If you think about it, you might realize your kitchen area is more than a place where food is prepared. If there is a kitchen or dining room table in the vicinity, it’s also a place where family members and friends will gather to converse and discuss the hot topics of the day.
Given the importance of the kitchen to everyday life, it makes sense that you would want to keep the area clean and smelling fresh. Have you noticed that many of the annoying smells in the kitchen seem to be coming from kitchen appliances? It’s true, and the oven should always be considered one of the usual suspects.
Aside from annoying odors, there are other reasons for keeping your oven clean. First, a dirty oven covered in grease and grime creates a legitimate safety hazard. You would be amazed to learn that one of the leading causes of kitchen fires involves grease fires that start inside the oven. Second, there is always a chance that the grime inside of the oven will create health issues due to the toxins commonly found in burnt cooking byproducts.
The best way to stop the annoying odors and oven fires is to put a little extra effort into keeping your oven clean. Here are a few tips you can follow to make sure your oven is always in tiptop shape.
Cleaning Tips
Surely, you have heard the saying, “anything worth doing is worth doing right.” That’s certainly applicable to doing household chores like cleaning kitchen appliances. While it’s not complicated science, a lot of people don’t really know how to properly clean their oven. For your benefit, the following sections will address the oven cleaning process:
- Cleaning Equipment
- The best cleaning products
- The cleaning process
Cleaning Equipment
When you take on any endeavor around the house, it helps to have the proper equipment to get things done properly. The list of equipment you will need to clean the oven is not long. Each item is intended to make the cleaning process as effective and as safe as possible.
The list should include:
- Rubber gloves to protect your hands against harsh chemicals found in cleaning products
- Small brush to get the hard-to-reach areas
- Covering to protect the floor around the cleaning area
- Scrubbing pad/sponge/brush with medium bristles
- Microfiber Cloth for final wipe down without leaving fibers that can create a fire hazard
The Best Cleaning Products
As for cleaning products, you can choose among a large variety of chemical-based products and natural cleaning solutions. When selecting chemical cleaning products, you need to focus on the ones that are specifically intended to cut through grease and grime, non–toxic chemicals preferred. Spray bottles are best for easy application.
If you want to consider some natural cleaning solutions, some citrus oils work very well and leave a nice refreshing odor. You might also want to consider a mixture of vinegar, baking soda, and dishwashing soap to create a cleaning paste for application.
The Cleaning Process
If you follow these six easy steps, you can have a clean oven in less than 30 minutes.
Step 1 – Remove oven racks, place in warm water with soap, and let soak. After soaking for approximately 10 minutes, rinse and dry.
Step 2 – Scape off and clean out any loose food residue.
Step 3 – Apply cleaning products throughout the interior of the oven. That would include the bottom, sides, and over door. Do not get products on the heating coil.
Step 4 – Let cleaning products sit to activate and loosen grease/grime. Waiting 20 minutes should be fine unless product instructions state otherwise.
Step 5 – Scrub out the oven interior with scrubbing brushes and pads.
Step 6 – Wipe clean, dry, and replace clean over racks.
Preventative Cleaning
You should get in the habit of cleaning your oven at least once a week. If you want to simplify the process, you should consider wiping out the oven after every use. You should also consider using cooking covers over food when cooking or reheating in the oven.
There you have it, how to keep a safe and clean oven in six easy steps. When you are ready for a major house cleaning, Helping Hands Cleaning Services stands ready to provide you with our high-quality services.