After a long holiday season I'm sure your oven could use a little cleaning, or a major detailing, I know mine does! So today we're going to be cleaning every part of our ovens.
To thoroughly clean our ovens we will work our way from the inside out. If you have a self cleaning cycle on your oven I recommend using that because it's the easiest way to tackle the tough drips on the bottom of the oven. However I know that many of you don't have a self cleaning cycle so here is what you need:
Pour about 3/4 cup of baking soda into a dish and slowly add water to it until it becomes a thin paste. You don't want it to be too thick because you want the mixture to be easy to spread, but you also don't want it to be too runny, about the thickness of pancake batter is perfect.
Spread the mixture all over the bottom of you oven, and if you have splatters on the sides, then coat them as well.
Wait 15-20 minutes and then wipe the oven clean. Most of the drips will come right up but for the tough drips, that want to put up a good fight, I recommend using Arm & Hammer toothpaste and a toothbrush to scrub off the drips. Arm & Hammer toothpaste, and a little scrubbing action, will work wonders for cleaning the tough spots in your oven!
Use the same baking soda mixture to also clean the glass on the oven door.
Now that the inside of the oven is clean let's move on up to the burners.
There are a lot of stove top cleaners on the market but all of them have the same awful, chemical, smell to them. I have found that the best way to clean my cook top is using Arm & Hammer toothpaste and a toothbrush. Spread the toothpaste onto the toothbrush and then use the toothbrush to cover the burn spots on your cook top with the toothpaste. There's no need to scrub, you could even apply the toothpaste with your fingers if you don't have an extra toothbrush.
Wait 10-15 minutes. When the timer has expired wipe the surface clean using a damp cloth.
The stove top will be sparkly clean {and it will smell good too}!
We are almost done! There's just one more thing to clean and it's something that is usually overlooked when you think about cleaning the oven. Know what it is?
The knobs! Don't just wipe them clean, actually pull them off and see what's lurking under there.
Pretty gross. But don't worry, it's an easy fix. For this simple task you will need a spray bottle filled with white vinegar (or a white vinegar/water mix if you prefer), a sponge and a clean bowl.
Here's what to do:
1. Place all the knobs in the bowl and fill it with white vinegar. Leave them to sit while you clean the oven.
2. Next spray the oven with white vinegar and let it set for about 30 seconds. Some of it will drip to the stove top but that's okay.
3. Take the sponge and wipe down the stove making sure to get all the grime that is stuck to the surface. If your stove has decades of grime crusted to it and the grease isn't completely coming off with the white vinegar then sprinkle a little baking soda onto your sponge. The baking soda will cut through the grease and it will wipe right off.
4. Next drain the vinegar that the knobs are soaking in and scrub them clean too. I like to let my knobs dry for at least a few hours because I'm paranoid that a little water might mess up the stove. Once they are dry place them back on the oven.
Here's what to do:
1. Place all the knobs in the bowl and fill it with white vinegar. Leave them to sit while you clean the oven.
2. Next spray the oven with white vinegar and let it set for about 30 seconds. Some of it will drip to the stove top but that's okay.
3. Take the sponge and wipe down the stove making sure to get all the grime that is stuck to the surface. If your stove has decades of grime crusted to it and the grease isn't completely coming off with the white vinegar then sprinkle a little baking soda onto your sponge. The baking soda will cut through the grease and it will wipe right off.
4. Next drain the vinegar that the knobs are soaking in and scrub them clean too. I like to let my knobs dry for at least a few hours because I'm paranoid that a little water might mess up the stove. Once they are dry place them back on the oven.
We're finished! Our ovens are sparkly clean and ready for a break after the big holiday baking season! The best part about cleaning the oven this way--no harsh chemicals. It's amazing what you can clean with a little baking soda, Arm & Hammer toothpaste and some vinegar!
One last note: If you used the Self Cleaning Cycle to clean the inside of your oven, check out this great tip for how to get your oven racks to slide easily again.
One last note: If you used the Self Cleaning Cycle to clean the inside of your oven, check out this great tip for how to get your oven racks to slide easily again.
