Oven Cleaning Tips
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Oven Cleaning Tips
How To Clean Your Oven
This is a job that no one wants to do. Cleaning your oven is a big job. That is because of all the dishes and meals that you have made and allowed to spill over onto the bottom. Perhaps it was all the juice from an apple pie. Or, could it have been from the sauce of a meat dish? Whatever it is, it is sitting there, at the bottom of your oven screaming to be cleaned. Its not an easy job, but you do need to tackle it nonetheless.
Of course you know that if something spills inside of our oven, you should immediately wipe it up. This is the fastest way to get the grime off because it hasn’t yet become grime. Yet, if you allow it to sit, it will continue to cook onto the oven walls. The more it is there, the more that it will stain. Eventually, it will burn and smoke up your kitchen. It can also transfer some nasty tastes to your food as well.
Self Cleaning Ovens
Self cleaning ovens can help you to keep your oven clean, but you need to remember to use this feature. All you need to do is to remove the oven racks and scrub those on your own. Then, you can lock the oven door, flip on the switch to allow them to begin and the oven does the rest of the work for you. Really, it is that easy. The oven will heat on its own and remove the charred elements on its walls. What a great invention!
Cleaning Your Oven
If you do not have a self cleaning oven, you can still get the cleaning done fairly easily. To clean your oven, follow these steps.
- Remove the racks from inside your oven. You’ll wash those separately.
- Use a bucket of our homemade oven cleaner that you will find listed below. Scrub the inside of the oven with rubber gloves and a scrubbing pad. Allow this to sit for a few minutes.
- Come back to the oven and scrub off any remaining debris. Make sure to rinse the unit well, including all those nooks and crannies. You do not want your food to taste like cleaner.
- You can invest in the oven cleaning products that you find throughout the cleaning aisle. If you use these products, make sure to follow the directions provided by them on their bottles. You do not want to make a mistake and cause damage to your oven.
Cleaning The Outside Of Your Oven
Just as important as the inside, the outside of your oven should be cleaned. In fact, you need to wash it down any time that it gets dirty as it is a prime location for bacteria to build up. To clean it, all you need is soapy water and a terry cloth or a sponge. Scrub down the door, hinges, handles and knobs. Then, rinse. Finally, use dry paper towels to shine the doors.
If you have a stainless steel door, follow the same directions. Use a dab of olive oil to help shine the door and keep it streak free.
Find more information about cleaning your oven down below.
How To Clean Stains In The Oven
Okay, you know now what you do not want to do, but how do you clean your oven?
Here is a great homemade oven cleaner that you can use.
- Mix together one tablespoon of liquid dish soap, one tablespoon of lemon juice, one tablespoon of bleach and one quart of warm water.
- Mix in a bucket or fill into a spray bottle.
- You will want to wear rubber gloves and scrub down the walls and floor of the oven with this mixture.
- Allow to sit for a few minutes and then scrub again.
- Finally, rinse well with hot water.
Clean The Other Stuff
To clean the oven racks inside of your oven well, do this. Remove the racks from the oven. It may be a bit tricky with their size, but you want to get them into soapy hot water. You may want to use your bathroom tub for this job. Use a scrubbing sponge or a SOS pad to scrub them down. You want to make sure to pay attention to the corners and areas that may have debris stuck in them. You can also use a bristle brush to wash them.
Once you have scrubbed them, rinse them off with hot water. Allow them to air dry or you can dry them with a clean, dry terry cloth. Replace them only after you have cleaned your oven!
Make sure to clean off all areas of your oven. That means paying attention to the metal grates, the doors, the drip pan and the top of the oven as well. Food can splash the top as well. Don’t forget to do the outside as well, including the knobs.
