How to clean an Oven or Cooker

  • 5th October, 2018
  • By: LCS

During kitchen cleaning, the oven and the cooker are the items that we often overlook. This happens not because we forget but it happens because it’s a job that most people don’t like. It’s also due to the fact that they can build up grease and food residue making it a really time-consuming task. However, for hygiene reasons, this is a chore that can’t be assumed. People may provide different methods to approach the job of cleaning the cooker or the oven but here’s a basic step-by-step guide to help you along the way:

1. Gather the essential products and other materials

There’s a wide range of cleaning products being offered today, making it difficult to know the one that best suits your needs. The trick here is to go for one that won’t have any negative effect on the oven or cooker. Some cleaning products contain chemicals capable of damaging the oven or cooker’s interior by stripping its coating. The best tip for anyone is to use a product that’s caustic-free since such can tackle the most stubborn of the stains without causing damage to the item.

The materials you’ll require include an oven cleaner, scourer, resealable plastic bags, sponges, rubber gloves and an old toothbrush.

2. Beginning

The work of cleaning the oven or cooker is never a simple job but there are ways to make it easier than it really is. The very first thing is to turn it off and ensure that it’s cooled down. Any heating elements that are visible should be protected. The gas burner jets should also be carefully covered. Since this task can be very messy on your clothes, it’s a good idea to change into older ones. Wear the rubber gloves and remove any food bits that are lying inside.

3. Remove the Shelving

Carefully remove the shelves from your oven and have them soaked in soapy water that’s warm. The washing up liquid and hot water are capable of breaking down any food or liquid that’s burnt-on. To get better results to let the shelves soaking overnight. However, for those who have a limited amount of time, you can place the shelves inside resealable plastic bags and then spray them with the oven cleaner and then seal them up. All safety precautions on the product should be read carefully and implemented. After this, spray the cleaning product into the oven corners and let the burnt-on food to soften. In the meantime, scrub the oven racks clean using a scourer.

4. Cleaning the inside of the oven

The moment leftover foods begin to loosen, wipe the inside of the oven using a damp sponge until the oven is clean; rinsing the sponge after every round. Any burnt-on foo that remains can be sprinkled with soda bicarbonate and left overnight to soften.

5. Cleaning the Enamel Baking Trays

Enamel baking trays are best cleaned by soaking in hot water with washing-up liquid. Use a scourer to scrub the grease away and then pat them dry.

6. Cleaning the Glass Door

When finishing, you must ensure that your oven’s glass door is sparkling clean. Any stuck-on food is removed using either a glass scourer or scraper. A solution of oven cleaner and hot water will help remove oil and grease. Any caustic-based oven cleaners should never be used on glass.