Cleaning a dirty oven is one of the tasks everybody really hates. Nobody enjoys rubbing old grease spills and scraping out burnt food residues for hours, so many people just postpone this chore as much as they can. Unfortunately, a dirty oven is a dangerous appliance – the built up dirt can lead to foul odours, smoke, and even – to fire. However, this chore doesn’t have to be difficult and to take all your free time – just check these 5 tried and tested oven cleaning tricks.
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Baking Soda to Loosen Dried Food
When you have to deal with a dirty oven the first and most important step is to find a way to loosen solid food residues. This step makes further cleaning easier. Wipe out the insides of the oven with a damp sponge. Mix baking soda and lukewarm water in a small bowl until you have an even thick paste. Apply the mixture onto the food crusts and scorched residues. Let the soda paste sit overnight and use a wet sponge to wipe it in the morning. Most of the residues should come out easily along with the baking soda mixture. Use a plastic knife to scrape off the rest of the loosened dirt.
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Use Paper Towels to Clean Old Grease Stains
If you have to clean fresh stains from your oven, the best thing to do is to use a paper towel and wipe them. To remove old oily stains you can still use paper and get the same result – all you need to do is a little twist on this method. Mix together warm water and a generous amount of strong dish detergent. Fold a few pieces of paper towel tightly and dip them into the solution. Wring the folded paper gently, unfold carefully and lay over the grease stains on your oven. Let it sit for 2 hours. These homemade wet wipes will help loosen the grease and transfer the oil to the paper. After this, the grease is loosened and it will be easier to clean your oven.
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Use Dish Detergent to Clean the Oven Racks
When the oven racks are covered in grease and burnt food it is quite difficult to clean them. To make this process easier, take a large container (like plastic basin) and fill it with hot water and strong liquid dish detergent. Stir well until you have nice hot suds. Put the oven racks inside and let them sit inside for an hour. Scrub of the built on grease and food residues using a coarse brush, or wire sponge. Place the clean racks over a towel and let them dry. Set aside and place back inside the oven when you finish cleaning it.
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Use Ammonia to Clean Burnt Food from the Oven
If you want to skip scrubbing off burn food and old stains for hours, you can try this oven cleaning trick. Pour a half cup of ammonia in a small heat resistant bowl and place it on the top rack of the oven. Place a large pot filled with water on the bottom. Turn on the oven at the highest temperature, close the door and leave it like this for 30 minutes. After the time is up, turn off the oven and leave the pot sit overnight, without opening the door. In the morning, open the oven, remove the pots and let the fumes evaporate. Use a facemask for this step because the ammonia vapours are dangerous if inhaled. Wipe the inside of the oven with warm water and strong dish detergent. Dry with paper towel.
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Use Salt to Remove Fresh Food and Grease Stains
If you want to deal with fresh food stains, before they turn into crust, all you need is table salt. Spray the food and grease spots with lukewarm water and generously sprinkle salt on them. This will prevent the stains to harden. Wait until the oven cools down completely and you can easily wipe off the residues with a damp sponge.
If dealing with dirty kitchen appliances is definitely not your thing, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our professional oven cleaning team uses powerful products to deal with burnt food and old stains.