Cleaning Recommendations for Your Oven

You may not know where to begin when it comes to cleaning your oven. It's important that an oven cleaning is handled carefully and thoroughly to ensure that this appliance can be trusted to cook your food fully without contaminating your food or starting a fire. A clean oven provides you with peace of mind that your food and your home are safe.

Here are some cleaning tips to help you care for your oven, keeping it clean and sanitized.

Remove and Wash Oven Racks: The oven racks are where your food will rest while it is being cooked. This is the spot where it is most likely that food will drip off or spill over the side of pans and containers. If that happens, the food will cling to the racks of your oven. The only way to ensure this part of your oven is clean is to pull the racks out and to soak them to dissolve the grease and food stains that are on the racks. Fill a sink or container with hot water and soap. The oven racks can then be placed in this water to allow them to sit and soak. The racks can sit in the water for about an hour, then be scrubbed to remove any grease or debris left over. This is the best way to ensure your oven racks are fully cleaned off.

Clean Grease Along the Inside of Your Oven: Begin the process of cleaning grease off of the side of the walls inside your oven by purchasing a spray cleaner that can be used to spray soap or degreaser along the inside of your oven. This will get the grease that is clinging to the walls of your oven. A degreaser can break up these bits of stubborn grease. Those still left clinging to the side of your oven can be cleaned off using a sponge or a metal scraper.

Try Oven Cleaning Products: An oven cleaner can be purchased to make sure to get the fullest clean possible for the inside of your oven. Several oven cleaning products are available for purchase at hardware stores like Ace, Home Depot, or Lowe's. These products will break down grease deposits that have attached themselves to the inside of your oven and refuse to be removed. These products will also sanitize the inside of your oven, to ensure no contaminants reach your food. For the best results, spray your oven cleaner on the inside of your oven and let it sit overnight. Giving the oven cleaner time to sit will ensure it deeply cleans everything. You can them wipe the cleaner off the next morning with a sponge or cloth.

Don't Forget the Door: Make sure to open up your oven door and clean off the inside of it. The cleaning process for your door can be similar to the process for the inside of your oven walls. Some ovens even allow you to remove the door, which will make it easier to clean them.