BEST cleaning solvent and tool for inside Hood and grill box?? Oven cleaner??


 
If you look in the background in my picture you'll see the grey Lid off my 5000.The inside of the lid appears to have the typical grease layer that is almost like peeling paint in sections and baked on grease in others. It appears to never have been touched.

I have several cleaners on hand and might do a test on several different sections when I get bored this Fall/Winter to see which tackle the cleanup best.

Jeff
 
Jeff MA said:
Dave, Are you using the DPD correctly?
Click to expand...

I have used it just as you have, but I am not getting anything close to the results that you show.
I can clean a hood w/ the best of them a number of ways, but I have never used a chemical or
a grinder that got the end caps that shiny.
 
I used the Dawn product after getting a two bottle set in Amazon. I gave it several hours on a TEC grill 304 stainless hood and some other stainless parts. It did very well, though not everything came off. I am undecided as of yet whether it is worth the high price, but I plan to try it again on my upcoming Weber projects.
 
Dawn Power Dissolver is different a different animal than Oven Cleaner.

Where you spray on oven cleaner and let it sit for hours, even overnight for tough stuff, this is not the case for DPD.
I tried it several different ways and the best results come from letting it sit anywhere from 10-40 minutes, lightly scrape off the grease and hitting it with a strong stream of water.Some jobs require a couple applications following the same routine.


Letting it sit longer than 45 minutes on baked on grease the just seems to resolidify and make it harder to remove.

Jeff
 
I picked up the new cleaner from Sam's Club yesterday, and I bought 3 used kettles. Plus I am swapping another out of an SSP this morning. I am going to do a little bit of experimenting with the Sam's, the DPD, Andrew some cheap a!! Walmart oven cleaner and will try to post my results tonight or tomorrow.
 
Jeff MA said:
Dawn Power Dissolver is different a different animal than Oven Cleaner.

Where you spray on oven cleaner and let it sit for hours, even overnight for tough stuff, this is not the case for DPD.
I tried it several different ways and the best results come from letting it sit anywhere from 10-40 minutes, lightly scrape off the grease and hitting it with a strong stream of water.Some jobs require a couple applications following the same routine.


Letting it sit longer than 45 minutes on baked on grease the just seems to resolidify and make it harder to remove.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Jeff,
Thanks for the tip! I will try that method next time and report back.
 
Jeff MA said:
Dave,
I too am curious as to your results.

Jeff
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well guys...heres my report!! As a WEBER restoration "purist" I try to keep my projects as much to original spec., and naturally worn as possible..so..i have NEVER completed cleaned a grill hood/box spotless. per recommendations on my thread, I chose to use Easy Off Heavy Duty for my 85' Gen Jr. hood. I got this grill from a Grandma is Mesa, AZ and i don't think it was EVER cleaned!! Per Jeff, he is right. I found that only after 10-15min. ALL gunk was ready to be cleaned off w/ a razor blade stubby scraper, shop towels, paper towels, and screw driver for tight spots. I did have to reapply for certain more gunked areas, but most came off w/ 1 application. I then rinsed w/ hose, cleaned again 2x w/ soap/water and scotch pad. Turned out sweet!! I don't think quite as shiny as Jeff's--because I didn't completely disassemble hood pieces which I'll try next time--and again, as a purist, I don't mind a little bit of minor dirt in the hard to reach areas--it adds history!! I also used the Easy Off on my grill box bottom tray and now GOOD AS NEW!! Thanks to all for help w/ this!!



 
My full side by side test was derailed for the most part today.
I was going to start the project right after lunch but 3 WSM's
that were each $100 underpriced popped up on mp and CL.
Needless to say, I was off like the wind. I did manage to do
a quickie test on a kettle when I got home. The Dawn, Sams,
and Oven cleaner all seemed to have equally successful results.
I am going to redirect this experiment, and focus on what they will
do on an older Silver B. They are always much more difficult to
clean than kettles anyway.
 
Just a quick tip. Never use a ScothBrite pad on the porcelain. It leaves horrible fine scratches in the surface and makes it even harder to clean. Ask me how I know :D
 
LMichaels said:
Just a quick tip. Never use a ScothBrite pad on the porcelain. It leaves horrible fine scratches in the surface and makes it even harder to clean. Ask me how I know :D
Click to expand...

what happened? i've used scotchbrite (non scratch pads) and steel wool.fine grade 0000 with no problems on my hoods, bottom trays and catch pans w/ no issues? once I got burned w/ some fine sand paper....220 grit...
 
I am not sure, but I believe I have used the green "scratchy" pads on my lids without a problem. But my go to is steel wool.
 
ScotchBrite pads will leave scratches in even porcelain. I don't understand how/why plastic can scratch it but believe me it does and badly. Oddly steel wool does not. BTW you can prove this to yourself. Find an old piece of window glass and scrub away. Than do the same with fine steel wool and no scratch. Go figure
 
MarkSiebel said:
what happened? i've used scotchbrite (non scratch pads) and steel wool.fine grade 0000 with no problems on my hoods, bottom trays and catch pans w/ no issues? once I got burned w/ some fine sand paper....220 grit...
Click to expand...

I have not tried Larry's experiment, but I do know that you can't go wrong with 0000 steel wool. With Simple Green or another good cleaner, you can do some miracles on porcelain covered hoods, control panels and kettle grills.
 
I was out of Simple Green but, had a big jug of Windex and to tell the truth, I think the Windex might have been the easiest clean I’ve ever gotten! 4x0 steel wool followed by a final polish with Windex and paper towel! I’d used a plastic putty knife for the “flakes” then sprayed it down, took a break to let it work a little then started with the wool.
Worked very nicely but, the restore was for me not, for profit.
The next one...who knows?
 
I like to use Window cleaner for the final polish also. Windshield washer fluid is dirt cheap.
It may be worth experimenting with soaking something in that stuff.

UPDATE on the Sams Club Cleaner ....

https://scene7.samsclub.com/is/image/samsclub/0007874202940_A?wid=1500&hei=1500&fmt=jpg&qlt=80

I am really liking this stuff. About $5 worth and a good power washing has 3 WSM's shining like new.
They have that 3 pack at my local Sam's for $9. I am going back this weekend and buying another
12 bottles.
 
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Dave,
Thanks for checking out and reporting on the Sams stuff. That looks like a high value alternative especially when you have a stack of projects. I plan to look for it at Sams.
Jon
 
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