Melted plastic in oven...questions

[Pam]

I melted some hard plastic trays and ziplock containers in my oven when I forgot that I stuck them in there to hide them.

The oven's a self-cleaning electric oven. I've managed to get the plastic off of most of the silverware and plates that were in them. I don't want any more toxic fumes in my house, so here are my questions:

1. How can I get the plastic off of the bottom of the oven without heating it up again? What about a few pieces of silverware?

2. Is it safe to use the racks again if I get all of the plastic off of them or should I invest in new ones? Can I buy new racks?

3. What about the oven...is it safe?

Thanks for your help.


Update...I got the plastic out of the oven easily thanks to the teflon. The racks are almost clean. Should I get a new element though? It's melted around it and I'm unsure about the toxic fumes. Should I invest in a new element?

Thanks.

[Dan O.]

I have no idea of the makeup of the plastic in question so could not comment on its fumes being toxic or safe.

I would imagine that until all the plastic has been removed from the parts, there will always be some amount of fumes when in use which might affect the food being cooked, even if just by smell or taste. The only options I can think of is to clean the parts adequately, burn off any residual or replace the affected parts. I do not know of any specific way to clean the oven liner.

** Can I buy new racks? **

Maybe... but that will depend on the exact make and model number of the appliance in question. You can find tips on where to locate the appliance's identification tag in the 'Repair Parts' section of my web site linked below.

Dan O.
www.Appliance411.com
The Appliance Information Site
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