1 Introduction

Survey of chemical substances in cleaning products for ovens, cookers and ceramic cooktops

Cleaning products for ovens, cookers and ceramic cooktops constitute a small niche within the large variety of chemical products used in households. While, in recent years, focus has largely been on common cleaning agents and detergents, which as regards volume constitute the major part of the household products, cleaning agents for ovens, cookers and ceramic cooktops (below also called oven and cooktop cleaners) are a product group of which only little knowledge exists of their chemical composition and the potential impact on health and the environment associated with the use of the products.

Compared to more traditional cleaning agents, quite different demands are made to the efficiency of oven and cooktop cleaners, as it is often very greasy enamel or metal surfaces with burnt chunks that must be cleaned. It is thus characteristic of the products that they must have dissolving and degreasing effects. On the market, cleaning products for ovens, cookers and cooktops exist as aerosol products, liquid products, creams and gel products. In January 2005, the German consumer magazine Öko-test published a study of oven cleaners (”Backofenreiniger”), in which 14 products, mainly aerosols, were examined. It appears from this study that these products contain substances such as strong bases, solvents, surfactants, aerosol propellants and fragrances /1/.

Exposure of consumers to oven and cooktop cleaners mainly occurs by skin contact and/or by inhalation. When spray products are used, exposure will mainly occur by inhalation of aerosols. By use of liquid products, creams and gel products, exposure will occur by skin contact but also by inhalation while cleaning. Some oven and cooktop cleaners are used at very high oven temperatures, which results in increased evaporation and thus increased risk of inhalation, e.g. as regards bases and solvents. If the exposure to the chemical substances is combined with the actual cleaning process where the degree of smudge will often require especially thorough cleaning and where consumers are particularly exposed to inhalation of vapours and aerosols, oven and cooktop cleaners may be assumed to belong to the potentially more health hazardous cleaning products in the households.

There is thus a general need for building up publicly available knowledge of the chemistry of oven and cooktop cleaners and of the exposure of consumers to these products.