AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Conventional oven cleaners are based on caustic soda. It has generally been considered necessary to use a caustic alkali in order to effectively saponify the fats in the baked on material in order to enable its removal. A few oven cleaners have been based on solvents, acetate salts, amines or ammonia.

Detailed explanation-2: -Sodium hydroxide, widely known as caustic soda or lye is a white solid, and it is one of the strongest bases used for cleaning. The substance is the active ingredient in most drain and oven cleaning products.

Detailed explanation-3: -Many cleaning products, such as soap and oven cleaner, are bases. Bases neutralize (cancel out) acids. Alkalis are bases that dissolve in water. Strong bases, such bleach, are corrosive and burn skin.

Detailed explanation-4: -Many people are unaware of the toxic chemical that is so often found in domestic oven cleaning products – sodium hydroxide. This is a very common oven cleaner chemical and is more commonly referred to as caustic soda.