Pyrex everywhere

August 25, 2009 9:05 AM

I just had a Pyrex dish explode in my oven. (It happens, apparently.) I’ve removed all the pieces I can see, but undoubtedly there are shards that fell into cracks below. Is it okay to use the oven with those remnants in there? I don’t think I’ll be able to lift the oven over my head and shake it until everything falls out, so if it’s not okay to leave those shards in there, what can I do short of buying a new oven?
posted by ericc to home & garden (8 comments total)

I've had this happen to me. The glass, and the oven, were red hot, so I'm sure I didn't remove every bit of glass either. The oven was fine.
posted by Juliet Banana at 9:08 AM on August 25

Dustbuster?
posted by greta simone at 9:10 AM on August 25

Let it cool and try a vacuum with a long thin nozzle?
posted by NoraCharles at 9:10 AM on August 25

I did this too. I thought I got them all and my wife was brushing crumbs out of the door hinge and cut herself. Second the shop vac suggestion. Maybe rinse with water too.
posted by mecran01 at 9:12 AM on August 25 [1 favorite]

The only danger from the bits is that someone might discovery one later by cutting themself.

Sweep or vac it out. No need to lug a shop vac to the kitchen, a regular one will work. To avoid getting grease on the next thing you vacuum, just run the self-clean mode before or clean the nozzle with 409 after.
posted by Good Brain at 9:15 AM on August 25

Generally if its ok to cook in, it's ok (health wise) to leave in your oven.

Definitely vacuum several times when it's all dry, though. If you have a self cleaning oven I would clean and then vacuum just to avoid ruining the vacuum with food particles. Recently dropped a framed picture and it took like 2 months to finally get all the shards out, and that was on the floor.
posted by shownomercy at 9:17 AM on August 25

The only danger from the bits is that someone might discovery one later by cutting themself.

Even that danger is kinda minimal if it's done what my Pyrex did when it shattered, which was break into odd little gravel-like chunks that weren't super sharp. But do brush it out or clean it out with a vacuum. What would worry me is having a small small chunk that was perching on some odd internal ledge fall into the food and get ingested. I say this because shattering Pyrex doesn't just fall down - it;s pressurized glass, and when it does shatter, it literally explodes in all directions. So some glass is probably in the top parts of the stove too.
posted by Miko at 9:44 AM on August 25

as an aside - new pyrex explodes - old pyrex doesn't. replace your now shattered dish with milkglass pyrex piece from a thrift store.
posted by nadawi at 12:49 PM on August 25