A lot of people know about the science-fair experiment of dissolving hamburger in Coca Cola. The phosphoric acid in the drink dissolves the meat.
I was thinking of this experiment as I regarded our grimey stovetop yesterday. It’s a gas stove, with kind of a donut-shaped “pan” under each burner that catches all kinds of drippings. Well, the most frequently-used donut has caked-on Og-knows-what. Loads of other cleaners and scrubbing pads have made only a minor dent in the grime.
So … this morning, I filled the donuts with Coke and left for work. I’ll check out the results when I get home.
Can Coca-Cola* dissolve this presumably protein-based grime the same way it dissolves hamburger? If this proves to be ineffective, what is the best way to clean up such grime? Trying to avoid oven cleaner, as it seems risky to use in the house with two small kids.
** - we’re actually using Diet Coke to avoid any potential stickiness from leftover corn syrup.*
Snopes Cokelore. Coke contains very little phosphoric acid.
As a 40+ year veteran of cleaning stoves, I’m here to tell you that any liquid left to soak in those burner pans for an entire day will have the effect of soaking off the accumulated crud; there’s nothing magical about Coke.
If it’s still not soft enough to remove when you get home tonight, you can soak them overnight in the sink, bathtub, or a Rubbermaid plastic box, wherever they’ll fit so as to completely immerse the relevant part, and add a half-cup or so of straight household ammonia to the water. This will emit fumes, so do it somewhere away from people and pets.
If that doesn’t work, then you go down to the hardware store and ask them for some trisodium phosphate, and you mix it and use it according to directions.
NOTE: do NOT use a steel wool or Brillo/SOS pad on them, you will scratch the porcelain coating.
ETA: no matter what you use to soak, it’s still going to take elbow grease to get it off, once the ammonia or TSP has softened it. Even oven cleaner in my experience requires elbow grease to augment its powers, when you’re dealing with heavy layers of stove crud.
Unfortunately, the donuts are not easily removable for such soaking – I’d have to disconnect the igniters and such. I’m trying to clean them in situ.
I did read the Coke piece on Snopes … but it didn’t seem to suggest that the phosphoric acid within wouldn’t work at all – just that it might take longer than I was thinking.
FWIW, our new heavy-duty built-in griddle’s owner’s manual (or was it the salesman?) suggests using club soda on a slightly warm griddle for cleaning. It works very well; no detergent or soaking needed. This is for a relatively light buildup, so I doubt it would work for the OP, but just attesting to the cleaning power of carbonated water.
Dunno … seemed logical to me. I didn’t think fat would get that hard and crusty. I suppose carbohydrate-based grime could, though (thinking of burnt sugar, burnt rice on the bottom of a pot, etc.).
I’ve had good luck with those “Magic Eraser” sponges at getting the carbonized stuff off my burner pans.
Failing that, head to a restaurant supply shop, and they have cleaning products designed specifically for getting carbonized gunk off pots and pans, stoves and griddles. One of the popular brands is “Carbon Off” and it’s safe to use on just about anything except black-anodized aluminum such as Calphalon.
I’ve had more success than I thought possible with Dawn Power Dissolver AND the generic equivalents you can sometimes find in your local 99 cent store.
That looks like just the right stuff … thanks! Having a look at the Carbon Off website … they have products that will help us reclaim all those carboned-up cookie sheets that we end up throwing away after a few months (yes, we never clean up right after cooking/baking :o ).