Oven cleaning is time-consuming and you probably don’t do it very often. Rest assured you’re not alone. This is probably the most overlooked cooking appliance, not only because it takes a long time to clean but the oven cleaning job can also be frustrating and challenging.
When it comes to cleaning it, you need to be careful about what you’re using. Most store-bought products contain caustic or corrosive ingredients. Sure, they are made to clean your dirty oven from all of the grime and built-up food, however, caustic products can corrode materials and human tissue. This can lead to potential burns, scarring, and permanent bodily damage.
Therefore, more and more people choose the chemical-free way of disinfecting their cooking appliances. Combine a few eco-friendly products from your kitchen with some elbow grease and you will bring back the sparkle of your cooking appliance in no time. And do you know what’s the best part? Cleaning your oven without chemicals makes your food taste much better. So, without further ado, here are some natural oven-cleaner recipes that will help you get ready for baking in no time!
We’ve decided to begin with our favourite (and probably the most recommended) natural oven cleaner, first. Baking soda does magic when it comes to cleaning. When you combine it with vinegar, you will have the perfect chemical-free oven-cleaning solution.
Before you start cleaning, make sure you place any type of protective cover under the oven and the surrounding area (such as a plastic bag, newspaper, etc.). This will prevent any spillage from falling on the ground.
Here’s what you will require for this cleaning method:
Empty the oven. Take out everything. Remove the oven racks, pizza stone and thermometer. Make sure everything has been removed before you start with the actual cleaning.
Mix ½ cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water. Usually, 3 tablespoons are enough but you can adjust the ratio and make the paste as thick as you’d like. Spread it around inside the oven. Try to really get in there and cover everything. If the baking soda turns brown, don’t panic. That’s completely normal. Pay extra attention to the dirtiest nooks and crannies. Also, avoid putting the paste on heating elements.
Finally, just close the oven and let the paste sit overnight. After that, wipe the baking soda using a damp cloth. When done, pour white vinegar into a spray bottle and spritz the whole oven. Use a rag to wipe away the foam and after that, do a final wipe with a damp cloth to remove any remains.
You can use a spatula to scrape off any stubborn messes but keep in mind that it may scratch the surface. Therefore, a plastic or silicone one is the better option.
Another non-toxic oven cleaner can be made with cornflour and white vinegar. The key ingredient here is cornflour. It’s a great replacement if you don’t have baking soda. Keep in mind that it’s not as effective as baking soda, but if bicarb soda is not at hand, cornflour is a good substitute.
For this cleaning recipe, you will need:
Pour the ingredients into a pan and heat up over a stove until thickened. In the meantime, make sure you stir the mixture well. The solution needs to cool to room temperature before you use it.
Spread the paste around inside the oven and over the oven door using a sponge and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then, take a damp cloth and clean all areas you applied the solution on. Give it a final wipe with a dry cloth.
This is one of the easiest ways to clean an oven without chemicals but you need to be cautious because of the hydrogen peroxide. To be sure that it will react well with the surface of your oven, you can test on a small area first before covering the entire oven with the blend. All you need are:
Start by mixing the ingredients in a bowl until they create a paste and use a microfiber cloth to apply the paste to the inside of the oven. After that simply put a large pot of boiling water in the oven and close the door. Let it sit.
After approximately 1 hour remove the pot. Take a clean cloth and wipe the paste away. Grease and grime should be removed easily but for larger spots, you might have to do a little more scrubbing.
Steam cleaning is another great natural way to clean your oven and get rid of some tough grease and dirt that has built up on the inside. Lemon and other citrus fruits are great natural degreasers. So, here’s how you can easily clean your oven using just two lemons.
You will need:
Fill ⅓ of the oven-proof bowl with water. Then, cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Put the lemons inside the bowl, too. Close your oven and turn it on to 200 degrees for about 25 minutes. If the grease buildup is really bad, you should leave the bowl in a bit longer.
Once the water starts to boil, it will create steam, which will circulate inside and loosen up all the grime, helping you to clean the appliance much more easily. After that, turn the oven off and wait until it cools down. Then, remove the bowl and scrub away what’s left of the grime and grease, using a scouring pad.
Before you start scrubbing wait for the oven to cool down. Use a sponge for the tough spots. Use a clean cloth to remove any leftover grease and grime. Dip it into the leftover lemon water and gently wash off the inside of the oven. Finally, use a towel to dry off the surface. Remember to use the lemon water to rinse down the inside of the oven. Once you’ve cleaned it all, use a cloth to dry it off.
You can try this with just water, too. However, keep in mind that this is a good option when you are looking at a relatively clean oven. If you have a lot of build-ups to remove you may want to try some of the other methods first.
The oven may emit smoke when this happens. Make sure you turn on the oven fan and open a window.
That’s right, the laundry detergent can come in handy not just for making your clothes clean and fresh, but for ridding your oven racks from the stuck-on grime.
To clean your oven racks all you will need is:
Start by removing the racks from the oven and place them in a bathtub, a sink, or a larger basin filled with hot water.
Then, put one cup of your preferred detergent in a small container and dilute it using water. Pour it on top of the racks and let it stay there for a few hours (or overnight).
After the time has passed, take the racks out of the water and scrub them until all the residue falls off. Give them a final rinse and voalá, your oven racks will be sparkling clean.
And for those of you who are interested in trying other oven rack cleaning methods, make sure you read How to Clean your Oven Racks with Aluminium Foil.
To prevent spills you can put a cookie sheet under the baking tray. Thus, if something spills while you’re cooking it won’t make a stain. Even when you’re cleaning the oven without using chemical products, don’t forget to put on gloves to avoid skin irritation.
Cleaning up cooking spills with salt is also very effective. Every time you have a spill just sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto it, so it covers and absorbs the whole spot. You need to catch the spills before they bake in the oven. Otherwise, you’ll have much more difficulty cleaning them later.
When you’re done with cooking, the stains will be a pile of ash you can simply wipe right out of the oven. Thus, you will not have to deal with either toxic oven cleaners or the very hot clean setting on your oven.
We can take care of the scrubbing for you!
Have you tried any of the cleaning methods stated above? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below!
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