From day-to-day cooking to baking your show stopping dessert that everyone requests at potlucks, it’s no wonder that your oven gets its fair share of grime and buildup. While cleaning your oven might be a chore that everyone loathes, modern ovens make it more simple than ever before. With a few key tips, you can keep your oven looking great for years to come.
Clean It Regularly
Like any other cleaning task, the longer you wait to complete it, the more difficult the job. For this reason, experts recommend that ovens should be cleaned every 3-6 months. Just like any cleaning job, expert recommendations should be taken as guidelines, if your oven starts looking grimy sooner, it’s time to tackle the task. Remember that prominent splatters or grease stains’ scent can alter your food’s flavor and even cause harmful smoke when baked.
Get Your Oven Ready to be Cleaned
A self-cleaning oven may sound like a “get out of jail” free card, but there are still some essential tasks you need to complete before you use the cleaning setting on your modern oven. Whether you opt for the steam cleaning or self-cleaning method, there are some steps to take. First, be sure to remove any items from your oven, including the oven racks. Next, remove any excess crumbs or food residue with a damp cloth, avoiding letting water or cleaner enter the slots on the doorframe. Food can react with porcelain at high temps, which can cause superficial pitting or scratches in your oven if not removed. Since a self-cleaning oven gets extremely hot (900-1000 degrees), don’t leave any items on your oven’s top surface, as they could melt.
Avoid These Common Mistakes
After the self-cleaning process has occurred, you may think that you’re home-free, but there are still a few important rules to remember. Once your oven has self-cleaned, use a damp cloth to clean out any remaining ash, but be careful to avoid touching the oven door’s glass with a damp cloth. Wait until the oven has completely cooled before you begin cleaning. Once you’re completely finished, you may be tempted to ward off future spills by placing aluminum foil on the bottom of your oven. Do not do this as the foil can cause permanent damage to your oven’s finish.
