A kitchen essential
When cooking dinner for your family or guests, one of the most popular ways to cook required baking. This is whether it’s poultry, vegetables, or even deserts. Using an oven can also be a healthy choice that lessens your oil intake rather than frying the food. Most homeowners and food enthusiasts will say that having an oven is an essential part of the kitchen.
However, the more you use an oven the more likely you will eventually see spillage, grease, or burnt particles sticking to the walls of your oven. Chances are if you have a modern oven, you also have a stovetop that goes with it. This means double the grease and build-up from food remnants.
If you’re a new homeowner or you’re simply not used to maintaining your home as well as cleaning it, this process can seem particularly difficult if you don’t have a guide or a reference point to go by. As a young man or woman, this can also be tricky if you’re not well aware of the products to use. Buying the most expensive brand or chemical cleaner can leave your wallet crying for help.
Not to worry, this specific area is fairly easy to clean when you research and act intelligently. We’ve also got you covered on strategies and cleaning products or solutions you can find in your very own home without having to spend a pretty penny on an expensive product.
It is in your best interest to clean your oven, not just for cooking purposes but also for maintaining your kitchen sanitary as over time the sludge build-up can bring some unwanted visitors meaning pests.
Kitchen cleaning doesn’t have to be a math equation you need to solve, we’ll show you easy and quick steps on how to clean an oven.
Home Cleaning products and solutions
What are some products or solutions that you will need to clean the oven?
Before beginning the cleaning process, you will first need to round up all of the necessary cleaning tools and products to tackle this kitchen compartment. Now, before you start checking your bank account to estimate or calculate the costs for expensive cleaning products, we’re here to tell you that you can find some of these items in your household already.
The following are some of the products that you can use to clean your oven:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Hot water
- Dish detergent
- Microfiber cloth (2)
- Detergent
- Razor Blade
- Lemon (2)
Although you don’t need all of these ingredients or products, having most of them will help you try different strategies if one isn’t particularly effective. These products can also help with home cleaning as well so it can come in handy to have a plethora of options.
What are some oven parts that need cleaning?
Many who begin to clean their oven for the most part know to clean the inside as well as the stovetop. But unfortunately, the smaller areas are largely missed due to the inconvenience or simply their inconspicuous size.
Some areas to keep in mind when you’re cleaning are the:
- Racks
- Oven door
- Knobs
- Oven shelves
It is important to clean your oven thoroughly from the little crevices to the control modules as these areas can hold the most grease or sludge-like dirt beneath them. Usually, the door, knobs, racks, and shelves get the most food spillage so these areas also need to be scrubbed down to ensure that you doing an efficient cleansing.
Tackling the glass oven door
How to clean the oven door?
Although you may ask “how to clean the oven door?” a more accurate question would be “how to clean an oven glass?” as this particular area is mostly made up of glass. For glass, you need to take proper precautions so that you are careful not to damage or scratch this area while still effectively cleaning off any dirt or grease.
First, you will start with the outside of the door. For this area you will do the following:
- Use either lemon juice or Distilled white vinegar as these cleaning solutions will operate to remove any excess grease or food remnants.
- Take a spray bottle and work your way over the door, spraying the cleaning solution on every crevice or area on the door.
- Use a microfiber cloth to wipe away the cleaner and grime, use downward strokes for maximum efficiency.
- Repeat this process for the more stubborn stains or areas.
- After you’re done, take a dry microfiber cloth to finish drying the door while simultaneously buffing any leftover streaks on the glass.
After you are done cleaning the outside of the door, it’s time to work your way inside which can be a bit more challenging as it is the closest to the food and grease making it all the more persistent to remove. You will do the following:
- After opening the door, you will take a damp microfiber towel and wipe any loose bits of food or grime stuck to the door.
- Next, you will make a baking soda paste, take a bowl and add ½ cup of baking soda.
- Then slowly add the water which is usually 2 parts baking soda and one part water.
- After mixing it should look like shaving cream or a thick white paste.
- You will then spread the paste on the inside of the door or oven window.
- Let the paste sit for 15-20 minutes so the paste can take effect.
- Once the time is up, you’ll take a moist microfiber cloth and start wiping away the paste.
- For the more stubborn bits, we advise using a razor blade to gently scrape the excess grease or muck. Remember to point the razor away from the glass at a flat edge angle to not damage the glass.
- Repeat this process if needed.
- Then you will take a dry microfiber cloth to clean off any leftover streaks on the glass.
For those that can remove the glass door from your oven, this could help facilitate the cleaning process as you won’t have to keep the door open or closed making it more comfortable for you.
Using baking soda
How to clean an oven with baking soda?
For homeowners that are used to cleaning their homes, they are probably familiar with the use of baking soda. As a powerhouse cleaning option, this miracle-working product can be used to remove even the most stubborn grease or dirt. There are several ways to use baking soda, here are some mixtures you can use to cleanse your oven:
- Like you did with the oven door, you will take two parts baking soda and one part water to make a paste.
- Mix these two ingredients until it forms a thick paste.
- Spread this mixture liberally over all areas in your oven that contain leftover food particles or grime.
- Once you have freely spread the mixture, you will wait about 15-20 minutes so that it can take effect on these areas.
- After the wait is over, you’ll wipe away the parts you put the paste on.
- Take a damp cloth and use it to clean off any baking soda residue, making sure there isn’t anything leftover so it can be completely cleansed.
- With a dry microfiber cloth, wipe any excess liquid or water from the oven. You can also let it air dry but we suggest using a dry cloth to fasten the process.
A second way to use baking soda is the following:
- Combine two parts baking soda and one part water to make the paste.
- Next, you will apply this paste over all the greasy or dirt areas where there are any food particles and remnants leftover.
- Take distilled white vinegar and put some in a spray bottle, then spray this liquid on top of the areas you placed the paste on.
- After you spray it on, you’ll see the baking soda paste start to bubble.
- Leave this solution on for about 20 minutes.
- Take a microfiber cloth or a dishcloth and wipe it away gently, make sure it is non-abrasive to not leave any scratches or damage to the oven.
- Once again, you will follow through with a clean damp cloth to make sure there is no leftover residue from the paste.
- After wiping through, make sure to use a microfiber cloth to dry off the area so there is no excess moisture or water.
Baking soda can be said to be a miracle worker. If you’re wondering how to clean oven quickly, both of these strategies can work wonders and help you get done in 30 minutes or less.
Cleaning the oven racks and tray
What are some ways you can cleanse the oven racks and tray?
For the oven compartments like the oven racks and tray, you can breathe a sigh of relief as these areas can be easily cleaned with dish detergent. This solution has also been used to clean other areas of the home as an easy go-to strategy.
If it is possible to remove the oven racks, we would suggest doing so as it can help the cleaning process go a lot smoother. Once you have removed the racks, you are going to soak them in the sink with dish detergent and hot water. Leave the racks inside for about 10-15 minutes. Then you will use a soft-bristled brush or dishcloth to cleanse it and remove any food or grease.
Placing the oven racks in the dishwasher can also help remove the stubborn bits of food on the racks as the hot water can also soften the burnt areas. This will speed up the process tenfold.
Tackling Grease
How can you clean greasy ovens or greasy oven stains?
There is nothing worse than having to scrub away at a grease stain or spot only to see that it has hardly come off and you are ready to accept the fate of the dishpan. If you often use your oven, there is no getting past the grease latching onto your oven door or general oven area.
While there are certainly many chemical cleaners on the market that can assist in the removal of grease, we also have some homemade tips that will keep you from spending the extra buck. Here are some ways you can quickly accomplish grease removal on your oven:
- First, you will use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe the greasy area.
- Spread some baking soda on these areas and let it sit for approximately five minutes.
- Use a damp cloth to clean up the paste afterward.
- Then you will take another dry microfiber cloth to wipe the excess water or moisture.
Another way you can clean up grease with a home-made solution is the following:
- Mix one-part lemon juice with one part vinegar
- Pour this mixture into an empty spray bottle.
- Spray over your oven grease with this mixture.
- Wait up to ten minutes so that this mixture can take effect, the longer you let it sit the better.
- Use a damp cloth to scrub the area clean.
- Then take a dry cloth to wipe away any leftover mixture.
Both of these strategies can easily remove grease and help you get done in less than 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry or simply wish to speed up the process.
Tips for Oven maintenance
How often should you clean your oven?
Although there are different studies and opinions on how long you should go without cleaning your oven, the consensus due to an overwhelming number of bacteria that stem from this area is daily.
We know it can be hard to deep cleanse your oven when it gets to the point where there is the excessive build-up that is too stubborn to remove, which is why tackling any spillage or food grease the day of can work to promote a healthier kitchen area in general as well prevent any dangerous air pathogens that can come from a dirty oven.
As a result of maintaining your oven area, you will also benefit from a high-functioning oven when it comes to dinner time for your guests or family.