big Clean Up later? That’s a good one!
Readers, I welcome your suggestions for less-noxious ways to keep these lovely antiques clean. How did those 50s housewives do it???
My daughter has a stove like yours in her new little old house. She has yet to tackle cleaning the oven, and needs her heating element replaced, too.
I was just thinking the other say how much I enjoy cooking on my brand new drop in range/oven I bought 3 yrs ago. I wish it had the look of an old stove, but I sure do like the self-cleaning thing. Of course, when you turn that feature on, it gobbles up the electricity. Always something, like you say.
Can you wear a mask or something when you use the good stuff on your oven? It has lye in it, I think. That’s why it works.
I use a thick paste of baking soda and water, or baking soda and white vinegar.
Slather it on, leave overnight. Scrape off w/spatula. Really does “soak up” a lot of the crud.
No fumes, no chemicals. Of course works best if you do regularly — will take multiple applications if very caked-on grime inside. But I just couldn’t do this other stuff.
Worth a try to get the last layers off maybe.
Love,
Hints from Heloise : )
I use Margaret’s technique – it works and it is much safer for everyone in the house, not to mention the air does not smell of those fumes.
I use the baking soda method too. It does take a little elbow grease especially if it’s been awhile, but we also have a parrot and I can’t risk her little lungs (or mine) to the nastiness of the chemicals.
Ok, I’m trying this next!
Maybe add a pad of fine steel wool to aid in scrubbing…
That’s what I used in my first apartments, all of which had older stoves. Works like a charm and nobody gets sick from those fumes!
Also, if you are right @ the “unfinished project feng shui”, no wonder I have issues sometimes. Our bedroom has been under construction for THREE YEARS. Depressing.
This is what I do too! Works like a charm and no nasty fumes – love that.
Hi Pam,
I have found that a flat pan on the lowest rack helps catch a lot of drippings so clean up is easier and less messy if their is spillage. This doesn’t seem to affect the cooking any.
John
I agree- a flat pan on the lower rack, and pans under anything you are cooking. I think of the inside of the oven like the inside of my microwave. There is no need to spatter food inside of it. If I am cooking something that will spit or spatter, I cover it, tent it, and put a cookie sheet under it.
I figure, why make the mess in the first place and then have to clean it up later?
Talk about unfinished projects – I’ve still got my 1949 Maytag disassembled “waiting to order the new insulation”. I used the Fume Free stuff, too, and I really had to get after the baked on stuff. I’m going to finish with the heavy duty, bc my life is valuable and I don’t want to spend it scrubbing down a stove 7 times to clean it!
Great review. I never clean my oven, because it has a black interior. Who can see that it is dirty??? I’m so worthless as a housekeeper. Thankfully I don’t use the oven much for really messy things. But to answer your question, Pam, I’m pretty sure that those 1950′s housewives did it by cleaning the oven about once a week. I know – not gonna happen, right?!!
hahahahaha, my first good laugh of the day!
I have a DCS professional range that cost quite a pretty penny, and guess what??? Does NOT have a self cleaning feature
Well anyway….Easy Off Fume Free does not work and is NOT fume free, I start to cough as soon as I start to spray! Would rather just use regular Easy Off. Best thing to do is stay on top of it, ( I found out the hard way!) Clean up spills as quickly as possible, I put Reynolds wrap foil under anything I think may spill over. For quick cleaning oven messes Dawn Power Dissolver works great! Hope you have better luck next time!
Thanks for these tips! I see a continuing series in the works here: The Oven Cleaning Chronicles.
Ok, glad to know I am not the only one who does not like to clean the oven. I’ve always used white vinegar and soap and water. But I have also heard the baking soda method works well. And if you just need to scour something, plain table salt with a wet sponge is a good abrasive. Good luck though!
great tips — yes, salt, sounds good too. maybe salt/ice/vinegar — that’s something i learned for cleaning out the bottom of coffee pots when i was a cocktail waitress back in college!
ditto all of the above (foil, tray and lids to prevent mess) and the baking soda cleaning method. Also, my mid-century homemaking books advise using those plastic scrubbers, although they seem hard to find. (S.O.S. makes the one I usually come across.) And yeah, sorry, but once every week or two…..ugh, no I don’t that either.
Our all-favorite scrubbing device is the Dobie. I need to do a post on that. Thanks for the tips!
I heart Dobies.
Pam, I have a 1956 GE and my bake and broil elements slide out, which makes cleaning MUCH easier. When the electrician re-wired your stove, did he change that? When the elements are pulled out, you’ll be able to maneuver much more easily in there.
At the time, GE suggested warm, soapy water. Then for stubborn spots, wiping with ammonia and leaving the ammonia-dampened rag in a dish in the closed oven for a few hours or overnight. I have not tried that.
I have had pretty good luck with the oven cleaners, but I do try to keep on top of it (certainly not once a week!). The oven’s not immaculate, but very clean. I may try the baking soda route and see if that makes it more pleasant to do on a regular basis.
Great tips – thanks. I can’t imagine how warm soapy would work. When my cooking drips it solidifies into granite right away! I think the main culprit is my enchiladas. I make them really goopy.
I was going to write about the ammonia! It does work. A bowl overnight.
Drats- I was going to write about the bowl of ammonia. HANDS DOWN, this is the most amazing method AND incidentally how they did it back in the day (my grandmother told me that). Don’t think there is a better way out there.
I wish they still made Jiffoam!
Not to Na Na Na….but I clean my oven alot. Not for the sake of the oven, but to save the rest of the house from smoke-y greasey odors. I use the regular Easy-Off but am sad that they no longer sell the liquid/little brush version in a jar.
Oven cleaning is the worst…and one of those jobs that include a descending degree of interest every time you do it. Remember how spotless it was your FIRST time??? I think this is why many elderly NEVER touch the oven!
I only use Norwex products in my home. All chemical free! http://www.norwex.com
Have yet to try the oven cleaner but I’m told it works wonders.
I have a Chambers and as has been noted staying on top of the spills is really worth doing.
Having said that, ammonia is the best option. warm oven hot water and household ammonia.
I use ammonia all over the house, it’s like a buck fifty a gallon and cleans everything!
I have a chambers model b- that i bought about ten years ago already junky, not one of the fancy restored ones – and have never cleaned the oven of it. Instead of stressing about how gross it is I’ve decided to think of it like a well seasoned cast iron pan!
I just started using a Canadian product line called Norwex, which uses clothes lined with silver so they are completely anti bacterial. I’ve been able to eliminate all cleaning products save for the cloths, some water and Norwex paste for tougher jobs like hard water stains. I swear it has cut my cleaning time in half and there is nothing in my ’50′s house that hasn’t sparkled after using.
Anyways, I haven’t tried their Oven and Grill cleaner but everything else I’ve tried is amazing.
http://www.norwex.com/category.php?lng=7&ctg=5&cnt=38
ps Hopefully my husband doesn’t see this comment. He revels in making fun of me over my obsession with the products. ha ha
Cloths not clothes. Ay. Coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.
One more quick blah-blah post:
There are several reason why we find disappointment in some of our cleaning products. One is safety and the environment, but the other is corporate diversity.
There is no more Dow Bathroom Cleaner…which worked great….because after the catastrophe in India in the ealy 1990′s Dow was forced to sell off many of it’s product line causing a reformulation.
Original Windex really isn’t Original…as the intial product, made by another company and sold to SC Johnson was highly flammable. Ammonia-D, anyone?
Remember that Grandma Smell of Original Endust in the red can? That smell was petroleum distates and got pretty darn price-y after the oil crisis in the 1970′s. It was made by Drackett and was sold off to Sara Lee. Several reformulations.
And the biggest change in cleaners was the CO2 banning in the 90′s. Not only were these cans eating up the Ozone…but taking these chemicals up into the atmosphere with them.
So our ovens may not be as clean….but our world really is a better place.
that makes me feel much better. dirt = green. actually, i just read in the new york times last week or the week before, that a major cause of dust is: cleaning.
Do you remember that 70s television commercial that started this way “…I’m cleaning my oven…while I sleep!” – LOL!!!!
Kerosene was used a lot, too. Kind of scarry.
They were housewives. They didn’t let it go too long like us working women.
I’m not feeling very optimistic about the can of fume-free Easy (ha!)-Off that’s sitting in my kitchen…
I thought it was so funny that the first “Related Post” shown at the bottom of this post was for a “Never Clean Your Oven Again” product for $15 that you wrote about a year and a half ago!
I guess if you had taken your own advice back then, this saga might have gone quite differently, eh?
Ah, the old story of the shoemaker’s children…
I’ve honestly never tried Fume Free in an oven, but I can tell you for fact that it works GREAT at taking soap scum off shower doors and tile!
Oven cleaner has its place. Even Debra Lynn Dadd in her book: Home Safe Home, writes that baking soda has its limitations. Good luck and ventilate!
try lysol wipes. They come in a can and have one side that is smooth and one side that is scrubby. I used these to clean my 1965 wall oven in our new/old house. Don’t think the oven had been cleaned in at least 10 yrs, I had never seen such a filthy oven. These things were amazing, they just wiped away the crud.
Some interesting cleaning advice from the guru mention in the NYtimes article on “dust”:
http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/a-cleaning-gurus-tools-cheryl-mendelson
Among her recommendations: a $1,000 vacuum and a $2 bottle of “Fabuloso” — a cleaning liquid I once bought just because of its wonderful name.
I have used this product before and it worked great. I have a mint condition 1948 GE push button stove and hardly ever use it since I purchased a small convection oven. It didn’t take that long to clean and once it was done it was show room new.
The best, least toxic oven cleaning method I have found also works like a charm. Set a pan (use a disposable aluminum one) of ammonia in the oven overnight. The fumes pretty much make all the gunk turn to wipe outable muck. Look up the details on the web. I can’t remember if you’re supposed to preheat it or not. I’ve also used this for the rack from a grill. Put it in a garbage bag with a small pan of ammonia, tie it tight and leave overnight. Much safer than all the spray on junk.
I’m going to try the ammonia trick! My grandmother used to clean her stove by putting several pans of water inside, turning it on high, and letting the water cook down. Then (using oven mitts) remove the racks and scrub with a hardy brush. It brought down all of the horrible burnt on bits.
I only clean my oven in the summer! Even with the windows open the fumes are not pleasant. You have got the spring cleaning bug too early in the year.
Sometimes, you just have no choice but to break out the heavy artillery.
I have a modern (although basic) GE self cleaning electric oven, and I still need to scrub the glass with Barkeeper’s Friend before I set it to clean, otherwise the grease gets baked onto the glass. As a rule, if I’m baking something that I think will spill over, I either place the baking dish in the oven on a foil covered jelly roll pan, or place bare foil on the lower rack to catch spills. This practice is leftover from my old oven not being self cleaning.
I hated knocking my knuckles trying to scrub baked on spills from around the heating element. I often wondered why the lower heating element wasn’t either removable or hidden to ease the cleaning process. Self cleaning or not, a possible bonus from it being hidden would be that foods like french fries wouldn’t be able put on such an alarming and smoky swan song).
Oh, I’m a big fan of Barkeeper’s Friend – I thought it would be abrasive, but I used it on my sink and it works beautifully!
I just recently got my 1942 Frigidaire oven working again and had been putting of trying to figure out how to clean it, I know for a fact that it hadn’t been cleaned in almost 10 years. Thanks for the great advice, now I’m excited to go home and clean my over, something I never thought I would say outloud.
My mom always made sure there was foil on the bottom of the oven under the heating element. We daughters have followed her lead. I overlap it in case of spills.
This is a bad idea. Foil under the element will cause your element to burn up more quickly.
I believe you. I always thought, if that were such an easy answer, wouldn’t they just give you a drip tray? They have the teflon coated ones now, but burns on teflon kill parakeets — and we don’t want to harm our little budgie!
I’m a Norwex user but have never used the oven cleaner. The polishing cloth is amazing for windows and mirrors. It helps to cut down household chemicals. I can’t recall the last time we were in the household cleanser aisle.
My new Miele has a self-clean feature; I wouldn’t have an oven without one! The Germans, however, can’t understand why the N. Americans insist on self-clean ovens as the Germans purchase their Miele ovens deliberately without self-cleaning features and insist on hand-cleaning them!
Heloise, circa 1967, recommended using “electiric dishwashing compound.” Sprinkle on paper napkins and hold it against the sides for 20 minutes…or longer if you keep the napkins wet. You can rinse later with a light vinegar-water solution.
We’re supposed to Sit There and hold towels against the oven wall for 20 minutes?? Methinks not!
No, you wet the towel and that holds it against the wall.
Pam, thanks for trying this product. Now I know not to waste money on it. The 1957 westinghouse wall oven has several years of gunk (from before I bought the house) but still works great. I love the look of it, it’s simple operation but wonder how long it will last; Westinghouse products are obsolete as the company no longer exists. Yes the name is out there in the marketplace but someone has bought the rights to the name and trademark. Anyway, I am sure going to try both the baking soda and amonia methods as sugested by readers.
Huh, I’ve used the Fume Free oven cleaner, and it worked really well. Still stinky, but better than the regular version. But I seem to remember spraying the oven, heating it up, and then washing it out the next day. Did they change the formula, or is that still an option?
p.s. Stopped using it because I have a self-cleaning oven now, but I try to only clean it in the spring/summer/fall because it still stinks up the house without any chemicals at all!
nope — no heating mentioned, i think.
I spray quite a bit of water onto my oven, warm it up a bit and leave it sit for a couple hours before wiping it away. It does a pretty good job, although the inside of my oven is dark grey so that might help. For a natural, fume-less, easy method it works pretty well.
I use a pumice stone and it makes a world of difference!
Love your post! I also do not clean my oven very often (oops) however I have heard and seen something that may interest you. Like the tin foil wrapped around the elements while you clean place flat sheets over the bottom when ready to use again. That way all the drippings land on there and not the oven. Just pull out and toss (or recycle)! Easy and the bottom stays clean!
Once you get the bottom clean do try the silicon mat – works great for us!
I wonder how Bon Ami would work as an oven cleaner? Might go home tonight and give it a test.
I have a 1954 apartment sized oven, that I noticed the other day had a big chuck of burned something on the bottom. It is mint enough that it still has the #’s down the inside of the oven. As a matter of fact, the cooking suggestions on the drip trays from the cook top are still mint.
Anyway, is there some kind of directions for the water/vinegar/baking soda paste that was discussed earlier? I may give this a try, after I use the Nuclear version of Easy Off. We’ll see how it goes.
hi, stovebolt, i have continued to work on my oven. I took a box of baking soda, mixed it with water into a paste, then applied. I let it sit for like 3 days because… I get around to things when I get around to things. Took a lot off, but not the worst of it. I still quite like it and think I will just do this regularly because there is NO SMELL. i will try ammonia method next.
Oh and just re-read what Margaret said. i could have used vinegar to mx with the baking soda, instead of water. i might try this too…..
If you use the Easy Off Fume free and leave it on overnight or an extra day if you’re busy and forget (oops!) it works pretty awesome. Although my layers of ick weren’t too thick.
What about gas ovens? I’m scared to try ammonia or even oven cleaner in my gas oven, it’s 1950′s vintage which I’ve owned for 10 years and I’ve only spot cleaned it so far.
RE: Dow bathroom cleaner, no wonder it smells so bad now. I wrote to them asking why it smells so funky, then I noticed it says “citrus scent”, which it IS NOT citrusy smelling! They didn’t tell me why they changed the scent. I loved the original scent.
aye aye aye. i have electric. consult a pro — call the gas company!
Pat- I have a 1947 gas Wedgewood. I’ve used oven cleaners, no problem. I’m going to try some of these other less-toxic methods, though, starting with hot water and working up to ammonia if need be. Luckily the oven is pretty clean, but the previous owner never cleaned the underside of the range top, so it’s pretty glurky.
Pat,
What about CLR? I wonder how that would do?
Thanks BonzoGal. I think I’m going to try the ammonia, I’ve heard it works great. I really need to get it done! Maybe when my husband tears the stove apart to grease the valve I will get to it.
Don’t you just love “cooking with gas”? I had an electric stove for 2 years and I hated it. I was so glad to get back to a gas stove and you couldn’t pay me to own a new stove. I wish mine was a Wedgewood!
I’m feeling guilty, I think I need to clean my oven…gonna try the non-toxic baking soda thing.
Also, beware of using ammonia…my husband’s aunt was cleaning with that years ago and it burned out her sense of smell…never got it back!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour a few capfuls of ammonia into open baking tin filled w boiling water.
place in centre of oven,close door.
turn oven off,leave for 20 mins or so.
Open oven and wipe clean!-like magic -no bad fumes-other than teary eyes,if you take an eyefull of ammonia…
Hello! Love your site. I didn’t know where to really ask this question but I thought this would be the best place. I have acquired a General Electric J406P Range. It was stamped manufactured 1956. It is a white 40″ with a large and small oven with push button controls on the top. I would like to restore this myself and get it back into service. It will need re-chroming and I will have to send those parts away. The clock is missing that fits on top. I would love to find one but have looked and haven’t had any luck. I need to have the wiring checked out on it and the cord was so old it no longer works and needs replacement. I opened up the back panel and has all the original wires. How safe is this? I could switch out each wire individually to make it safer. What do you think? I have also noticed that the heating element is on some sort of hinge and I can prop it up for cleaning. When it is down the heating element rests directly on the floor of the oven. Is this normal? My newer 1999 model oven has little tabs that hold the element off the oven floor. Has anyone else restored an electric range? I am having a hard time finding much on electric ranges….there is a lot out there on gas ones though. I have pictures if anyone wants to see but I don’t know how to post them.
Jason
Jason, this is not a DIY site, but some readers have experience with this issue and shared thoughts on some resources in this post: http://retrorenovation.com/2011/08/29/parts-service-and-advice-to-fix-old-stoves-and-other-vintage-appliances-a-list-of-9-online-resources/ … Be sure to renovate safe, there can be vintage nastiness like lead and asbestos in old materials including in appliances, and of course as you have noted, electric issues… or more. Good luck. So glad you like the site!
I came here for this review and am now enjoying the rest of this site – wonderful! I have this bookmarked for future procrastination
However, I am thinking, since I am currently underemployed, that based on the above comments, I should start an oven cleaning business. I wonder what someone would pay for me to get their nasty oven sparkling clean LOL?