It is not very often that we turn towards cleaning the oven and it can be quite a dreaded experience because of the effort it requires and the amount of time it takes to fully clean it. Most of the time we tend to put it off until the oven is very grimy. But there are different methods that you can use to clean the oven.
There are also oven cleaning services that you can hire so that they will use the right cleaning materials and make sure that your oven is sparkling in no time. This way, you don’t need to dread cleaning the oven again because help is just a call away. However, to do some routine cleaning on your own, there are certain guidelines to follow and materials to use to ensure that the oven does not get damaged. You will be able to assess whether your oven needs to be cleaned or not by checking the general appearance of the unit, checking for any odour coming from the oven when you fire it up and smoke generation. You will be able to see if there is a film of grime covering the oven door and whether there are crumbs and grime at the bottom of the oven. When there is grease build up and food in the oven, you will smell something odd when the oven is turned on. And building up is the reason for smoke as well. If you notice any of these three things, it is time to give a good cleaning to the oven.
The frequency of use will determine how often you will have to clean the oven. With general use, you can give it a scrubbing once every three months. But if you only use it on rare occasions, you will be able to get by with cleaning once every six months. There are oven cleaners that you can purchase to carry out this task. But if you want to try cleaning with items that can easily be found in your household, you can use vinegar and baking soda. Make a paste with baking soda and water and this paste can be spread on all surfaces inside the oven. But make sure that you don’t put it on the heating element. Let the mixture work its magic for about two hours minimum and if you can, leaving it overnight will make your workload much lighter. Once you have left it to dry, you can use half and half of white vinegar and water and spray it over the baking soda paste. Let this be for another half hour and use a cloth to remove the mixture. You can use a damp cloth to wipe everything down to make sure you get all of the cleaning solution.
When you notice food leaking onto the oven surface, you can sprinkle some salt on it at that time so it is easier to remove the stain later once the oven has cooled. Vinegar is great for steam cleaning an oven as well by adding white vinegar to boiling water in equal amounts and allowing the entire solution to boil together. The pot can then be placed inside the oven so that the steam can coat the interior.
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