Oven Cleaning Tips

Cleaning up the kitchen appliances is very essential so that there is no germ or bacteria manifestation in the kitchen. For a healthy living, your kitchen appliances should be cleaned and maintained periodically. Another benefit of maintaining kitchen appliances is that it adds to their longevity. So, in a way, you are saving yourself a whole lot of money, through proper upkeep of your kitchen appliances.

When it comes to the appliances used in kitchen, perhaps the most used one is the oven. For modern-day, easy and quick cooking, ovens are godsend! Scroll down for some easy cleaning tips...

Useful Cleaning Tips

The first thing that you should determine when cleaning an oven is which type of oven you have. Basically, there are three types of ovens available i.e. self-cleaning ovens, non self-cleaning regular ovens as well as textured ovens. All three entail different type of cleaning processes.

"Self-cleaning" Ovens
If you have a self-cleaning oven, you do not need to make many efforts to clean it. Simply follow the instructions, given in the owner's manual, to the tee. To clean such ovens, they have to be set to a particular temperature, as mentioned in the manual. Due to the heat, all the food particles and spills inside it get turned into ash. After you have allowed the oven to remain at the instructed temperature for the time mentioned in the manual, give the oven some time to cool. Follow this up by cleaning the ash with a damp cloth. You do not need to use any commercial cleaning products to clean the interiors of such an oven, although sometimes you may need to run the water through its interiors to remove the ash completely. For the door and the frame, use soap and water to clean. One caution - while the cleaning process is going on, lot of fumes and smoke might be produced, so keep the windows of your kitchen open for proper ventilation.

"Textured" Ovens
Next, we come to the textured ovens. These ovens come with a built-in mechanism wherein as you use the oven, simultaneously it keeps on getting cleaned by itself. The only thing needed to keep it clean is that after every use, run a damp cloth in its interiors.

"Non Self-cleaning" Ovens
The regular oven, which does not come with the perks of self-cleaning, needs some serious efforts on your part to be cleaned appropriately. Again, always follow the cleaning instructions mentioned in the manual, before going ahead with any cleaning process. The manual will list clearly, the detachable parts of the oven, which can be taken out and should be cleaned separately. So, follow these instructions, before setting out to prepare a homemade cleaning solvent.

One of the natural cleaning tips is to mix baking soda and vinegar in equal quantities. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap to it. Apply this mixture to the interior and exterior of the oven with a cloth. Leave it overnight and in the morning, using a scourer, scrub the oven surface. This will remove all the stains on the surface of the oven.

Another effective cleaning tip for a microwave oven is to keep a microwaveable bowl filled with water and lemon juice in equal quantities, inside the oven and heat it for two minutes. The steam which is produced due to this method helps in loosening the food particles, dirt and any stains which are there in the oven interiors. In the end, take a damp cloth and gently clean the oven surface with it.

Here's hoping that the next time you undertake kitchen cleaning, you will surely find the above given tips handy. As for safe and hygienic cooking, keeping the oven absolutely clean is very important, make it a point to clean it every few weeks.