Clean Your Oven Effectively and Thoroughly

If you use your oven a lot, chances are that you are no stranger to persistent stains and residue that is not only ugly to look at, but also fairly difficult to clean. Or, you aren’t exactly a keen cook and have suffered an accident which not only killed your desire to use the oven, but also made a (what seems to be permanent) mess on the inside of your oven.

Well, it is difficult unless you know exactly how to do it. We asked cleaning experts at The Moxie Maids to reveal their cleaning secrets. They agreed to share the best way to clean an oven.

 Empty the Oven

One thing you need to ensure in order to clean your oven is that it is not hot and that you have access to the whole oven. That means that you will have to remove everything from the oven, including the oven racks.

If your oven racks are dirty too, which they probably are, you can simply use the same method to clean them as well, although separately. Speaking of empty oven, that means any debris and food remains you can get out of the way before you get to the grit.

Mix Your Cleaning Solution

If you aren’t too thrilled about using strong (possibly toxic) detergents on your oven, you can use one of the oldest and the most successful cleaners we have ever had – baking soda. The sodium bicarbonate is great at tackling grease, so it can be used as a cleaner.

Create a paste out of some baking soda and water and apply this paste on the inside of your oven. It will take a bit of time to work its magic, usually until the next morning, during which time you can address the issue of dirty oven racks and the glass part of your oven.

The same paste is applied to the oven window as with the rest of the oven. The only difference is that you will be able to clean it off much sooner. In about an hour, you will be able to use a damp cloth to completely remove the paste and the caked dirt from your oven window.

Two Ways of Cleaning Racks

You can use the same method you used for your oven and make a cleaning paste out of baking soda and leave it overnight to react, removing all of the baked-in grease and other dirt. This will be fairly effective and you will end up with a great looking and shiny oven racks.

On the other hand, you might want to apply a different solution. Simply put some washing powder or dish soap in hot water and submerge your racks overnight. In the morning, the dirt will come off even after the lightest of scrubbings.

Get the Stove in Order, Too

If you are ready to continue cleaning, you can clean the top of your stove as well. Make a very similar paste, using some baking soda and water, and salt in equal proportions.

Apply it all to your stove and then scrub it off after about half an hour.

Finish the Oven the Next Day

The following morning, the baking soda will have had enough time to react and remove all of the built-up dirt from your oven.

All it takes is a damp cloth to remove all of the paste with the dirt on it. However, if you are having problems with a particularly difficult area, a gentle silicone spatula should be enough to help you remove everything.

In order to remove all of the baking soda effectively, use a spray bottle with water and a bit of vinegar, followed by another run with a damp cloth.

Your oven should now be clean and ready for use once again.