Cleaning Soot from oven opening

[Derkp]

Hi All,

Does anyone have a tried and proven soot removal strategy for removing that annoying soot stain on the front of my oven? It is on a marble keystone, mortar and bricks.

I need to perfect my fire building skills to reduce it in the future.

Thanks,

Derk

[Tscarborough]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

TriSodiumPhosphate.

[Derkp]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

Thanks, Tom

Does TSP take elbow grease or is it more like the etch and clean phosphoric acid?

Hope all is well with you and yours
D.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

No it it takes just a little effort. You can get it at paint stores, or make your own equivalent with laundry detergent and bleach. Take about 1/2 cup detergent, 1/4 cup bleach and mix into a full gallon of water. Hose down the entire area, then brush apply the mix, let it sit for a few, and scrub it out. Rinse entire area thoroughly. I would plug up the outer arch with something first though.

The family is doing better than I could hope for, as I hope are yours.

Oh yeah, as an FYI acids have no effect on carbon, i.e. soot. You need surfactants more than anything else.

[Derkp]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

It does not sound hard at all, I don't have that much soot but I am not as good as my 17 year old at firebuilding, so he says.

Thanks again for all the help and advice over the last 8 months or so. The weekend is coming, time to fire it up!!!

D

[sjmeff]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

I've had good luck with "fireplace cleaner". Takes almost no effort: spray it on and rinse it off.

fireplace cleaner imperial manufacturing - Google Product Search

[Tscarborough]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

That is pretty much the same thing at a high price. A detergent high in surfactants. I sell the same type thing, ProSoCo Fireplace cleaner, for about 12 bucks a quart, or you can make your own for 2 pennies.

[ThermoJax]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

the TSP advice makes sense, especially when compared to the current automatic dishwasher detergent removal of phosphates to protect our waterways. Unfortunately, the removal of phosphates means that cascade and other products no longer work like they used to. The dishes come out dirty and with a film.

On the other hand, you could add 2 T of TSP to your dishwasher, and all will be well again. Apparently, phosphates do a great job of grabbing onto dirt, so that the other chemicals can then do their job.

I asked one of my buddies about cleaning that soot, but he said "why do it, it's just gonna come right back"

[brickie in oz]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

Napisan is a great all round cleaner, its excellent for cleaning timber decks and bringing them back like new.

I havent tried it on the soot though.

[Neil2]

Re: Cleaning Soot from oven opening

Or you can leave the soot there.

All the commercial ovens in Sicily and Italy that I saw had soot on the face. I don't think it looks bad myself.