Self-cleaning ovens may be a popular choice nowadays, but there are still many of us who don’t have them, and whose ovens are used frequently enough for them to get dirty, no matter how careful we are at preventing food spillages. For greatly grimy ovens, it can take a long time to get them hygienically clean and as with most cleaning tasks, the best advice would be to clean them often to prevent you from having to send hours scrubbing and sweating. However, if your oven has gone beyond a quick wipe with a damp cloth, here are some helpful pointers for getting it back to its former glory:
Begin by soaking the grates:
Remove every grate and once you’ve filled a bucket, tub or your sink with hot soapy water, place them in and leave them to soak for as long as possible. If you can leave them overnight, so much the better, but you may want to replace the water once it gets cold.
Remove the grates and give them a scrub:
Soaking them overnight will help to loosen and soften any debris and grime, but you will still need to give them a scrub with a heavy-duty pad to get them 100% clean. If necessary, to help remove more stubborn stains, make a simple paste from baking soda and lemon juice.
Use the steam bath method:
Fill a large baking dish with water and half a cup of white vinegar, place it in the oven and heat it up at 350 degrees. Leave it in for around half an hour or so while the water bubbles and creates steam inside the oven. Once done, turn the oven off and going careful not to burn yourself, spray the interior with a water and vinegar solution. Close the door and leave the solution on for at least 30 minutes. Once the oven has cooled enough for you to clean it without getting burnt, wipe down the insides and scrub at any stubborn stains with a paste of baking soda and lemon juice or vinegar.
If your oven is still dirty after using these methods, you may need to seek professional help:
Professional cleaning companies will have all the tools, cleaning solutions and tricks at their disposal to get your oven looking as good as the day you bought it, and you may as well hire them to get your entire kitchen just as spotless, too. There are many affordable cleaning plans available through most cleaning services, and whether you need them for a one-off job or on a more regular basis, they will have a solution that fits your needs perfectly.
No oven needs to stay dirty, either clean it more often to prevent it from becoming a huge cleaning task, clean it thoroughly when it gets to a state you can no longer ignore, or get someone else to do it for you!
