Easy-Off Heavy-Duty vs Fume Free | What’s the Difference?

Easy-Off is a powerful cleaner that’s proficient at cutting through tough grease, oil, caked-on food residue, and similar messes. This product makes cleaning your oven a breeze and practically eliminates the need to put in some elbow grease. But, when it comes to their Heavy-Duty vs Fume Free products, what’s the difference?

The difference between these two products is their ingredients. The original Heavy-Duty formula contains more harsh chemicals that emit powerful fumes and VOCs. The Fume Free version is still an effective oven cleaner, but it uses a different chemical composition to eliminate those unpleasant fumes.

Are you struggling to decide between Easy-Off Heavy-Duty and Fume Free? Well, you’re in the right place because we’re going to do a detailed review of each product so you can understand the difference between the two. Read on to learn about these two cleaners so you can choose the best one for you!

History of Easy-Off

Easy-Off was invented in 1932 by Herbert McCool. This gentleman was working as an electrician at this time and invented the very first Easy-Off product in his spare time. McCool began selling Easy-Off around his neighborhood during the Great Depression, then sadly passed away in 1946.

Following McCool’s death, his widow Doris moved to Quebec and continued manufacturing the product out of her garage. She began selling Easy-Off in major stores in Quebec and surrounding areas.

However, in 1954 she sold the rights to this product to American Home Products after visiting a trade store. The product was again sold in the 1990s and is now produced by Reckitt Benckiser.

What’s The Difference Between Easy-Off Heavy-Duty and Fume Free?

The difference between these two products is their chemical compositions. Easy-Off Heavy-Duty and Fume Free both deliver the same results- eliminating tough messes to leave you with a clean oven. However, the way they achieve those results is slightly different.

The Fume Free product doesn’t emit any harsh fumes. It also requires more wait time than Easy-Off Heavy-Duty formula, but we’ll get into that further in this guide.

Easy Off Heavy-Duty vs Fume Free

The best way to compare these two products is by doing a detailed review of each. Let’s dive right in!

Easy-Off Heavy-Duty

The Heavy-Duty formula easily cuts through tough grease, oil, and left behind food to make cleaning your oven even easier! This formula will clean your warm or cold oven in as little as 20 minutes.

The Heavy-Duty oven cleaner is perfect for daily spot-cleaning and occasional deep cleans. It’s ideal for cleaning your oven & oven door, broilers & broiler pans, barbecue grills, and stainless steel surfaces. It delivers a pleasant, fresh scent with every clean!

Easy-Off Fume Free

The Fume Free formula is perfect for spot cleaning and everyday use, as well as the occasional deep clean. This product contains all the power of their Heavy-Duty formula and is able to eliminate tough grease, oil, and baked-on foods without releasing caustic fumes. You can use this on your oven & oven door, broilers & broiler pans, barbecue grills, stainless steel surfaces, and self-cleaning ovens!

This formula will get your cold or warm oven clean in as little as 40 minutes. No protective gloves are required while using this product, and it delivers a fresh, lemon scent with every clean.

So, now that we’ve reviewed each product in detail, let’s break down their smallest differences and similarities.

Differences

• Easy-Off Fume Free has a lemon scent, while the Heavy-Duty version has a ‘fresh’ scent
• The Fume Free version doesn’t release caustic fumes
• You don’t need protective gloves while working with Easy-Off Fume Free
• Only the Fume Free formula is advertised as being safe to use on self-cleaning ovens
• Easy-Off Heavy-Duty cleans your oven in as little as 20 minutes, while the Fume Free version takes 40 minutes

Similarities

• Both eliminate grease, oil, and baked-on food residues
• Both are safe to use on the same surfaces/materials
• Both are perfect for daily spot cleaning and occasional deep cleaning

Now that we have a feel for what each product offers, let’s get into some more specific comparison questions.

Which is More Affordable?

Despite their differing ingredients, Easy-Off Heavy-Duty and Fume Free actually cost the same! Both products are listed at the same price point, which makes determining which is the better product even easier.

You don’t have to worry about which gives you a better deal with these two products. They’re both sold in the same size, and have the same price.

Do They Both Remove The Same Messes?

Easy-Off Heavy-Duty and Fume Free are both able to remove tough, baked-on grease and spills. They’re both effective oven cleaners that work well to eliminate the same tough messes.

However, another notable difference between these two products is that only the Fume Free version is suitable for use with self-cleaning ovens. The Heavy-Duty formula is not advertised as being safe to use on self-cleaning ovens.

While they do remove the same messes, they don’t work on the same timeline. The Heavy-Duty formula can clean your oven while cold in 20 minutes. However, the Fume Free formula takes 40 minutes. If you’re looking for a cleaner that acts quickly, then you’d probably be more satisfied with Easy-Off Heavy-Duty.

What Are Their Ingredients?

Let’s compare the ingredients found in each to see how their formulas differ. Here are the ingredients found in Easy-Off Heavy-Duty.

• Water
• Butane
• Sodium Hydroxide
• Dipropylene Glycol Propyl Ether
• Ehtanolamine
• Benzyl Alcohol
• Smectite Clay
• Paraffin Wax
• Fragrance

Now, let’s take a look at the ingredients in their Fume Free product.

• Water
• Dipropylene Glycol Propyl Ether
• Isobutane
• Potassium Carbonate
• Ethanolamine
• Benzyl Alcohol
• Smectite Clay
• Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
• Paraffin Wax
• Fragrance

As you can see, their ingredients are mostly similar, but with a few noticeable differences. The Fume Free cleaner has more surfactants than the Heavy-Duty formula, which is what allows it to deliver the same cleaning power without emitting harsh fumes.

Is Fume Free Less Toxic Than Heavy-Duty?

According to their Safety Data Sheets, Easy-Off Heavy-Duty and Fume Free have the same levels of toxicity. They each contain equal amounts of certain compounds, such as 2-ethanol, which can be a skin irritant.

Both products have hazard warnings on their labels to indicate their levels of toxicity. Easy-Off Heavy-Duty and Fume Free should be handled with care, and only used as directed.

Can You Leave Both Easy-Off Products On Overnight?

Ovens that haven’t been properly kept up can become extremely hard to clean. Baked on grease, food particles, and other residues can cling to the interior of your oven and become incredibly difficult to remove.

One solution is to leave Easy-Off in your oven overnight. This gives it several hours to penetrate through the mess, so when you return the following morning, it’s easy to simply wipe clean.

Both the Easy-Off Heavy Duty and Fume Free formulas are safe to leave on your oven overnight. They won’t damage your oven and will work well to eat away at the mess in your oven so you can easily wipe it clean the following morning.

The Verdict – Which Easy-Off Option Is Better?

We’ve taken a good look at the similarities and differences between Easy-Off Heavy-Duty and Fume Free. They both eliminate the same messes, work well on the same surfaces, and have the same price points.

However, Easy-Off Fume Free delivers all the cleaning power of the Heavy-Duty formula without emitting caustic fumes. It’s also safe to use on self-cleaning ovens, while the Heavy-Duty formula is not. You don’t need to wear gloves when cleaning with Fume Free.

So, in the debate between Easy-Off Heavy-Duty vs Fume Free, it’s clear that Fume Free is the better option. It may take a bit longer to clean your oven, but you don’t have to worry about caustic fumes or wearing protective gloves. When you need a safer oven cleaner that’s still powerful enough to cut through tough messes, you should go with Easy-Off Fume Free!