Don’t you just hate it when you have to clean your oven? Most people simply leave this task to professional cleaners like Molly Maid. But let me share some oven cleaning hacks with you to make this task somewhat easier.
Soak grates and dirty knobs.
Instead of scrubbing intricate shapes, soak grates and knobs in boiling water and dish soap for about 30 minutes. Grease will dissolve over time. Afterwards, rinse and air dry.
Use a razor blade to remove stubborn food marks on your stove top.
Don’t worry this won’t cause any screeching sounds or put you in any real danger unless you’re being careless, that is.
Vacuum away the crumbs.
Use your vacuum’s long hose attachment to remove any crumbs inside and around your oven before you do any wet cleaning. Do this especially for hard to reach areas. If you prefer not to use your vacuum, a long paintbrush will suffice.
Soak oven racks in the tub for an hour or two.
When doing this you need to be extra careful not to scratch your tub. You might want to line up the tub with some cloth or towels.
Use baking soda and water to clean your oven.
All you have to do is make a paste out of baking soda and water (1:4) and then apply to the walls of your oven and let it sit overnight.
Use Magic Eraser or a dishwasher tablet to clean your oven door.
This can get a little messy especially with the dishwasher tablet but you can clean your oven door with either option.
Maintaining a Clean Oven
Even if you only cook once a day, your oven can still get dirty with grease and food particles. If you want to keep it clean, here are a few ways to do so:
Prevent Crackling When Roasting
Roast meats are among the messiest meals you can make and will leave a lot of grease on the walls of your oven. To prevent this, pre-cook the meat first and cover in foil. Then when you are about 70% into the cooking process, take out the foil and let the meat finish cooking.
Use Pan Lids and Other Enclosed Containers
Cooking utensils like pans and pots can be bought with lids, at a higher price than those without covers however it’s well worth it if you want your stove/oven to stay clean. Without a cover, food that you’re cooking will release liquids in a fine spray especially those high in fat.
Clean Up Messes Right Away
It’ll be harder to remove grease and stains in your oven if you let it sit there for a bit of time. If you spot a stain or a spill, clean it up as soon as you can. If you leave it there it will also get cooked in the oven and will be hard to remove.
Place a Spill Tray Inside Your Oven
A spill tray helps keep your oven clean by preventing drips from oven trays. After cooking, just let the tray cool a bit and then take it out and soak in the sink to remove any stains and messes.
Clean As You Go
Our final tip is to have a routine of cleaning your oven regularly. Wipe it down after using it (once it’s no longer hot). Remove any new stains. That way your oven will always be clean and be so much easier to maintain.
