Your oven has seen many occasions! From Christmas Dinners to lockdown banana bread, the oven has roasted and baked whenever you needed it. So, how is it looking? Whilst you probably give it a quick clean after use – ovens need some love and attention to get them back to their sparkly best. Make sure the oven is cool and follow our guide to cleaning the oven.
1. Clear out
Start by removing all the shelving and trays from your oven. Place them into a large bowl (or bath!) of hot water and soap so they can start to degrease while you tackle the main part.
Take a cloth or kitchen towel and start by removing all the loose bits of burnt food and debris around the oven. Wipe out and put that straight in the bin!
2. Start the clean
Now it is time to put on the rubber gloves!
Oven dirt is tough to remove; we prefer to avoid using harsh chemicals where we cook food, so our preferred option for an oven clean is bicarbonate of soda. You can make a cleaning paste by mixing half a cup of bicarbonate soda with water. Then spread it all over the oven – make sure you avoid the heating elements.
The paste is best left to work for several hours – so if you can, leave it overnight and it will loosen off the dirt more easily.
3. Clear glass
The glass front is the window to your oven, so make sure this part is sparkly clean. The same bicarbonate of soda paste will do wonders for your oven door too. Leave it on for 25-30mins then wipe off with a damp cloth – and you will start to see the other side again!
4. Clean Wire Racks
Your wire racks should be ready after an hour or so of soaking. Get out a cloth and scrub off the burnt-on-food. If the stains are really stubborn then try a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and douse with white wine vinegar. The bubbly reactions should help to lift off the tricky bits!
5. Wipe away the dirt
If you left it overnight, now is the time to clean off the paste from inside your oven. You can use a damp cloth to wipe away the paste, and it will lift off the grease and grime.
Finally give it a last wipe down with a damp cloth, followed by a dry cloth. Your oven will look like new again.
Going forward we recommend using oven liners, and/or placing a spare baking tray at the bottom of the oven to catch any spills and liquids. This will help prevent so much food and liquid burning onto your oven.
What are your hacks for cleaning the oven? Share in the comments below!
Leave a Reply