How frequently should one clean the oven?

 

Oven cleaning, most people would agree, it’s the worst job in the kitchen! In fact, most of us dislike cleaning the oven so much that we simply ignore it until it’s too late. By then, the fat and food deposits have become so baked on that you almost need a chisel to remove them.

Dirty surfaces and elements can lower the efficiency of your oven and cause food to cook unevenly. In the same way fat on a BBQ can catch fire, so can grime inside your oven.

To avoid this, keep on top of your oven maintenance! Every three to six months give the oven a good, thorough clean. Doing it more often makes the job more bearable.

It’s great to know there is an alternative – get the team from Service King in – we’ll return your oven to peak efficiency and have it looking almost brand new in no time. If you do want to take up the challenge, we’ve compiled some tips to get your oven clean inside and out.

 

Self-cleaning ovens? What’s the catch?

Some newer models of oven have a self cleaning mode. By switching this on, your oven will heat up to extreme temperatures and in the process burn everything inside  to an absolute crisp. As the leftovers are now ash, you can wipe them out much more easily than scrubbing would allow.

The major drawback is that afterwards you won’t be able to use your often for three to five hours. In warmer months, the heat radiating off the oven can make the room stifling. Also, pets and children should be kept out of the kitchen as there may be some unpleasant odours arising.

Research the model of your oven for the best approach- pans and racks may have to be removed and no commercial cleaners should be used during this process. Always make sure the oven has cooled completely before wiping out the residual substances.

 

Commercial cleaners & your oven

After you have burnt everything to cinders, let your oven cool, and wiped it down, if there is still residue, there are a few options. One alternative is to buy a commercial cleaning product. Usually these products are very strong so make sure you open the windows, use gloves, and mask up! If you have skipped the first step, after removing food, spray your choice of cleaning product evenly throughout the oven. Let it sit for 30 minutes and wipe away grease that has now been lifted.

 

Make your own oven cleaning solution!

If all those chemicals are not for you, whip up your own cleaning solution. You can never go wrong with baking soda, vinegar and water. Mix half a cup of baking soda with water to form a paste. Then, apply liberally to the surfaces in the oven. You can also spray some vinegar on top of the paste for an extra kick. Wait at least 20 minutes (ideally longer) before using some non-abrasive scrubbing pads to scrub the surfaces and shift the residue.

 

Cleaning the inside of your oven

Oven racks

Oven racks are hard to clean because of their size, shape, and ability to keep and collect all burnt food. The easiest way to clean racks is to place them in the bathtub with boiling water and dishwashing detergent. Another solution is to create the same baking soda, water, and vinegar mixture as above and let it sit for some time. The key is to allow enough time for the agents to do their work.

Glass

Be careful with scrubbing here as glass can easily scratch. Don’t use scrubbing sponges but a microfibre cloth. To clean residue, baking soda is again your friend! Use the paste as mentioned and spread over the glasses surface. Wash off paste with water and a microfibre cloth, then buff with a dry cloth for that sparkling shine!

If do you choose the professional route, we’ll get that oven looking brand new. Book an oven clean today.

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