Whether you’re baking up a storm or cooking a Sunday roast, the oven is one of the most-used appliances in the kitchen. However, it’s probably also one of the most ignored when it comes to clean-up. With all those baked-in spills from overflowing cake tins and bubbling lasagnes, the task of cleaning the oven may seem daunting – but it doesn’t have to.
How to clean an oven with bicarb and vinegar
Vinegar and bicarb soda are the dynamic duo of home cleaning, and can be used on everything from surfaces to sinks. They are also super effective at cleaning the oven – so to get started, simply make a paste out of bicarb and water. Remove the oven racks from the oven, then spread all the internal surfaces of your oven with the paste (avoiding the heating elements). Allow to sit for about 10-12 hours, then wipe off as much of the paste as you can with a damp cloth. Once this is done, pour a little vinegar into a spray bottle and spritz over any remaining bicarb. Leave to sit for a few minutes, then wipe away the resulting foam with the damp cloth. Repeat until all the bicarb is gone and your oven is bright and shiny.
How to clean an oven with water
Place a large, oven-proof container full of water into your oven on the lowest rack. Turn the oven to its highest temperature and allow the water to steam for 20-30 minutes. Then turn off the oven and let it cool down without opening the door. Once it’s cool, use a damp cloth or sponge to scrub down the oven’s interior. The steam will have loosened the baked-in grime and it should wipe away with a little elbow grease.
How to clean a self-cleaning oven
If you’re lucky enough to have a self-cleaning (or pyrolytic) oven, begin by removing all the oven racks. These can be cleaned with warm water and dish soap. Then just activate the oven’s self-cleaning function. The oven will heat up to about 480°C – turning dirt, grime and spills to ash. Because of the extreme heat, you should expect the oven to smoke a bit (so keep an eye on your smoke alarm). Once the self-cleaning cycle has finished, allow the oven to cool down for a few hours. Then all that’s left to do is remove the ash with a damp sponge, and give the oven’s exterior a quick wipe-down.
Read more: How to deep clean your kitchen
