How to Clean Gas Ovens
Gas ovens are a staple at most restaurants and are present in many homes. At first it can be difficult to figure out how to clean them in a way that is efficient as well as safe. There are two ways to clean a gas oven: the manual way and the automatic way. Of course, the automatic way is only available on ovens with a built-in self-cleaning feature. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Trash Can
- Dish Soap
- Steel Wool Pad
- Hot Pads
- Ammonia (optional)
- Oven Cleaner (optional)
- Paper Towels
- Rubber Gloves
Instructions
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1
Take the racks out of the oven and shake them over the trash can to remove any loose debris. Place the stopper in the kitchen sink and fill it three-quarters of the way with hot water. Add two squirts of dish soap and stir with gloved hands. Put the racks in the sink to soak for 20 minutes. If they are too big to be fully submerged, soak one half for 20 minutes, drain and replace the soapy water and then soak the other half.
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2
Use a steel wool pad to scrub any stubborn debris off of the racks. Then rinse them under the tap with lukewarm water. Heat the oven to 200 degrees and put the racks in for 10 minutes so they can dry and any remaining soap will burn off. Then pull them out again and set them aside so you can clean the rest of the oven. (Use hot pads when doing so!)
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3
Check to see if your oven has the option of self-cleaning. If it does, the oven should have a knob or button labeled "clean" or "auto" on the front. If so, turn the knob to lock the oven and start the cleaning process. (The knob will only turn one way.) It will take an hour or so, depending on the oven.
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4
Clean your oven manually if it doesn't have a self-cleaning feature. Take a paper towel and wipe out the top, bottom and sides of the oven. Don't neglect the corners. Then pour a tablespoon of ammonia on a second paper towel and wipe out the oven again. Let the ammonia set for half an hour. Then use a third paper towel saturated with lukewarm water to rinse it out. Turn the oven on 200 degrees for 10 minutes as before to remove traces of cleaner and the ammonia smell.
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5
Let the oven cool for half an hour. Then put the racks back in.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also use a commercial oven cleaner in step four. Just follow the directions on the can. (Don't use it if you have birds in the house.)
Never leave the racks in while the oven is set to self-clean. It gets very hot and could melt or warp them. Keep children and pets out of the kitchen while you are cleaning the oven.
