The oven is the heart of the kitchen. Whether for a delicious cake, a juicy roast or a classic casserole – the oven is used regularly in most kitchens. So that it looks good for a long time and also bakes and sizzles for a long time, it has to be cleaned regularly. Simply wiping the oven with a damp cloth is often not enough to get rid of stubborn dirt. The following applies: the more often you clean, the easier regular cleaning will be.
In many kitchens, cleaning the oven is not part of the weekly cleaning ritual, but should be done at least every two to three months if the oven is used regularly. If this is neglected, heavy dirt can burn into the housing and cause toxic fumes. These can be harmful to health and also affect the taste of the prepared dishes.
To prevent the oven from getting seriously soiled in the first place, a few things should be observed:
Oven spray is one of the most popular, easiest and most reliable means of cleaning the oven. There is no general guide here. Pay attention to the instructions on the back of the spray bottle. In most cases, the baking tray has to be removed from the oven in order to then completely cover the interior of the oven with the spray foam. Depending on the recommendation on the back, the spray must then act for between ten and 30 minutes. After the exposure time has expired, the foam on the housing should be thoroughly removed with a damp cloth (tip: for an even better result, leave the oven spray to work overnight and cover with cling film. This makes it easier to remove particularly stubborn residues the next day.).
Advantages: The oven spray can be used when conventional home remedies (lemon, vinegar, salt, etc.) fail. It is a cheap and quick option.
Cons: The spray is still largely made up of chemical ingredients. Although not serious, it often spreads an unpleasant chemical smell and is sometimes harmful to the environment.
If you shy away from the big chemical club or don’t have an oven spray in the house at the moment, you can try a few home remedies when cleaning the oven. Although these can usually be used with only light soiling, they can be used in a targeted manner and, with the right mixture, can work wonders.
Dishwashing liquid can be used for light dirt and incrustations. Mixed with water, it is carefully applied inside the oven with a sponge or cloth and then scrubbed off. This makes dirt easier to remove. You also get a good overview of the degree of soiling in the oven.
If the dirt is more stubborn, you can use dishwashing powder for the dishwasher as an alternative to the oven spray in the next step. Due to its fat-dissolving and chemical composition, which is already present, it can be used very well when cleaning the oven. The dosage is also very easy. Dishwashing powder is a product that is available in most households and is therefore readily available when you don’t feel like going to the supermarket.
A non-chemical and environmentally friendly home remedy for cleaning the oven that everyone in the household is guaranteed to have ready is salt. Cleaning the oven with salt and a damp cloth is very easy and quick. When cleaning the oven with salt, the degree of soiling is also important.
Baking soda is used in many areas for cleaning and stain removal. The all-rounder can also be used to clean the oven in case of grease splashes or similar.
The lemon is also used in many areas, including stain removal. Unpleasant odors and light soiling can be easily combated with a little lemon and water. The lemon is one of the environmentally friendly oven cleaning variants and also ensures a pleasantly fresh scent.
Using shaving foam as a cleaning agent sounds a bit strange at first, but many users swear by its effect. Also because it is a cheap alternative to many oven cleaners. Ordinary shaving foam consists of water, betaine, polyglyceril and potassium, which are ideal for removing stains and are therefore also perfect for cleaning a dirty oven. The potassium soap in particular helps to remove burnt-in stains and dirt. As always, coarse food residues should be removed from the oven before use.
Vinegar cleaner has long been considered one of the best home remedies for cleaning the bathroom and kitchen. Vinegar has also proven its worth when cleaning the oven. The advantage is that the different strengths of vinegar can be used personally, depending on the degree of soiling.
The vinegar can be used in two different ways.
Light soiling
Stubborn dirt
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is an integral part of many cleaning agents anyway. Among other things, various detergents or baking powder contain the additive sodium bicarbonate. It reacts with water and acid and foams. Soda also dissolves stubborn dirt, limescale and fat spatters and should therefore not be missing from the top household products.
What, how and where exactly works best can be tried out piece by piece at home. Luckily, cleaning only needs to be done every few months, and maybe even less frequently with the preventive measures outlined above. After a thorough cleaning of the oven, all oven dishes can be enjoyed again without hesitation.
Sources: “ao.de”; “Chip”; “Better Living”; “Utopia”
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