CLEANING your oven may not be at the top of your priorities right now, but you might be surprised how easy it is.
Once you’ve read our handy guide you may well be inspired to pull on the Marigolds and finally get rid of that stubborn grease!
Woman hand in protective glove with rag cleaning oven[/caption]
How to clean an oven
Cleaning may not sound like a barrel of laughs, but not doing so could cause food poisoning.
It can also be a fire hazard, but the good news it’s incredibly easy.
One mum swears by a £3 spray to tackle her oven’s glass door and says she’ll never use toxic cleaners again.
But you don’t even need that, as you can use natural ingredients from your home.
Following these simple steps you can create effective cleaning solutions without having to use harsh chemicals.
Paste mix one
There are two ways of making your cleaning paste.
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For the first, take a tablespoon of cornstarch and one cup of white vinegar and mix them into a pan on a low heat.
Then stir the ingredients together until it thickens into a paste.
Paste mix two
Alternatively, you can use one table of cornstarch, a teaspoon of dish soap and a cup of lemon juice.
You then mix them together using the same heating method as the first.
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This should result in a thick paste.
Cool it down
Next you need to cool the mixture down to room temperature.
Now you can use of cloth to apply your homemade cleaner to the oven.
Give the mixture 20 minutes to work on the grime and dirt.
Wipe it off
After 20 minutes, get another cloth and wipe the oven cleaner to remove surface debris.
How to clean a glass oven door
Cleaning the door might seem like the hardest part of the job.
You may well find your door has hard-to-reach areas where food has fallen in, and it can put you off taking on the task.
Happily, there’s a very simple cleaning hack: take it off.
The quickest way to do this is to slide the hinges gently off the frame.
Some doors may have to be unlatched before they can be removed, but it should be possible to slide the door off easily on most ovens.
Cleaning with a latched door
Firstly, make sure the oven is off. To clean an oven with a latched door, start by open the door fully and leaving it hanging.
This will expose the hinges. You can then look for the latches that lock the hinges in.
You should find a small metal part on the hinges that can be pushed down. Do so as far as it can go.
If the latches are in a downward position, you may have them up to unlock them.
Should you find that the latch is stuck, a screwdriver can be used to push it down.
Now you can partially close the oven door, while keeping it level by holding it on either side of the door.
Then raise it carefully and close the door until it’s around a third of the way shut.
The door can then be levered off.
Keep your hands steady and pull it towards you, and with a bit of wiggling you should be able to detach it.
You can then use your handy DIY paste as you did on the interior of the oven.
Cleaning with an un-latched door
If your door doesn’t have a latch, it should be much easier.
Simply open the door will it’s a quarter of the way open – but make sure you drip on tight on both sides so it doesn’t slide down.
Gently remove it from the hinges. Ensure you grip it tight, as you’ll need to pull it away while lifting it at the same time.
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Keep it in a fixed position with your hands steady on both sides and pull it out at a right angle.
You can then clean it with your special paste and then slide the door back in when it’s clean and dry.
