After continuous baking and roasting, what can you expect from an oven? Using it regularly can make the interior of an oven charred due to carbon deposits after cooking food. If you leave your oven unattended after cooking, eventually the carbon coating starts getting thicker. As a result, the quality of the food, prepared using the oven, can get tainted.
In this article, we are going to teach you the correct way on how to clean oven. We will discuss the method for cleaning a dirty oven step by step. Read the instructions for the method carefully before starting with the cleaning.
How to Clean an Oven
1. Preparation Of Ingredients
The first step that you will need to do is prepare the ingredients for cleaning the oven. For this method, you are going to use ½ cup bicarbonate of soda and 3 cups of water. Mix them well to create a paste, which you will use for cleaning the interior of the oven. Note that the mixture should not be too watery. Otherwise, it will not lather the surface of the oven and remove the charred interiors effectively.
2. Removal Of Components
Now, ensure that you have removed all the components of the oven, including the cord and racks/shelves. Some elements, like the heating coil inside the oven, might not be removable. So, be careful with that.
3. Coating The Interiors
With the help of a medium-sized paintbrush, start coating the interiors of the oven with the paste you made earlier.
Coat all the areas, especially where the oven’s surface appears to be charred. Avoid coating the heating coils and elements inside the appliance. If you need more paste, then create more to use it again. You may have to leave the oven for the next 10 to 12 hours after coating it to serve its purpose.
You might have to coat the glass door of your oven with paste if it is equally dirty. If the coating is not required for the glass pane, then you can simply wipe it with a damp cloth later.
4. Cleaning The Removed Components
While the baking soda paste works its magic, you can start cleaning the shelves in the kitchen sink. Depending upon the size of your oven racks, its shelves may fit in the sink or not. If they do not fit in the sink, then you can clean them in a tub.
Soak the racks in warm soapy water for the next 2 hours. After that, use a scouring sponge to scrub the shelf grills. Rinse with the tap water afterwards. After that, clean the broiler pan (if it comes with your oven) using the same technique as for the shelves. For charred broiler pans, you may first have to apply the baking soda to the pan and let it crack the grimy surface first.
5. Wiping And Clearing The Dried Surface Of The Oven
After 10 to 12 hours, it is time to clean the interiors of the oven coated with the baking soda paste. You might notice that the coating has turned brown. Do not be alarmed, as this is how the process works. The baking soda paste absorbs and breaks the dirty surface present on the oven.
Now, using a damp cloth, wipe away the dried surface on the interiors of the oven. You may need a spatula (preferably plastic or wood), to scrape off the stubborn parts of dried paste. Avoid using a metal spatula, as it can damage the surface of the oven.
6. Cleaning The Oven More Effectively
This step involves using water and white vinegar solution. You will need 2 cups of water and a ½ cup of vinegar for making the solution first. Fill up a spray bottle with the solution. Now, spritz the complete oven, inside and outside, with the solution. The vinegar solution will react with the left baking soda paste in the oven to form foam.
With the help of a paper towel, wipe off the foam from the surface of the oven. Try using some elbow grease if you have to so that the oven begins to shine like a brand new piece. Inspect the oven’s interior to see for any missed spots. If there are spots left out, then spray some more vinegar solution over the dirty spots and wipe them away.
You can spray the solution on the broiler pan as well so that it can be cleaned in a similar way as the oven.
7. Add The Racks And Other Components Back In the Oven
After cleaning and drying everything, you can replace all the components back in the appliance. Make sure to rerack the shelves properly without damaging the oven’s interior. Avoid damaging the heating elements as well while doing so.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you were able to understand and follow the guide on how to clean the oven properly. You can follow this procedure to clean the unit quarterly for best results. Keeping it neat and clean will ensure that the food you prepare in it stays healthy for your family.
Another thing to note is that this method is not the only one to clean an oven. You can find other methods too that may involve purchasing artificial cleaners from stores or involve the use of lemon juice. But, using baking soda and vinegar have shown effective results for cleaning some of the dirtiest surfaces.
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