Modern ovens, especially electric ones, are often equipped with self-cleaning systems. But the functions of pyrolysis and catalysis greatly increase the cost of the unit.
Most users prefer ovens with conventional, hydrolytic cleaning. This is when you put a baking sheet with water in a preheated oven and wait for the steam to melt the fat.
But water alone is often not enough. If the stains are stubborn and old, you need auxiliary cleaning products. They will be discussed below, but for now there are a few basic rules.
Basic rules for oven care
- The more often, the easier. If you wipe the inside surface of the oven after each cooking, and steam the oven with water and detergent once a week or a week and a half, there will be practically no need for global cleaning.
- To make the dirt easier to handle, warm up the oven a little by turning it on at 50°C for 15–20 minutes.
- Immediately before cleaning, remove the trays and remove the side guides. If the design allows, also remove the door and glass. It is more convenient to wash all this separately.
- Do not use abrasive sponges or metal scrapers. Scrubbing off grease with them can damage the oven enamel. It is better to work with a sponge or soft cloth.
- Never use cleaning agents, especially chemicals, on the oven fan or heating elements.
- After cleaning, leave the oven door open for a couple of hours to allow it to dry and any odors to dissipate.
- Is the smell still there? Dissolve 10–15 activated carbon tablets in a glass of water and place in the oven for several hours. Charcoal absorbs excess aromas.
Method 3. “Heavy Artillery”
And now, let's look at a more radical way to clean the oven from old grease and fumes using special products from Amway, Faberlic or Bagi Shumanit spray.
What you need:
- Gel for cleaning ovens. Briefly about popular oven cleaning products:
- Amway “Oven Cleaner” - odorless, effective, economical to use, sold together with a brush for distributing the product, but has a high price;
- Faberlic “Oven and Stove Cleaner” - costs less, has good reviews, but is not used economically;
- Bagi “Shumanit” is effective, easy to use, as it is sprayed from a spray, sold in any store, relatively affordable, but has a pungent odor.
What we need:
- Water;
- Rubber gloves (required!);
- Sponge, rag, brush for treating hard-to-reach places;
- ...Fresh air from an open window (especially if you use Schumanite and other products with a strong odor).
Instructions:
- Remove everything unnecessary from the oven: remove and set aside the rack, baking sheets and all other oven contents.
- Lubricate all surfaces of the chamber and the door with gel: this is very convenient to do with a brush or a toothbrush (for example, a toothbrush). Before you start processing, open the window and put on gloves!
- Let the product “work”: leave the oven for 15-30 minutes, depending on the degree of contamination.
- Clean the oven from burning and grease: after this “soaking”, old grease and burnt-on food stains will be washed off quickly enough.
- Remove any remaining product: When you have cleaned all surfaces of dirt, thoroughly rinse off any remaining gel. A spray of water will help clean the camera in hard-to-reach places.
- Put the pans and rack back in place: well, that's it. All that remains is to wipe the outside of the door.
How to Clean an Oven with Baking Soda
Baking soda works great on fresh stains and removes brown deposits from heat-resistant glass.
You can make a baking soda-based paste to clean the oven, or you can do it in a simpler way.
Apply baking soda to the oven walls (you can do this with a damp sponge). Spray them a little with water from a spray bottle and leave for 60 minutes.
After an hour, wash the oven with a sponge soaked in soapy water and wipe dry with paper towels.
Soda and vinegar work better for old stains.
Special products for use at home: top 3
In addition to homemade recipes, special purchased products can be used to clean the oven. They must be used strictly in accordance with the attached instructions from the manufacturer.
Among the most popular drugs:
- Mister Chister for ovens and microwaves - from 180 rubles per 0.5 liter.
- Gold Unicum grease remover for stoves and ovens - from 250 rubles per 0.5 liter.
- Synergetic for stoves - from 150 rubles for 0.75 liters.
It is convenient to apply the liquid product to the vertical surfaces of the oven using a spray bottle.
A review of the Schumanit oven cleaner is presented in this article.
How to clean the oven with lemon
There are two methods for cleaning the oven with lemon: using freshly squeezed lemon juice and powdered citric acid.
- The first method is more suitable for fresh stains. Mix lemon juice and water in equal proportions. Using a sponge, treat the oven walls with this solution. Let it sit for 40-60 minutes and then wipe everything down with a clean, damp cloth.
- The second method copes with heavy greasy deposits and is suitable for cleaning microwaves. Fill a deep baking tray or other heat-resistant container with water and citric acid. For ½ liter of water you will need one packet of citric acid. Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 200°C for 30–40 minutes. Then let the oven cool slightly and clean it thoroughly. Stains that won't come off immediately can be scrubbed off with a slice of fresh lemon.
The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated in the following video.
What you need
Use rubber gloves with long sleeves and thick rubber. Before work, open a window (window) and use a mask or construction (medical) respirator.
For work you need good rubber gloves, rags, sponges and water
Also, to clean the oven you will need kitchen sponges, rags or porous, highly absorbent napkins/cloths for cleaning. You may need metal scrapers (stainless steel) or hard sponges. A bucket of water that can be changed several times.
How to clean your oven with baking powder
Baking powder, or simply baking powder, can be used not only for baking, but also for cleaning baking sheets and the oven after baking. After all, in essence, it is the same soda combined with citric acid.
Simply wipe the walls of the oven with a wet cloth and treat with baking powder diluted in water. You need about 2-3 tablespoons of water per packet of baking powder to get the consistency of thick semolina porridge.
Leave the product on the oven surface for 2-3 hours. The greasy deposit will form into lumps and will be easy to remove.
Preparatory stage
Before you begin to thoroughly clean your electric oven, you need to prepare it for this procedure.
- Lightly wash all surfaces (external and internal) with a soft cloth dampened with water. This will help soften fats, carbon deposits and make cleaning easier.
- After this, prepare the soap mixture. To do this, pour a glass of water into a container, preferably slightly warmed, and add two tablespoons of any dishwashing detergent.
- Prepare a rag or soft sponge for work.
- Remove racks and baking sheets from oven.
- Make sure that no liquid gets on the fan.
- Preheat the oven well.
Which methods and means do you trust more?
People's Professional
How to clean the oven with table salt
Salt is an affordable remedy that is best used immediately after cooking. Sodium chloride, when heated, makes greasy deposits loose, which means it will be easier for you to wash off the dirt.
Sprinkle salt on horizontal surfaces (baking trays, bottoms) until the oven has cooled down and leave for half an hour.
If the cabinet has cooled down, turn on the heating (≈100 °C). When the salt turns golden brown, turn off the oven.
When the temperature drops, wash all surfaces thoroughly with warm, soapy water. Finally, dry everything with paper towels.
Useful tips
When carrying out this procedure, you should listen to the advice of specialists:
- the oven needs to be prepared for cleaning;
- chemicals must be used correctly;
- observe safety precautions;
- don't forget about your health.
By listening to these recommendations, you will avoid many troubles..
Security measures
Before you begin cleaning activities at home, you need to pay attention to some points that will help maintain the health and integrity of your equipment:
- It is mandatory to disconnect from the power supply, this applies to both electric and gas ovens, which require electricity to light the burners.
- Some substances that are included in cleaning products are toxic. This especially applies to their fumes, which will certainly occur if hot steam cleaning is carried out. Therefore, all carbon removal procedures should be carried out in a well-ventilated area.
- The use of rubber gloves is mandatory, and safety glasses are also useful.
- When cleaning with hot steam at temperatures of 100˚C or higher, the oven door should never be opened until the contents have cooled completely. Even a slightly open door will allow steam to escape, which can easily cause serious burns.
After completing the processing, it is better to open the oven, leave the room to ventilate and leave the kitchen for a while, closing the doors so that children and pets do not enter.
Electric and gas: are there any special features in cleaning?
Both electric and gas ovens require regular cleaning. In electric models, the self-cleaning function at high temperatures can be of great help, which is not the case in gas models.
Another feature of gas ovens is faster contamination due to the settling of soot from the burnt gas. Such cameras require more intensive processing.
The type of material used for the interior panels should also be taken into account. You can find out how to clean an electric oven here, and how to clean a gas oven here.
General recommendations
Before you begin removing grease and grime, turn off the oven . If you have recently cooked food, allow the device to cool to avoid burns.
Remove all racks, baking sheets, and dishes from the chamber. Use a damp cloth to wipe away dust, food particles and other debris from the interior surfaces. Cover the ventilation hole with a thick cloth or piece of polyethylene.
First, wash the top and sides of the cabinet, then clean the bottom, door and outside of the oven. To care for kitchen appliances, use soft cloths or foam sponges.
IMPORTANT! It is strictly unacceptable to use tools for cleaning that can damage the surface of the walls (metal brushes, hard sponges), or abrasive preparations. Ovens made of stainless steel cannot be washed with products containing chlorine and aggressive acids.
Find out 12 recipes for cleaning the inside of your oven right now.
Main
- Cleaning the oven from carbon deposits should be carried out regularly. Old dirt eats into the walls - not every product can deal with them.
- Folk remedies are safe to use, but will require more time and effort to clean the oven. Typically, to use them, the oven is heated, its surfaces are treated and the product is left for several hours.
- There are two types of household cleaners: alkaline and organic. The latter are marked “Eco”.
- After cleaning the oven with chemicals, you must rinse it thoroughly. Toxic substances that are not washed off from the surface will evaporate during the next cooking and end up in the food.
