Tips for Easier Oven Cleaning Without Harsh Chemicals
Cleaning your oven may often be difficult, whether you bake things semi-regularly or make larger meals every night. It may be unrealistic to keep your oven perfectly clean at all times. You can work on removing small messes whenever they happen, but ovens will need period and thorough cleaning that goes beyond the small steps. If you want to keep the task from overwhelming you, you can do a few things to stay ahead of the curve:
Clean the Oven with Baking Soda and Vinegar
If your oven is dirty or you lack a bottle of oven cleaner nearby, you can do the next best thing — a combination of baking soda and vinegar. Mix a half cup of baking soda with water until you have a paste. Spread the paste on the bottom of the oven, the side walls and even the glass oven door; stay away from the heating elements. Leave the mixture on minimum heat for about two hours or overnight. Fill up a spray bottle with water and vinegar in a 50:50 solution and spray it over the baking soda. The acid in the vinegar reacts with the baking soda and causes it to foam up, helping it lift the burnt food stains from the surface. In about half an hour, use a rubber spatula you must and a rag to get rid of the baking soda mixture, then wipe the oven down with a damp cloth.
Use Salt as a Quick Fix
You can use salt as a quick and easy solution to clean your oven. While you bake, you may notice leaks from the food you prepare on the oven’s surface or small droplets flying off during the cooking process. If that is the case, you can open the oven and sprinkle salt on the leak, making cleaning the stain easier once the cooking is done.
Steam Clean Your Oven with Vinegar
You can also steam clean your oven using hot water and vinegar. They can absorb the grime and soften it up, making it much easier to wipe away with a cloth. Start by boiling a third of a pot of water on the stove. Once it’s done boiling, add an equal amount of white vinegar to the mix, then allow it to boil for another minute or so. Remove the pot from the stove, put it inside the oven on the rack and close the oven door to allow it to mist up the inside of your appliance for about 45 minutes to an hour. Once you open the door, you can start cleaning as the surface will be softened up. Use a soapy cloth, and the grime is much easier to handle.
Use Water and Lemons
A bit of water with two lemons is all you need to get your oven cleaned. Get a pan and fill it with water, then add the squeezed juice from two lemons. You can even add the lemon halves to the pan as well. Put the pan in the oven and turn it on; let the water boil and mist up the inside of your oven, then take it out. The resulting steam will loosen up any grime inside, and you can get rid of it far easier. Let the oven cool before you wipe it down using a damp cloth.
Clean the Nooks and Crannies Clean with an Old Toothbrush
You can use an old toothbrush to clean the bathroom, but you can also use it for your kitchen. All of the harder-to-reach areas and the corners of the oven will be far easier to handle that way. Dip the toothbrush in any cleaning solution, and the corners will be a breeze.
