Introduction
You’d be a part of an elite club if you like cleaning chores. However, no one enjoys cleaning their greasy oven. But it’s a thing that needs to be done. You can always get professional help by searching for “home cleaning services near me”. Otherwise, you can get the right supplies, cleaning tools and use all the elbow grease you can muster to deep clean your oven. Here’s how you can do it:
The Details
- Type of Oven – Ovens aren’t made the same. The cleaning process would depend on the type of oven you have in your home. For instance, if you have a self-cleaning oven, you can let the machine do all the cleaning. No need to get your hands dirty. You can simply press a button to activate the self-clean cycle and the oven will use high temperature or steam blasts to reduce food debris to ash. After that, you need to sweep the dust away.
On the other hand, you may have textured ovens that burn food debris gradually with their special surfaces. They can be cleaned with light wipe-downs. However, you’ll need to do a lot of manual cleaning if you have a regular non-self-cleaning oven. If you’re not sure about the type of oven you have, you can always consult the manufacturer’s manual.
- Choose the right cleaning supplies – The market is filled with everything from organic multitasking cleaners to heavy-duty degreasers and the supplies you buy depend on the condition of your oven. It’s also important to stay away from toxic chemicals and those products that may lead to skin injuries or even damage your expensive oven.
If your oven needs a light touch-up, you can buy spot cleaners. On the other hand, you’ll need degreasers to soften and free up food residue and grease stuck in the oven. Degreasers usually come in foam form and need to be left at the surface for a certain period after they are applied. If you spend a bit more money, you can get plant-based cleaners that are free from artificial chemicals and won’t harm your skin or your oven. You can also cook up your own cleaner with some baking soda, vinegar, and other common things found in the kitchen.
- Choose the right cleaning tools – When it comes to cleaning tools you need a few items and protective gear. Get masks, gloves, eyewear, and heavy-duty aprons to protect yourself. If your cleaner releases foul fumes you can also get a respirator mask. To clean your oven, you’ll need brushes. Both soft-bristled brushes for loose debris and scrub brushes for stubborn stains and baked food residue on the walls and floor of the oven.
Apart from brushes, you’ll also need soft cloths to wipe down the interior surfaces of the oven. If you don’t have soft cloth, you can also use the newspaper. It’s best to get a set of small microfiber cloths. They can be used for cleaning the interior surface of the oven as well as any glass surfaces. If you make a DIY cleaning solution, you need a few spray bottles to use them.
- Prepare your oven – Once you have the right cleaning supplies and tools, turn off your oven and wait till it completely cools off. Empty out the oven completely along with the racks. With a free open space cleaning the oven would be easier. The racks need to be cleaned separately.
- Allow optimal ventilation – If you’re using chemical cleaners you need to make sure that the kitchen is optimally ventilated. Chemical cleaners would produce a lot of harmful fumes that can put your health at risk. They can also cause respiratory problems and eye allergies. Open all the windows and use fans to direct the fumes towards the windows instead of other rooms in your home.
- Remove food debris – If your oven has large chunks of food on the floor, wipe them away with a cloth or a newspaper. If a few chunks are hard to get off the surface, use a plastic spatula to scrape them off. If the food debris is too stubborn, you can mix in baking soda and water and use that paste to loosen the baked-on chunks.
- Presoak components – You need to presoak all the cleanable components of the oven before you can scrub or wipe them clean. Presoaking helps to loosen baked-on residue and reduces the need for rigorous scrubbing that damages the paint or finish. The components mainly include racks, oven interiors, and window glass.
You can use all-purpose cleaners, degreasers, foams, and sprays to soak those components. The same goes for plant-based natural cleaning products. After the components are soaked in the cleaner for about an hour or two, you can scrub them clean.
- Scrub it clean – After the components have been soaked for a couple of hours, you can get rid of most of the filth with light scrubbing. Get a scouring pad or a scrubbing brush and remove the remaining residue. Once all the residue is removed and you’re satisfied you can use a damp cloth to clean the cleaning liquid along with the filth from the oven interiors. Make sure none of the cleaning products or residue remains. For cleaning racks, you can simply rinse them under the tap and let them dry out in the air.
- Exterior cleaning – Due to cooking and baking byproducts, the oven’s exterior can also get a grease coat. However, cleaning the exterior is easy. You can use hot soapy water with a clean cloth to clean the appliance. After the grease coat is dissolved, you can clean the exterior with a clean and damp cloth. Finish the wipe with a dry microfiber cloth.
Conclusion
With the right tools and cleaning supplies, getting rid of the gunk and grease from the filthiest oven isn’t a big deal. However, cleaning is a tedious chore. You can hire professionals to do the job for you by searching for “home cleaning services near me”.