Cleaning the oven has to be among the worst chores in any home. As it is so arduous, people often leave it for far too long and this can lead to grease and grime being repeatedly baked on to the oven and becoming harder to remove. When you do finally tackle the task of oven cleaning, it’s tempting to just drench it with as many cleaning products as possible – but this can lead to even more trouble.
Ecem Uslubaş, senior product manager for cooking at Hotpoint said that sometimes the urge to deep clean the oven can lead to people damaging their appliances without noticing. Ecem explained: “Aiming a spray bottle straight at the controls can allow liquid to seep behind buttons or dials, which may affect how they function.
“It’s worth applying the product to a cloth first, rather than spraying directly onto the panel. This gives you the same cleaning result with far less risk of moisture getting where it shouldn’t.”
It’s also a good idea to keep in mind that some surfaces in the oven are more susceptible to damage than others.
Ecem said: “Enamel, glass and stainless steel all respond differently to abrasive materials.
“A sponge tough enough for baked on food can leave fine scratches on glass or dull the finish on stainless steel over time. Keeping a softer cloth aside for delicate surfaces and reserving anything abrasive for tougher, more durable areas helps each part keep its finish for longer.”
Rather than coating your oven with chemicals and scrubbing it with rough steel wool scourers, a natural cleaning method can give the same or even better results. Even better, there’s no rank chemical smell or residual nasties lingering when you use natural cleaning methods.
According to home making blog thekitchn.com, one of the best ways to clean your oven is by using a baking soda paste combined with a spritz of white vinegar.
It might take a little more elbow grease and extra time, but it will leave your oven gleaming like new without any harsh chemicals.
How to naturally clean your oven
Create a paste out of baking soda and a splash of water and coat your oven with it. Make sure the paste covers all the baked on grease and grime
Let this sit for at least 12 hours then use a clean damp cloth to wipe off the baking soda.
A silicone spatula might help you to remove some of the more affixed baking soda paste.
After you have wiped out the baking soda, use a spray bottle with a little bit of white vinegar in it and spray it throughout the oven.
The baking soda remnants will fizz up, and then you can use the same damp cloth and wipe off the remaining vinegar baking soda mixture.
