Oven Cleaning Tips
This is a job that no one wants to do. Cleaning your oven is a big job.
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. Well, I am here to help you out.
Here are oven cleaning tips from Mrs. Clean. She knows just how to clean them!
Cleaning Inside The Oven
If you do not have a self cleaning oven, you can still get your oven clean fairly easily. To clean your oven, follow these tips.
- 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 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. Don't use a scrubber to clean the outside of it, as you don't want to scratch the finish which will show very easily. Use a dab of olive oil to help shine the door and keep it streak free.
Oven Racks
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. Your bathroom tub or utility sink work for this job.
Use a scrubbing sponge or a SOS pad to scrub them down. 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. Put them back in the oven only after your oven is clean!
If you are using oven cleaner to clean the oven you can spray it on the racks as well. It will clean the gunk off the racks just as quickly as it cleans the inside of the oven.
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, lock the oven door, flip on the cleaning switch and the oven does the rest of the work for you.
Really, it is that easy. The oven will heat to high temperatures and remove the charred elements on its walls. What a great invention!
When the cleaning cycle is complete, wipe up the ash with a damp sponge or cleaning rag, return the oven racks to the ovens and you're done!
Homemade Oven Cleaner
- Mix together one tablespoon of liquid dish soap, one tablespoon of lemon juice, one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide and one quart of warm water.
- Mix in a bucket then pour into a spray bottle.
- 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.
