Help: cleaning appliance knobs w/o removing paint

How do you clean the grease on and around oven dials without
removing the paint on the knobs that shows the degree marks?

Someone suggested rubbing alcohol, but there must be another
cleaning solution that will work. Any ideas will be greatly
appreciated!

-Al

"Al Cunniff" <acunniff@erols.com> wrote in message
news:acunniff-F38718.21284912112003@reader1.news.rcn.net...
> How do you clean the grease on and around oven dials without
> removing the paint on the knobs that shows the degree marks?
>
> Someone suggested rubbing alcohol, but there must be another
> cleaning solution that will work. Any ideas will be greatly
> appreciated!
>

Steam works great for this type of cleaning job.

On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 21:28:49 -0500, Al Cunniff <acunniff@erols.com>
wrote:

>How do you clean the grease on and around oven dials without
>removing the paint on the knobs that shows the degree marks?
>
>Someone suggested rubbing alcohol, but there must be another
>cleaning solution that will work. Any ideas will be greatly
>appreciated!
>
>-Al

Try a small dab of petroleum jelly on a rag and gently rub to loosen
the grease. Then clean the knobs on your oven with a little dish
detergent and another damp rag. But, if the numbers or lettering have
worn away, you may opt to replace the knobs (they could be expensive
to replace).

"Phisherman" <nobody@noone.com> wrote in message
news:vo17rv0vomlurhg0aofhakfl1hdbd5ek91@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 21:28:49 -0500, Al Cunniff <acunniff@erols.com>
> wrote:
>
> >How do you clean the grease on and around oven dials without
> >removing the paint on the knobs that shows the degree marks?
> >
> >Someone suggested rubbing alcohol, but there must be another
> >cleaning solution that will work. Any ideas will be greatly
> >appreciated!
> >
> >-Al
>
> Try a small dab of petroleum jelly on a rag and gently rub to loosen
> the grease. Then clean the knobs on your oven with a little dish
> detergent and another damp rag. But, if the numbers or lettering have
> worn away, you may opt to replace the knobs (they could be expensive
> to replace).

Home Depot has a small section of appliance replacement parts, including
knobs. They aren't very expense, but an exact replacement part may be. You
can look at www.repairclinic.com to search for OEM replacement parts. I
have used them several times and they are quite reliable.

In article <57Csb.3993$kL2.3316@fe3.columbus.rr.com>,
"Vox Humana" <vhumana@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Steam works great for this type of cleaning job.

How does one clean the front of a stove with steam?
-Al

"Al Cunniff" <acunniff@erols.com> wrote in message
news:acunniff-0DFFB2.21453113112003@reader1.news.rcn.net...
> In article <57Csb.3993$kL2.3316@fe3.columbus.rr.com>,
> "Vox Humana" <vhumana@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Steam works great for this type of cleaning job.
>
> How does one clean the front of a stove with steam?
> -Al

With a steam cleaner like this:
http://www.qvc.com/asp/frameset.asp?aol_refer=false&msn_refer=false&nest= http://www.qvc.com/scripts/detail.dll?item=V17220!tpl=DETAIL!ref=GOG&ref=GOG

They work great for cleaning all sorts of hard to reach places and for
things that you don't want to immerse. I use mine for cleaning the controls
on my appliances and in corners and angles where surfaces meet. The steam
dissolves the crud without having to scrub and is especially good for
surfaces that would scratch.

On Thu, 13 Nov 2003 13:39:04 GMT, Phisherman <nobody@noone.com> wrote:

>On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 21:28:49 -0500, Al Cunniff <acunniff@erols.com>
>wrote:
>
>>How do you clean the grease on and around oven dials without
>>removing the paint on the knobs that shows the degree marks?

>Try a small dab of petroleum jelly on a rag and gently rub to loosen
>the grease. Then clean the knobs on your oven with a little dish
>detergent and another damp rag. But, if the numbers or lettering have
>worn away, you may opt to replace the knobs (they could be expensive
>to replace).

You got *that* right. An appliance specialty shop quoted about $8/each
for my no-name stove. The burner knobs 'click' for low, med, hi, and
given an analog dial and flakey thermostat for the oven, I'd rather
have some generics I could scribe or paint after determining approx.
where 350F *was*.

How do you clean the grease on and around oven dials without
>>removing the paint on the knobs that shows the degree marks

My simple answer.........Mr Clean Erasers.

I haven't tried it on grease yet, but they seem to clean so many different
surfaces with little effort.

ttfn
patty

Commit yourself to constant self-improvement