Spring Cleaning Series- Scrub the Oven

 

The oven may very well be one of the easiest appliances to neglect cleaning.  Unlike your refrigerator, ovens rarely stink up your kitchen when you spill food in them.  Since most are dark they tend to be forgiving of stains and dribbles and thanks-be-to god they have a door, so no one's going to go snooping around in there anyway.  But alas, this series IS about Spring Cleaning, and thus we must get to those stubborn areas which are so easy to forget about the rest of the year.

There are plenty of harsh chemical cleaners on the market which may save you a bit of time, but we are all about green cleaning here so this tutorial will use only natural products. We are also going to skip the self-cleaning cycle because it can damage certain parts of an oven which can be costly to fix, as well as suck up a whole lot of energy.

You'll Need:
-White Vinegar
-Baking Soda
-Water
-Steel Wool
-Sponge
-Rags 
-Old Toothbrush

Fill your sink up with warm water and add 2-3 cups of white vinegar.  Remove stove burners (if applicable) and oven racks from the oven and immerse them in the vinegar/ water solution.

While they are soaking, mix 3/4 cup of baking soda with enough water to make a spreadable, slightly runny paste.  Using a sponge, spread a thick layer of the paste over the bottom and sides of the inside of the oven, as well as the glass on the door.  Let this sit for about 15 minutes then wipe clean with a damp rag.  If any spots remain, work at them with steel wool (test on a small area to make sure it won't damage the finish on your oven) and the baking soda paste.

Next move on to the cook top.  Vacuum up any dried food or loose debris that may be hanging out on or around the burners.  Then repeat the above process using a toothbrush to distribute the paste around the burners.  Remove the dials and soak them in the sink with the burner tops.  Make sure to clean the buttons and space underneath the dials as well!

Once you have wiped the stovetop clean, address the pieces in the sink.  Most of the grime should be loose at this point, so give the burners and racks a gentle scrub with the steel wool and rinse with water.

If your oven door tends to get grimy between the panes of glass check out this article from Ask Anna for a genius way to clean it. 

We hope this proves to be a  fun satisfying kickoff to your spring cleaning season and that it provides motivation for the rest of the tasks at hand.  Be sure to enter our giveaway for a chance to win an eco-friendly spring cleaning kit valued at over $50!