Ah, oven cleaning – a hated household chore like no other.
Right up there with the likes of cleaning the gutters, weeding the garden and unblocking the toilet, there’s a special place reserved in the pit of the soul for chores like oven cleaning. A deep, dark corner filled with loathing resentment, but a reserved spot nonetheless.
In fact, a 2017 study of 1000 Brits by Anglian Home Improvements had “oven cleaning” placed at the very top of the list of most hated household jobs, beating off stiff competition from the likes of grouting bathroom tiles, defrosting the freezer and cleaning the barbeque.
Nevertheless, as a homeowner or long-term occupant, it’s a chore that does require your attention from time to time. If you’ve bitten the bullet, rolled up your sleeves and accepted your oven-baked fate, you may need a helping hand.
Luckily, we’ve got a few tricks to help make the process as pain-free as possible.
How to Clean Your Oven
While cleaning your oven may seem like a mammoth task akin to scaling Everest on a unicycle, it can actually be surprisingly straightforward… provided you haven’t let your oven degenerate into a cremated cornucopia of crust.
In fact, you don’t even need any store-bought oven cleaner to give your cooker the sprucy boost it needs. All you need is water, baking soda and steady supply of elbow grease.
Step by Step Guide: How to Clean Oven Inside
- Empty oven
- Remove/clean racks
- Mix ½ cup of baking soda with 3 tbsp water
- Spread paste on interior oven surface
- Do not paste heating elements
- Leave for 12 hours
- Grab a well-deserved cuppa or beer for getting this far
- Return to the scene of the crime
- Wipe off paste using a wet washcloth
- Spray vinegar in grooves
- Wipe clean to remove any remaining paste residue
- Bask in glory of shiny-clean oven.
Alternative Oven Cleaning Methods
If you really want to go to town on your oven, you can of course buy an over-the-counter oven cleaning product and follow the instructions accordingly.
There are a variety of store-bought remedies available from recognisable brands available in most supermarkets; however, results can vary dramatically and the fumes alone are enough to put you off for a lifetime.
Failing that, you can always get a professional to provide a comprehensive oven cleaning service. There are oven cleaning specialists available nationwide, many of which are available on coupon sites online, offering their services.
Self-Cleaning Ovens
Some ovens come with a “self-cleaning” feature. While this may seem like a gift from the gods of gadgetry, this is also a prime example of “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is”.
Self-cleaning ovens essentially fire up the internal temperature of an oven so that it rivals the depths of hell. The purpose of this is to burn off any remaining food residue, vapourising any evidence of its existence.
While this may seem like a sound strategy, it is somewhat flawed. As a result of the oven becoming a kitchen-based thermal reactor, it should come as no surprise that this can, at times, compromise major components of the cooker.
Naturally, these ungodly temperatures can cause a myriad of fiery damage, from melted circuit boards to charred wiring and broken heating elements. Imagine the scene of Sarah Connor’s nuclear nightmare from Terminator 2 and you won’t be far wrong.
As such, you may want to think twice before you activate your oven’s self-cleaning cycle and set off Judgement Day in your kitchen.
Beyond Saving
When it comes down to cleaning your oven and its internal components, you may find that some of the parts are simply past the point of no return. For example, you may find a tray/rack that’s simply tattooed with unidentified molten cement. In this case, your best bet is to simply buy a replacement tray/rack.
On the other hand, you may have attempted a self-clean and found out first-hand the effects of turning your oven into a fiery furnace. Should this be the case, you can again find replacement part right here at Cooker Spare Parts, covering everything from electric thermostats to grill elements.
For more information on oven cleaning and oven parts, drop us a line on 02920 452 510 or alternatively send us an email using the link below.
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