Even if your oven looks as if several food stuffs have exploded inside it (repeatedly!), there is a way to restore it to its former glory without the use of harmful chemicals.
Oftentimes, we think that the stronger and more toxic the cleaning product we use, the better it will work, but this isn’t always the case, and even if it were, does that make it right?
With more and more of us conscious of protecting the environment around us, cleaning has evolved, or should we say, regressed, to methods, materials and solutions that are much more eco-friendly. With this in mind, here’s how to clean your oven without using harmful chemicals:
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cleaning gloves
- Atomizer
- A cloth
- 1/2 cup of baking soda
- Vinegar
- Water
- A small container
It’s important to understand the characteristics of the product you’re going to use for cleaning: for instance, vinegar is capable of disinfecting, removing grease, removing stains, removing odors, acting as a bactericide, and eliminating rust, among other uses. For baking soda, it helps to deodorize environments and objects, and is both economical and accessible.
Cleaning the inside of your oven
Firstly, take out the internal grills and set them aside, before mixingthe baking soda with a little water in a bowl, to form a paste. Put a pair of cleaning gloves on, then apply the mixture over the oven’s interior, especially on those areas that are dirtiest. The bicarbonate of soda will take on a brownish color while you rub it on, and once done, leave it to sit overnight or for 12 continuous hours.
The following day, take a damp cloth or sponge and pass it over the areas where you’ve applied the paste, to remove as much of it as you can. Then, pour 1 measure of vinegar into the atomizer and sprinkle it over the surfaces that you weren’t able to remove the paste from. When you do so, a lather will form, and then you can use a damp cloth or sponge to remove it. Repeat this procedure until the oven is completely clean and leave it to dry. For faster drying, turn on the oven for several minutes.
Cleaning the oven’s window
Using the same bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and water combination as in the previous step, apply the paste over the whole oven window, before leaving it for up to 30 minutes. Then, simply wipe it off with a damp cloth or sponge.
Chemicals aren’t always the best product to use, even for cleaning tough stains such as those you might find on an oven, in fact, many would argue they should never be used. If your oven is grubby and you simply can’t face cleaning it yourself, or don’t have the time, you can always hire a cleaning company and ask them to get it spotlessly and hygienically clean for you.
