A "Safer" (yes it does contain lye) product is the original "yellow top" Easy Off oven cleaner you can spray it and leave it on for hours and it won't eat the aluminum, Draino (if you can find it has a big amount of lye in it or even lye mixed with water) WILL eat the crap out of aluminum if left in too long. I've left Easy off on with parts in a plastic bag for a day just to get the harder anodizing off.