The oven is undoubtedly one of the most difficult household appliances to clean. Traces of splatter and food residues accumulate after each cooking, clogging the walls. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to remove them effortlessly.
Over time, the oven accumulates a significant amount of dirt and grease stains. Due to lack of time or willpower, cleaning is often postponed or even neglected. The result: food residues stick to the inner walls of the oven, making them very difficult to remove. And, as with all household appliances, when maintenance is poor, performance is less than optimal.
How do I clean my oven?
If you want to continue preparing roast dishes without having to spend hours cleaning the oven, the secret is to apply the following trick. It’s based on the use of a tried-and-tested detergent.
In my household, the oven plays a vital role, serving as the go-to appliance for cooking and heating up various dishes. As we don’t have a microwave, our reliance on the oven is even more pronounced. However, over time, our trusty oven has endured its fair share of wear and tear. Accumulated dirt, grime, and stubborn burnt-on foods have taken their toll, leaving it looking far from its best. If you, like me, prefer to avoid the harsh chemicals found in traditional oven cleaners, I have an excellent solution for you – a natural, do-it-yourself oven cleaner that is just as effective.
This homemade oven cleaner recipe is not only simple but also utilizes common household ingredients that are gentle yet powerful in tackling oven grime. Here’s what you’ll need to gather:
1/4 cup of dish soap: Choose a dish soap that is mild yet effective in cutting through grease and stains.
1/2 cup of lemon juice: Lemon juice brings its natural acidity to the mix, providing a fresh scent and enhancing cleaning power.
1 cup of vinegar: Vinegar is a versatile and eco-friendly cleaning agent that helps break down tough residues and leaves a streak-free shine.
1 1/4 cup of water: Water acts as a diluent to ensure the solution is not overly concentrated.
Once you have all the ingredients ready, the next steps are incredibly straightforward. Follow these instructions to create your homemade oven cleaner:
Combine the dish soap, lemon juice, vinegar, and water in a spray bottle.
Gently shake the bottle to ensure the ingredients are well mixed.
Spray the solution generously all over the interior surfaces of your oven, including the inside of the door. Pay particular attention to areas with heavy buildup.
Allow the solution to sit and work its magic for a while. Depending on the extent of the grime, it is recommended to leave it on for at least 30 minutes to an hour. This gives the cleaner ample time to loosen and dissolve the dirt and grease.
Armed with a damp cloth or sponge, start wiping away the softened grime. The combination of the natural cleaning agents in the solution should make the task considerably easier.
Continue wiping until all the residue has been removed, taking care to reach into all the nooks and crannies.
Once the cleaning process is complete, rinse the cloth or sponge and go over the surfaces again to ensure any remaining cleaner is removed.
Marvel at the rejuvenated appearance of your oven. It will shine like a true culinary gem.
Cleaning the oven with a dishwasher detergent capsule
Thanks to their degreasing and sanitizing properties, dishwasher tablets remain an effective cleaning solution for the oven. To take advantage of its many virtues, simply place a capsule on a baking tray or heat-resistant dish. Then pour boiling water over the product and place the container in the oven, preheated to 100°C. Leave for one hour, keeping the oven door closed. The capsule will begin to melt, releasing a cleaning steam inside the oven. The resulting steam deposits droplets on the oven walls, softening stubborn dirt and food residues and making them easier to remove. All that’s left to do is wipe with a damp cloth to complete the cleaning process. For impeccable results, wipe again with a clean cloth. Dishwasher tablets are designed to treat dirt at high temperatures. So it’s no surprise that they work for oven cleaning!
There are several methods for getting rid of dirt inside the oven. These offer an excellent alternative to chemical cleaning products.
Here are just a few examples.
Use table salt to clean the oven thoroughly
You can clean your oven effortlessly using an accessible and natural ingredient: table salt. To begin, sprinkle a sufficient quantity of this ingredient over the dirty areas of the oven. Then turn the oven on to a temperature of 180°C. The heat will brown the small particles of salt, dissolving the dirt. After about 30 minutes, turn off the oven and open it, protecting yourself from the steam escaping from the oven. Allow to cool, then wipe the inside of the oven with a cloth soaked in water to remove burnt residues and other food soiling.
Use the bowl method to clean the oven
If you’re looking for a simple way to clean the oven, there’s nothing like the bowl method. All you need is a few lemons and a small heat-safe container. Then squeeze the juice from four lemons and place it in the oven at a temperature of 250°C. Leave the juice to boil for around 30 minutes. Once this time has elapsed, remove the dish from the oven and wipe the inside walls with a damp cloth. Lemon is an excellent cleaner and disinfectant. At the same time, it eliminates any unpleasant odors from the oven.
Don’t forget to clean the other oven components!
For impeccable results, don’t overlook other oven components such as the grid or main glass when cleaning. Simply mix baking powder with water to form a paste. Like baking soda, this white powder is ideal for degreasing and cleaning oven racks. After applying the product, vinegar can be sprayed on to complete the cleaning. Similarly, windows can also be cleaned with the above solution. Simply leave the product to stand for around ten minutes before rinsing with running water.
To preserve its performance, the oven should be cleaned after each firing. To do this, regularly wipe the surfaces to be cleaned with a cloth soaked in a solution of lukewarm water and washing-up liquid. Depending on how often the oven is used, a thorough cleaning using the above methods can be carried out periodically.