The thought of cleaning the oven is enough to fill anyone with dread, especially if you’ve left the mess to build up for a while.
Burnt-on food stains, oil and grease can be a nightmare to get rid of on pots and pans too, often requiring endless scrubbing that can sometimes take hours to complete.
So if it’s time for you to tackle this job but you’re keen to find an easier way to do it, then you’ll want to hold on to one very common kitchen scrap instead of throwing it in the bin.
TikToker @homewithlese, who has built up more than 50,000 followers thanks to her easy cleaning hacks, hailed this little-known oven cleaning trick that works naturally to blast those burnt-on grease stains.
People in the comments have described it as ‘genius’, and it’s so simple and affordable to carry out as well.
She has urged people to keep hold of their egg shells instead of putting them in the bin, as they can act as a natural oven cleaner. With a few simple steps and a couple of extra ingredients, you’ll soon have an excellent concoction for blasting those grease stains.
The pro explained: “Egg shells are rich in calcium which is good for the bones and also good for removing burnt grease.”
All you need to do is grab your egg shells – you’ll need around 20, so start collecting them now – and give them a good wash before spreading them out on a baking tray.
Then, bake them for around 20 minutes at 180C, which will help you to crush them up much easier.
When the shells are out of the oven, pop them in a blender and grind them up into a fine powder. Mix in one spoonful of bicarbonate of soda, and then it’s time to put the trick to work.
Using a scrubbing brush on the bottom of a dirty, greasy pan, the cleaning pro worked in the paste with a little water in circular motions before wiping off the residue with a clean cloth.
One side of the pan was soon gleaming and looked like new, compared to the other half which was still covered in those stubborn stains.
This combo can also be used to clean the hob, oven or anywhere else that you’ve spotted food stains. But as well as this, egg shells are also great as a natural plant fertiliser.
The cleaning guru sprinkled some of the egg shell powder into her potted plants at home, which is said to provide a slow-release calcium boost to your greenery.
And it’s not just plants that can benefit from this. Lese also says you can sprinkle the egg shell powder on top of your porridge, put it in smoothies or use it however else you want, for an extra hit of calcium – an essential nutrient for bone health.
Just make sure you’ve thoroughly washed the shells before making the powder in order to remove any potential germs.