Ovens are one of those kitchen appliances that are capable of filming a culinary crime scene quickly. One of the most underrated jobs is oven cleaning. It’s super easy to ignore – just close the door – but it has a terrible impact. Months can go by before fully realizing the horror of the situation – and then you’ll be faced with layers of grease and grime that are hard to bake. You want to buy one of these all-purpose oven cleaners to leave overnight, but the chemical fumes warnings may not be appropriate.
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The dangers of a dirty oven
Failure to clean the oven regularly will not only make it look uncomfortable and old, but it can also be a health hazard. Over time, grease and food residue build up inside, and spilled food turns into cooked carbon monoxide that can be dangerous to your health.
Fire hazard: Cooking at high temperatures with old food debris stuck to the inside of the oven can become a serious fire hazard. Grease and food residue often cling to metal trays, grills, racks, heaters, and bottoms of the oven. If you use a dirty oven, debris will continue to burn and can lead to a fire accident. It can also expose the oven and kitchen to dense smoke that spoils the food you’re cooking.
Raw food: The dirt inside the oven can reduce the performance of the appliance. It can prevent the oven’s heat source from heating up thoroughly, resulting in undercooked food. This can be very dangerous in the case of cooking meat or fish as it can lead to food poisoning.
Bad smell: As mentioned above, repeatedly cooking dirty grease will leave an unpleasant smell in the kitchen and eventually your whole house. However, deep cleaning your oven regularly will prevent this from happening. Keeping the oven free of grease and dirt will also prolong the life of your appliance.
Not sure how to clean your oven or even where to start? There is a more natural way to get things done. Just follow our 8-step guide and after five minutes (plus soaking time) you’ll have a sparkling, ready-to-use device again.
1. Make sure your oven is off and cool
Before you start scrubbing away dirt and leftovers, start by wiping down the oven racks.
2. Mix your cleaning solution with baking soda and water
A cleaning tip is to use a solution made of baking soda and water.
You need baking soda, water, white vinegar, a damp dishcloth, rubber gloves, and a spray bottle.
Ammonia can also be used as a great substitute for baking soda.
Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water in a bowl until you have a paste-like substance.
3. Oven cleaning glue
Spread your homemade mixture all over the inside of the oven. Use your rubber gloves to do this if your oven is particularly dirty. If the mixture turns brown, this is normal.
Make sure you’ve covered all parts of the oven before that – including the glass door.
4. Leave it overnight
Leave the baking soda solution in the oven for 12 hours (or overnight). In the meantime, you should take this time to thoroughly clean the racks.
5. Clean the oven
After your oven has spent 12 hours (or overnight) in the baking soda solution, wipe the inside with a damp cloth as much as possible. You can use a spatula to scrape away the baking soda in hard-to-reach places.
6. Vinegar spray
Spray some white vinegar inside of the oven. When the vinegar reacts with the baking soda solution, it will start to foam – this is normal.
7. Clean the oven one last time
Wiping down every nook and cranny to make sure any remaining baking soda residue is removed. Spray more vinegar to make sure it’s 100% clean.
8. Replace the oven racks
Once the inside of the oven has been cleaned and completely dry, wipe the oven racks and put them back inside. Then hey presto! Your oven will be clean and ready to use again.
How often should you clean your oven?
Likewise, regular cleaning means less cleaning in the future, and the more you maintain the oven, the easier the cleanup process will be. In addition to making housework easier, a clean oven also makes food tastier and germ-free. Paul Bristow, executive director of integrated cooking at GE Appliances, recommends cleaning your oven at least every three to six months, or more often as needed. You should also clean the spot throughout the month.
How to clean the oven shelves?
Ron Shimek, president of Mr. Whatever type of oven you use, the best way to clean metal racks is to take them out of the oven and soak them in boiling water with a little dishwasher detergent, Appliance says. The bathtub may be a good place to soak the oven rack, although you’ll want to wash the bathtub afterward. After soaking for two hours, scrub the container with a stiff brush, rinse, and dry. before returning them to the oven.
Instead of boiling water, you can also use a mixture of baking soda and water with vinegar spray. It’s important to leave it on long enough for the ingredients to do their job so scrubbing is minimal.
If you have ceramic racks instead of metal, Bristow says you can leave them in the oven while using the self-cleaning cycle. If you’re lucky, your oven might even have a steam cleaning choice to quickly affect food spills on the rack. This cycle requires much lower heat than the traditional self-cleaning process.
How to clean oven knobs
Don’t spray the oven knobs directly with household cleaners, liquids can be behind buttons, switches, and control panels. Instead, spray a rag with a cleaning solution and then rub the controls to prevent shorting.
Closeup on woman’s hands in yellow protective rubber gloves cleaning oven with rag
How to clean the oven window?
The oven glass door requires a gentler approach than the rack because the glass is more prone to scratches. That means skipping abrasive products and employing a less aggressive scrubbing technique.
“To clean oven door glass without scratching it, you can mix baking soda and water. Spread the mixture over a glass and let it sit for 20 minutes or more,” says Samson. Wipe the mixture off with a microfiber cloth then rinse thoroughly with water, dry polish and we finish.
Alternatively, you can scrub with soapy water or oven cleaner. To get the job done, use a standard glass cleaner or a little diluted vinegar and a soft cloth for extra shine.
Sometimes the oven glass door is composed of two pieces of glass, which can lead to the accumulation of debris, dirt, or grease stains over time. This is something you can clean up easily, although it does require a few extra steps.
Here are some tips on how to clean your oven to keep it looking like new. Do you know any other secret tips, share them with kababeque.net!
