Hate cleaning your oven?
If a trip to the dentist rates higher than the thought of spending hours scrubbing off burnt food and greasy gunk in the bowels of your kitchen oven, it’s no surprise your oven looks like it does!
Fortunately, it’s possible to avoid the nasty chemicals that are in commercially available oven cleaning products. In fact, chances are good you’ve already got all the ingredients you’ll need to get it done, without gagging on noxious fumes!
An excessively dirty oven can fill your home with smoke every time you use it, and spilled food can spark a fire when it ignites.
It’s also possible for carbon-based fumes in a dirty oven to alter the taste of your baked goods. Thus, you should clean your oven regularly.
The following cleaning solutions work well for cleaning up all the nasty gunk that’s built up in your oven, without harsh chemicals, and that’s good for both you and the environment!
DIY Natural Cleaning Solutions for Your Oven
People are increasingly turning to DIY solutions for cleaning without chemicals. You can easily make your own household cleaners, including oven cleaners.
Here are some effective solutions to try on your oven
Begin by clearing out any crumbs that are littering the floor of your oven. Next, mix together one of the following natural cleaning recipes and apply generously to the built-up crud in your oven.
1. Natural Oven Cleaner Recipe
- ⬥ 1/2 cup baking soda
- ⬥ 3 tbsp water
- ⬥ Small bowl
- ⬥ Scrub brush
- ⬥ Sponge
Place the oven racks aside. Combine the baking soda and warm water in a bowl until it forms a thick paste. Allow the baking soda paste to sit overnight in the bottom of the oven, on the sidewalls, and inside the oven door.
Remove gunk from all oven surfaces with a scrub brush, and scrape away burnt food areas with a spatula. Wipe away the grimy residue with a wet sponge.
While the paste is going to work on the inside of the oven, use the same formula on the racks, scrubbing them with the brush and soapy hot water after letting the paste sit for at least an hour.
2. Natural Degreaser for Oven
An excellent natural degreaser for oven cleaning is white vinegar. It is an acidic, non-toxic liquid that loosens grease so you can easily scrub greasy, stuck-on foods out of the oven.
- ⬥ Scrub brush
- ⬥ 1 c white vinegar
- ⬥ Baking soda
- ⬥ Water
- ⬥ Spray bottle
- ⬥ Sponge
Set aside the oven racks. Pour water into the spray bottle and spritz your oven interior. After you have sprinkled the wet areas with baking soda, let the mixture sit for about an hour.
Next, empty the spray bottle of water and fill it with white vinegar. Spritz the baking soda with the vinegar and watch it go to work.
With a sponge, remove any vinegar, baking soda, and grime residue. Wipe down the inside of the oven with clean water before returning the racks.
If your racks need cleaning, create a paste as noted in the first formula, giving it time to go to work before tackling the grime with a scrub brush.
When necessary, use a razor blade for hard to clean grime, paying careful attention not to scratch either your oven racks or the inside of your oven.
3. Use the power of lemons
If your oven is slightly dirty, you can use lemons to clean it. Besides cleaning your oven, this recipe also leaves the kitchen smelling fresh.
- ⬥ 2 lemons
- ⬥ Oven-safe bowl
- ⬥ Sponge
To clean an oven with lemons, cut the lemons in half and place them in an oven-safe bowl filled with water. Heat the bowl for an hour at 250°F.
As the water and lemon juice evaporate, they create steam and condensation on the inside of the oven, removing grime and dirt that have accumulated on its bottom and sides.
After an hour, turn off the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. The inside of the oven should be warm enough for cleaning, yet not so hot that you burn yourself.
Clean the bottom and sides of the oven with a wet sponge, getting into all the nooks and crannies.
4. Deep clean with ammonia
Try ammonia if your oven is filthy and needs something stronger. Despite the pungent smell of ammonia, it can be used to safely clean ovens if used correctly. Be sure your kitchen has plenty of ventilation before using this method.
- ⬥ Oven-safe bowl
- ⬥ 1/2 c of ammonia
- ⬥ Water
- ⬥ Saucepan
- ⬥ Scrub sponge
While preheating your oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, boil a pot of water. Add the ammonia to the bowl and set it on the top rack. Then, add the pan of water to the bottom rack, close the oven door, then turn off the oven. The water steam and ammonia will deep clean your oven overnight!
The next day, remove both the water and the bowl of ammonia from the oven. Remove the racks and sponge off the caked on grime.
Follow this up with a warm wet cloth to remove all residue on the floor, walls and ceiling of the oven. Then, dip a sponge into the leftover ammonia to wipe the inside of the glass oven door for a clean without streaks.
Stop Kitchen Fires Before They’ve Begun
