Oven Cleaning Secrets

The secret to oven cleaning is knowing what to use to clean up the mess.

Few people relish the thought of spending their free time up to their elbows in caustic chemicals, scraping baked-on food and greasy residue off the oven walls. Postponing the job, however, only takes a basic, if unpleasant, task and turns it into an all-day event. Several time-saving secrets and simple tricks can take the work out of keeping the oven clean. Does this Spark an idea?

Ammonia

To take the effort out of oven cleaning, set the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and wait 15 minutes to let it warm up, then turn it off. If the oven is a gas model, extinguish the pilot lights and turn off the main gas line before going any further. Fill a glass bowl with household ammonia and place it on the top rack of the oven; set a large bowl of boiling water beneath the ammonia. When the bowls are in position, close the oven door and leave the dishes inside overnight; remove the bowls the following day and discard the contents. Cover the oven walls with a paste made from 1 tbsp. ammonia, ½ cup of baking soda and 1 cup distilled white vinegar. Wait 15 minutes and wipe the interior with a damp sponge. Even heavy soil should wipe right off.

Newspaper

You may have a self-cleaning oven, but once the cleaning cycle is complete, you will need to deal with a mountain of ash-like residue. Rather than wasting an entire roll of paper towels on this mess, wipe the cinders up with sheets of damp, crumpled newspaper.

Vinegar

Fight greasy buildup in the oven by wiping the interior surfaces once a week with a sponge soaked in distilled white vinegar. The same treatment removes grease from the grates of gas stoves and splatters from the stovetop. Use another damp cloth to rinse and then wipe dry with a paper towel.

Salt

When something in the oven boils over, causing the oven to smoke and smell, grab the salt shaker. Cover the spill in a heavy layer of table salt and continue cooking. The smoke and unpleasant odor will stop immediately. When the dish is done, close the oven door and let the mess sit overnight. The next morning, lift the spill from the surface of the oven with a spatula. Clean stubborn stovetop stains with a paste made from equal portions of lemon juice and salt. Spread the mixture over any affected areas and let it sit for five minutes; scrub with a soft brush, then wipe the residue away with a damp cloth.

Aluminum Foil

When baking foods will likely bubble over, line the oven rack with several sheets of aluminum foil beforehand to keep messy drips under control. Do not spread foil over the bottom of the oven because it creates a potential fire hazard.

References

• "The Queen of Clean's Complete Cleaning Guide"; Linda Cobb; 2002
• "Extraordinary Uses of Ordinary Things"; Marylin Bader, et al; 2005