While self-cleaning ovens may seem like a God-given gift, if you don’t have one, getting the oven spotlessly clean can feel like a mammoth task that you most likely don’t have time to carry out. That said, auto-cleaning is often not as effective as doing the job by hand, and using harsh chemicals isn’t a great alternative, either.
For the cleanest oven for a longer time, try natural cleaning products such as baking soda and vinegar, and some good old fashioned elbow grease! As a cleaning compound, vinegar is an extremely versatile and natural solution, and here’s how to clean your oven using vinegar, water and baking soda:
- Ensure sure your oven is completely cool. Get some rubber gloves, baking soda, white vinegar and a spatula
- Make a paste from baking soda and water, before removing the oven racks and soaking them in the sink (or tub) with warm water and vinegar
- Spread the soda paste all over the inside of your oven, and if possible, leave it for a minimum of 8 to 12 hours, but preferably overnight
- Then, when the time is up, take a cloth or sponge dampened with water, and wipe the paste off
- You’ll then need to gran some white vinegar and fill a spray bottle with it. Spray all over the interior; if you see the vinegar foaming up, that means there’ll be some baking soda left over, and you’ll need to wipe this off
- Scrub the racks if necessary after leaving them to soak, before drying and returning them to the oven; leave the door open for up to 30 minutes to let it dry out properly, or turn it on at a low temperature for a few minutes
To avoid having to clean your oven as often or as thoroughly, here are some great hacks:
- When cooking anything that has a risk of spilling inside the oven or leaving crumbs, simply place a baking sheet with parchment on the rack below it to catch anything that might spill over
- If you forget to place a baking sheet under whatever dish you happen to be baking, you can sprinkle salt over any spillages, then turn the oven off and wipe the salt off with a mixture of water and vinegar (50:50)
- Use natural cleaning solutions wherever possible to avoid tainting your oven or causing any problems to your health – try a paste made up of white or apple cider vinegar, a dishwashing tablet or drop of dishwashing liquid, water and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Dilute the paste with water and pour it into a spray bottle for ease of use in the future
- Always try to clean spillages up as soon as they happen to prevent scrubbing and sweating over them later
If your oven has reached a point where a quick clean no longer gets the job done, why not hire a cleaning service and have them do it for you? Add it to their list of duties if hiring them on a regular basis, or simply ask them to come in, clean the oven, and leave!
