Oven Cleaning Tips
Best Oven Cleaning Tips
There is nothing like the delicious scent of home baked pies or casseroles wafting through the air but, after the baking is done, the cook may need some handy oven cleaning tips. Fast clean up of spills and bubble over incidences will keep the oven in the best of conditions.
The enjoyment of baking or cooking is only overshadowed by the mess that it sometimes makes. Taking care of the numerous ingredients used in the preparation and cleaning up the workspace takes little time and effort. Some of the foods cook cleanly, but many others cause spattering of grease on the oven’s ceiling or walls, dripping of sugary fillings or plopping of half baked dough down to the floor of the oven. The hot oven instantly begins to cook these accidental incidents; the greasy splatters turn into a thick goo plastered on the sides while the drippings on the bottom burn to a hard, blackened mound. If a little forethought had been considered, a piece of aluminum foil placed over the oven rack or an aluminum drip pan placed on the floor of the oven would have caught these messes from reaching the oven floor. Unfortunately, we don’t always remember to take these preventative measures, with the end result being a baked on mess.
There are several commercial products on the market that are designed to clean the messes from ovens by applying a spray or foam to the interior and allowing it to gradually remove the grime. However, these products are extremely caustic and dangerous to use. If the alkaline fumes from the product are accidently spilled on the skin or inhaled or swallowed, numerous serious symptoms will ensue. Difficulty breathing, severe pain or burning in the throat or eyes, burns on the skin, heart problems, lowered blood pressure and vomiting can result if the individual comes into contact with these products. These commercial cleaners are also detrimental to the environment, with numerous chemicals contaminating water and soil. Sometimes, the condition of the oven warrants such a product, however. When it must be used, the individual must make sure they are protected to the fullest extent. These preventative measures include using rubber gloves that extend up to the elbow, wearing protective eye wear and keeping the kitchen area well ventilated with open windows. After allowing the product to penetrate, use disposable cloths to wipe the oven walls clean. These cloths must be discarded after use.
There are better oven cleaning tips that offer no detrimental health issues or include toxic chemicals that can harm the environment. Obviously, the best way to have a sparkling clean oven is to protect the surfaces from any means of splattering. If it is too late for that, the key is to make sure to clean the oven after every use to avoid build up of grease and grime. Wiping it down with a clean, dampened cloth while the oven is still warm but not hot will remove surface debris. Sticky residue can be removed by adding a grease cutting cleanser to your dampened cloth. For tough jobs, using natural products such as baking soda, ammonia, vinegar, borax, salt and water can clean your oven without endanger your health. For spilled foods, sprinkle a layer of baking soda over the baked on spill, and then spray a fine mist of water over the baking soda until it is saturated. Allow this to remain on the spill, continuing to add water mists when the baking soda appears dry, for about 12 hours. Leaving it sit overnight is a good plan; the following morning, you will be able to scrape out the residue and simply wipe clean.
It is easy to keep a clean oven if it is cleaned on a regular basis after every use. Following these tips can keep you safe if using commercial cleaners and even safer if using non-toxic means, and ensure that your oven is always in the best condition.