Introduction
For most people cleaning ovens is a difficult chore. However, before you search for “cleaning services near me”, you should try cleaning your oven the right way. Here’s how you can do it:
The Details
1. Types of ovens – All men and women are created equal. Unfortunately, ovens aren’t. That’s why it’s important to figure out the type of oven you have before you can clean it. You’re in luck if you have self-cleaning ovens. They clean themselves by blasting steam at high temperatures inside the oven. In the end, you get debris that can be easily swiped away.
If you have a textured oven, cleaning that would be easy as well. The special surface of the walls burns food slowly so that you can easily wipe them off. If you’re stuck with a traditional oven, you need to do a lot of manual cleaning.
2. Tools and supplies for cleaning – First of all, you need to choose the right cleaning solution so that you can get rid of grime and grease without doing permanent damage to your expensive oven. Cleaners come in different forms, and you can choose one that suits your needs. Here are some you can choose from:
- Degreasers – Usually come in the form of a foam and are powerful enough to cut through food residue and grease
- Multi-purpose cleaners – Apart from cleaning your oven, they can also be used for cleaning microwave ovens and grills
- Homemade cleaners – Usually made from vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide. Can save you a few bucks.
- Plant-based cleaners – Doesn’t have harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin
- Spot cleaners – Best for cleaning spills and touch-ups in between rigorous cleaning sessions.
Once you select your cleaner, it’s time to get the tools. Right tools make your chore easier and more efficient. Here’s what you need:
- Soft Cloth – Best for cleaning your self-cleaning and textured oven with warm water
- Brush – Use scrub brushes to get rid of stubborn stains and soft-bristled brushes to get rid of loose debris
- Spray bottle – Useful for spraying your DIY cleaner or for using a small amount of cleaner liquid from the bulky container you bought on sale
- Masks and Gloves – TO protect your eyes and hands while cleaning
- Microfiber cloth – For a final wipe down and drying
3. Prep for cleaning – When you have the supplies and tools, it’s time to get your oven ready for cleaning. Turn off the switch, unplug the oven and wait for it to cool down. Remove pots, pans, racks, or anything that can be cleaned in the sink. You should have free access to the interior.
If you’re using powerful chemical cleaners, you need to ventilate your kitchen so that harmful fumes don’t get trapped inside. Open the windows and use the fans. After that, you need to check for large food debris that may have been accumulated on the floor over a long period. If there are baked particles, baking soda and water solution should loosen them up. To scrape out large pieces use a plastic spatula to get them off the surface. Any other chunks of food can be removed with a soft cloth.
4. It’s time to presoak – Pre-soaking your clothes before they go into the washer helps you to get rid of stubborn stains more efficiently. The same holds for cleaning your oven. Presoaking different components in the cleaner eases your chore. It also reduces the need for heavy scrubbing which in turn reduces manual labor on your part.
Racks – To clean your oven racks, spray them with a dishwashing liquid that cuts down grease and pre-soak them in a large sink. If you don’t have a large sink, use your bathtub or a large plastic tub. Sometimes the cleaning liquid from the supermarket also packages complimentary bags for soaking your racks.
Interior surface – Cleaners in the form of pastes and foams can be applied directly to the floor, ceiling, and walls of your oven. However, make sure that you don’t apply cleaning liquid to electrical components inside the oven like the thermostat, bulbs, or heating elements. Wipe them with a cloth if you accidentally apply the cleaning solution to those components.
Window – Oven windows are usually made from glass and cleaning them with a glass cleaner should be enough.
5. Scrub and Wipe – Since you have presoaked all the components and the inner surface of the oven, there shouldn’t be any need for excessive scrubbing. Gentle and effortless scrubbing sessions should be able to remove any grime and residue stuck to the surface. Once you’re done with scrubbing, you can wipe everything down with a damp cloth and get rid of all traces of cleaner foam or liquid. After that, you can use a microfiber cloth to dry your oven and reinstall the racks in their position.
6. Clean the exterior – Since you’re deep cleaning your oven, you can’t forget about the exterior. When you’re cooking and backing in the kitchen, the oil, vapors, and fumes created during cooking can stick to the surface of the oven and make it dirty. Thankfully, cleaning the exterior is a much easier task than the interior surface. Simply wipe the exterior in round motions with a soft cloth damped in warm soapy water. Once you’re done getting rid of the grime, rinse it with water to get rid of the soap.
Now you need to clean the glass window outside with a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. However, if you’re the owner of a fancy oven with a premium stainless-steel finish, it’s best to buy a stainless-steel cleaner. Those cleaners will get rid of the oil and grime without affecting the lustrous finish of the steel.
Conclusion
Now that you know about deep cleaning your oven, you can buy the necessary supplies and tools and use one of your weekends to make your oven sparkle like new. You can also search for “cleaning services near me” and get the job done by professionals to make better use of your time.
