Whether or not you regularly use your oven at home, you need to clean it regularly. Fortunately, keeping your oven spotless and clean isn’t nearly as difficult as you’d think. You only need to equip yourself with the right tools and information to do the job well! If it is your first time doing the chore or looking for essential facts about oven-cleaning, this article will tell you what you need to know. 

Why Clean Your Oven

The oven is one of the most overlooked items in a kitchen, but cleaning it is necessary for you and your family’s safety. Why? Let’s take a look at a few possibilities:

• If there is leftover grease inside the oven and it gets ignited, it can cause dangerous grease fires, damaging your range and potentially injuring your family. 
• Not keeping your oven clean can also result in fumes and smokes coming from spills that burn. It can cause the eyes and lungs of those using the oven to become irritated.
• The leftover smell of the dish or pastry you previously cook can affect the quality of the food you cook next.
• Cooking in an unclean oven is never good for anyone’s health. Despite the presence of heat that is supposed to be killing germs, you risk your family to potentially harmful germs and bacteria that could make them ill. 

How Frequently Your Oven Should be Cleaned

The number of times you should clean your oven depends on many factors.

• Oven appearance: It is time to clean if you see food residue inside your oven or grease and grime on your oven door.
• Odour: It is time to clean your oven if you notice a particular smell whenever you fire up your oven. 
• Smoke: An oven is not supposed to smoke. If you notice this, maybe it is time to inspect and clean your oven.
• Usage: If you are a dedicated baker regularly using your oven, consider deep cleaning your oven once every three months. If you use it once or twice a month, deep cleaning it once or twice a year will do. 

Cleaning Methods

Method 1: An easy way to clean your oven with items you have at home is with a DIY cleaner made of baking soda, vinegar, and water. Mix everything inside a spray bottle and spritz it all over the surfaces of your oven. Let it sit for 10 to 12 hours before wiping it clean. This mixture is perfect for ranges with difficult-to-remove buildup. 

Method 2: Another DIY cleaner you can try is a mixture of lemon juice and water. Spray it on your oven and leave for one to two hours. This mixture is recommended for cleaning mild oven buildup. 

Method 3: Clean your oven using a store-bought oven cleaner formulated to eliminate grease deposits and film. These are best for major oven cleanup and will undoubtedly make the deep cleaning chore to be a breeze! 

Step-by-Step Guide for Cleaning the Oven

1. Wear your rubber cleaning gloves and safety glasses.
2. Place a newspaper or paper towels on the floor underneath your oven to catch the splashes, leaks, or debris that may come from the cleaning.
3. Take out all items found inside the oven.
4. Spray the oven cleaner or your preferred homemade cleaner to the insides of your oven. If you use an oven cleaner, do not spray the chemical on your electric oven’s heating elements. If you use a gas oven, keep the chemical away from where the gas comes through.
5. Let the cleaner sit inside the oven according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. While waiting, start cleaning the items you removed from the oven interior. Spray them with the cleaning agent, place inside the garbage bag, and leave according to the advised time.
7. Afterwards, clean up the inside of the oven using a damp cloth rack.
8. Rinse the oven items using hot, soapy water. 
9. Dry all of the components and carefully place them back inside.  

Conclusion

Cleaning an oven is simple. As long as you follow these steps, you can successfully cleanse and disinfect the insides of your oven in no time at all. That said, make sure to use a quality cleaner to remove the buildup effectively without doing any damage to the equipment.

If you are looking for the best grill or oven cleaning solutions for your home, hospitality, or industrial needs, Reliance Chemicals is just the place to go. We have been offering Australians the finest cleaning products for over 25 years! All our products are backed with research to ensure quality. Shop our products today!