Imagine baking a coffee cake for a tea party with expectations of spreading a nice aroma in the house for guests, but what comes out is a nasty, unpleasant odour. This happens when your oven is not clean and the leftover food particles get more burnt over time, thus creating a nasty smell. And at this time, you start looking for ways on “how to clean oven”.
Cleaning an oven is a tedious kitchen job, and that’s why most people avoid it. When we do not clean the oven for a long time, a lot of grease sets in the oven, and the leftover burnt food particles create smoke and smell. It also gives the food an undesirable taste. Cooking in such an oven is also not good for health.
To ensure safe and healthy cooking, cleaning the oven is essential.
Let’s see how to make the tedious oven cleaning task easy and how to clean oven in a few simple steps:
How to Clean Oven with Baking Soda and Vinegar
Baking Soda and Vinegar are the two most commonly used ingredients for cleaning in homes. These two ingredients have shown very good results for cleaning.
Here’s how to clean an oven with baking soda and vinegar:
Step 1: Gather all the Stuff
To get started with the oven cleaning process, get all the stuff in one go so that you can clean easily.
You will need the following items to clean the oven:
- Baking Soda
- White Vinegar
- Dishwashing Liquid
- Water
- Cleaning Gloves
- Cleaning Cloth
- Spray Bottle
- Sponge
Step 2: Make a Paste of Baking Soda and Water
To clean your oven with baking soda, make a paste of baking soda and water.
Take around ½ cup of baking soda and a few 2-3 tablespoons of water to make a thick paste. You can take less or more baking soda depending on the size of the oven. If you have a large oven, the one with a cooking countertop, then you will need more baking soda. Remember, whatever amount of baking soda you take, add water accordingly to make a thick but spreadable paste.
Next, you need to make a solution of baking soda and water to clean the oven glass door. Take 1 cup of water and add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to it. Mix it well and pour the solution into a spray bottle.
Step 2: Remove the Oven Tray and Racks
Before you start cleaning the oven, wear cleaning gloves so that no dirt or grease sticks to your hands. Make sure that the oven switch is not connected to the power supply. It’s better if you cover the oven switch during the cleaning process with any cloth so that no water goes inside the switch. Empty the oven. Remove the oven racks and tray and any remaining food debris.
Step 3: Clean the Glass Door
The oven glass door gets dirty with buildup of grease, and sometimes you are not able to see through it while baking because of that grease.
To clean the glass door from outside, close the oven door, spray the solution of water and baking soda and leave it for 5-10 minutes, then wipe it with a clean dry cloth.
To clean the glass door from inside, open the oven door, lay it flat and then spread the paste of baking soda and water entirely over the surface and leave it overnight.
Step 4: Clean the Oven Racks
To clean the oven racks and trays, soak them overnight in a mixture of hot water and dishwashing liquid. Then take them out and wash them normally with a sponge as you wash the other utensils with dishwashing liquid. Clean with a dry cloth and set aside to dry completely.
Remember, use only hot water in this step. Using hot water will easily get grease and dirt out of the racks.
Step 5: Clean the Inside of Oven
Apply the baking soda paste to the interior side of the oven. Make sure you have spread it well, on the top side as well, so that it does not fall and sticks to the surface. Coat the whole interior well with the paste, and no corner should be left.
Leave the oven overnight as it is with the paste.
Then take a kitchen cleaning cloth and remove all the paste. Leaving baking soda paste overnight can make the mixture dry off over time, so it can not be removed completely with a cloth.
Try to remove the paste with a cloth as much as you can. To remove the dried paste, pour white vinegar over it and rub with a cloth. Adding vinegar to the baking soda paste will create a fizz, which will easily clean the dried paste. When you have removed all the paste from the oven, take a clean, dry cloth or kitchen towel and rub it across the entire interior of the oven and glass door.
After you have completed all the above steps, leave the oven for some time to dry completely. Then put the rack and trays inside, and you are ready to use your clean oven!
These are simple steps on how to clean oven with baking soda. Oven cleaning is a very important kitchen job you should not skip. Cooking in a dirty oven can lead to health problems and can also reduce an oven’s efficiency over time.
If you are not using the oven frequently, then you can delay the cleaning process, but if you are using it frequently, then you should clean it every month. If you are using an oven on a daily basis, then it’s best to go with professional oven cleaning services.
You might be interested in reading: How to remove coffee stains from mugs.