It can be really diffiuclt to clean ovens thanks to burned food stains (Image: Getty)
Ovens are one of the most used appliances in our home, which means they can quickly become crawling with bacteria, but it can often be a nightmare to keep them clean. Nothing is worse than seeing brown stains or black scorched marks on an oven as it means spilt food has baked into the surface and will not budge even if you keep scrubbing at them. It is difficult to remove oven stains because heat causes grease to harden into a sticky coating that clings tightly to surfaces and does not mix well with water, making many cleaning products ineffective.
If you have ever cleaned your oven, you have probably had to put on rubber gloves and used a chemical cleaner that made your eyes water. However, Samira Kazan, a cook and founder of Alpha Foodie, has shared she has found a “simple, non-laborious method” to clean an oven without needing to use chemicals on it, as all you really need is some baking soda.
Baking soda is a cheap yet effective way to break grease down and make it easier to clean (Image: Getty)
Why use baking soda to clean ovens?
Samira said: “Luckily, when I moved from London a few months ago, I made a vow that I’d keep on top of the oven situation (and the microwave cleaning too) – without having to resort to scary chemical-laden oven cleaners or noxious gases.
“For that reason, I researched and experimented and learned how to clean an oven with baking soda that works every single time!”
It might sound far too easy, but baking soda is one of the best ingredients to keep in your kitchen, as it is mildly alkaline, which means it can break down grease.
Baking soda will help weaken hardened, greasy residue and soften burned food, so stains are much easier to clean without having to use any harsh chemical products.
You will not need to scrub too much at a oven if you clean it with bakign soda (Image: Getty)
What else should you use with baking soda?
Grease often acts like a glue to trap crumbs, dust, food and germs, so it is often better to also mix baking soda with white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to make sure you remove all the grime completely.
White vinegar is the most natural way to clean an oven, as it is often used to make salad dressing, and when you mix it with baking soda, it will create a bubbling effect that will loosen stains to make them easier to wipe away.
Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidising agent, which means it is a gentle cleaning product that can break down any residue in the grease without much effort.
It should be noted that you can use either white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to clean an oven, but do not mix them, as this will create a toxic gas called peracetic acid that is toxic to breathe in.
It should become a lot easier to clean the oven if you use baking soda along with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide (Image: Getty)
How to easily clean an oven
To begin, remove any trays or wire racks from the oven, then place them in a sink filled with hot soapy water. Let them soak for roughly an hour and then dry them off.
Mix one part baking soda with two parts water in a small container until it forms a thick paste, then spread the paste around the inside of your oven. Make sure to target any burned or grimy-looking stains, but avoid applying baking soda to the heating elements.
Baking soda needs time to break down grease, so leave the paste at least one hour sitting in the oven, but it will be more effective to leave it overnight.
Next, dampen a sponge or cloth and wipe away the baking soda paste. Remove as much of the residue as possible, then spray the oven with vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. It will cause the remaining baking residue to begin bubbling and help get any leftover grime that was still inside the oven.
Rinse the oven once again, then dry it with a clean cloth or sponge, and your oven should now be sparkling clean without having to do any scrubbing at all.
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