Oven Cleaning: Quick Guide

To start: Make sure you won't need your oven for six or seven hours, the oven cleaner will need time to break down the burnt on food in the oven.

Remove the oven racks and set them aside for now.  We will go over two different methods of cleaning the oven, the first is the one I do.  I use the Great Value fume free heavy duty oven cleaner.  It still smells, but also smells a bit like oranges.  Spray more on the bottom of the oven with the most build up to ensure you can get a clean oven in one swipe.  Wear cleaning gloves when you spray the cleaner.  Then close up the oven and wait.  After the time is up (you are probably tired now and have forgot you were cleaning the oven but hey, that's a mom's life) take a cloth and work in section wiping out the oven.  Please wear cleaning gloves.  Wipe one section out, then wash out your cloth in hot water.  Wipe out each section 3 or 4 times to ensure no cleaner is left behind, because it sure leaves a bad smell if it isn't wiped out well when you decide to heat your oven.  Turn on the light in your oven to help you see!  Use a scrubbing pad if you encounter tough spots.

Skip this paragraph if you are doing the first technique.
If you prefer more natural cleaning techniques, make a paste with water and baking soda and apply it with a sponge to the inside of your oven.  On the bottom of the oven where it is particularly bad, you could also sprinkle straight baking soda and then put a hot hot cloth over top.  This method is also pretty good for your stove top.  After a few hours have passed I spray vinegar onto the dried baking soda multiple times until all the dried baking soda has reacted with the vinegar.  Wipe out your oven with a cloth, using a scrubbing pad on the tough spots.

You can use a copper scrubbing pad in most ovens to eliminate caked on debris, just test in an inconspicuous spot to be sure it won't scratch the interior of your oven.  Don't forget to scrub the top of your oven!

Oven Racks:  You could leave them in the oven and spray them with oven cleaner, but I find that makes cleaning the oven much more difficult to get not as great of a deep clean.  I place a towel in the bottom of my tub then fill it up with hot hot water.  Place the oven racks in the water and fill the tub one to two inches above the racks.  Then I sprinkle in a decent amount of Oxi-clean, especially right over the racks!  Wait for two hours, an hour if they aren't bad, and then scrub them clean over the tub!  Drain the tub and voila, they are done!


I hope this helps!  Happy Cleaning!

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