Tackling oven cleaning can feel overwhelming, especially without the proper tools at your disposal. While white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda are often championed by cleaning experts as the ultimate weapons against oven grime, one woman has uncovered a natural substitute that she insists “worked better” – and fellow cleaning fanatics are in agreement.
Becca Dwyer shared her discovery on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips and Tricks Facebook group, posting an image of her mother’s oven glass door, which was smothered in a thick, dark brown coating of grease. She revealed her secret to achieving a “sparkling” result after attempting countless other approaches. She explained: “Hi. This is the glass from my mother’s oven door I was cleaning her oven today as she can’t bend down.
“I’ve tried Pink Stuff paste, Elbow Grease cream, dishwasher tablet, aerial pod also baking soda and vinegar but nothing shifted it.”
The internet is flooded with suggestions promoting a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and vinegar for oven cleaning, yet this combination proves inadequate when confronting persistent oven glass marks, reports the Express.
Becca, nevertheless, chose a different strategy. She said: “Someone then suggested soda crystals to me and it worked so much better than anything I’ve tried. It’s now sparkling.”
Dri-Pak specialists have similarly questioned the efficacy of the widely-used bicarbonate of soda and vinegar blend. They stated: “One thing that isn’t really the best solution, despite lots of internet tips, is to use bicarbonate of soda and then add white vinegar.
“The effect will be reduced because the acid white vinegar is neutralising the alkalinity of the baking soda and it’s that that dissolves the grease.”
Instead, they recommend opting for soda crystals. They elaborated: “Soda crystals are excellent for dissolving grease and working on stubborn, burnt-on food.”
For a deep clean, create a powerful soda crystal mixture or liberally apply liquid soda crystals directly to the oven door and interior.
Let the soda crystals sit and do their work for at least 20 minutes before you start cleaning the oven.
If any stubborn stains remain, repeat the process or use dry soda crystals as a scouring agent, scrubbing with a cloth.
You can find soda crystals easily online or at your local supermarket, with Asda offering a 1KG bag for a mere £2.
Another environmentally friendly method for sprucing up oven door glass involves lemons, with one cleaning guru completely abandoning commercial cleaners in favour of this natural citrus alternative.
