There is hardly an aspect of oven cleaning that is not considered bothersome, time-consuming and a big issue in general. Even if you do manage to muster the motivation to do it and initiate a cleaning session, you will soon enough find yourself wishing someone else to do it.
One thing you should know is that you can make the task more manageable when you first learn what you will most commonly encounter. Ovens get dirty in a variety of different ways, so it pays off to be prepared to face them the best way possible.
Here are a few cleaning solutions that can treat the most common problems:
- Smoke coming from the appliance – while this may be interpreted as a sign of serious appliance malfunction, it is most commonly the case of burnt-on food debris and grease inside the oven that causes the smoke. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have the stove checked, just to be sure. If it does prove to be a technical problem, you must resolve it before using the appliance again. If it is just burnt-on food, you should approach the issue differently according to the type of oven you have. Self-cleaning ovens can heat up debris to high temperature, essentially turning them to ash. Still, in most cases, you should do some manual cleaning with a paper towel or a spatula for tough areas.
- Baked-on grease – that is one problem you will find particularly annoying to deal with because it can get messy. It is all a question of getting the appropriate cleaning solution to deal with the job efficiently. One option you have is to go with a commercial brand that you know and just use that. For a greener approach, you can use baking soda and water mixed into a paste. Spread it over the greasy surface and allow it to sit overnight. You will find the grease quite easy to remove after that.
- Spoiled racks – baked-on grease can quickly end up on the shelves. In fact, that is the most likely part of the oven to get messy. What you should do to clean the racks is fill your sink or bathtub with hot water, pour some washing up liquid and soak them. Racks are easy to clean this way.
- Messy oven door – a dirty oven door should be addressed with a specialised cleaning solution, which works on glass. You can also use the baking soda method as well. In any case, place a mat or a large enough cloth under the door to stop unwanted drips.
- Spoiled hob – before you initiate any cleaning, you have to recognise that different hobs are cleaned differently. Abrasive cleaners are not recommended regardless, as they can easily scratch the surface of the hob. Spray some liquid cleaner and leave it there for some time before wiping it off.
All of these are some oven cleaning challenges that you will have to deal with sooner or later. If you follow the outlined recommendations, you will have no trouble whatsoever.
