11 Cleaning Tips For Keeping Your Oven Spotless

If you have a new oven, or you've just completed a much-needed deep clean, you may be hesitant to bake that cheesy casserole or those oil-rubbed veggies. But alas, that's what the oven is for, and otherwise all of your hard work will go to waste, so let's get baking. Instead of preserving your perfectly cleaned oven altogether, consider covering dishes with lids that you know might splatter. Of course, some recipes require air circulation to help them crisp up, but many allow for a lid, or at least a small piece of tin foil that can loosely protect the outside of the food to prevent splatter in the first place.

In fact, enough splatter can lead to food dripping which is dangerous and can cause fire. Now, this is in extreme cases, but why take the risk? At the very least, those grease splatters, if left unattended, can heat up with each use and both create smoke and cause unpleasant smells. As you purchase cookware, consider casserole dishes with lids, dutch ovens, and for those oddly shaped pots and pans, use a sheet of aluminum foil. Be cautious to only use oven-safe lids, and keep in mind that just because a lid may come with an oven-safe base, it might not be able to withstand high heat itself (like the plastic lids that come with some Pyrex glassware).

The overlooked kitchen chore that should be a daily habit is sweeping. It's simple, quick, and can make quite a difference in both the appearance of the physical space and in any pest problems that you might be having. That tiny cracker crumb seems like nothing to you but will make for a wonderful snack for an ant colony or hungry mouse. Your oven functions in a similar way. Grease drips and fallen soldiers turn into the burnt residue that builds up in the bottom of your oven. This charred residue causes smoke, and unpleasant smells, and can even catch fire. There is, however, a very simple way to ensure that it doesn't reach that point, and it's to simply dust out your oven frequently with a little broom.

Of course, you'll want to do this when the oven has not been used for the day. Not only is reaching into a hot oven dangerous, but if you choose to use a plastic duster broom it's likely to melt and become a toxic and messy disaster. Nobody wants to inhale burning plastics. Choose a small hand-held broom, preferably with stiff bristles, like one made with organic material. Remove the shelves and use it to dust the top, back, and sides of the oven first, before sweeping all the residue off of the bottom. You may need to finish with a damp wipe, to ensure you are removing all the dislodged grime, dirt, and dust.

There's nothing better than a fresh blueberry pie, or oven-roasted sweet potatoes cooked right on the rack. However, both have a tendency to drip and bubble, which makes them so delicious but can also create a cleaning project that nobody wants to deal with. This may seem like a no-brainer, but a great way to prevent drips from baking into the bottom of your oven is to catch them. Many ovens come with a drip catcher that lives below the bottom burners and is removable. If that's the case with your oven, you're in luck. Because the drip tray is tucked below the burners, it doesn't change the heat flow throughout the oven. However, it's important to clean these frequently, especially if you have any food overflow.

If you don't have this special part in your oven, or you know that your dish is about to overflow like a volcano, then consider placing a pan or aluminum foil underneath your culinary creation. If you opt for aluminum foil, be sure to turn up the edges to create a little wall in case it fills up more than anticipated. If you're worried about the pan or foil blocking the airflow, then use the convection setting on your oven to get hot air circulating around. If you have hot grease or liquid buildup in either your pan or aluminum catcher, be sure to let it cool before trying to remove it from the oven to prevent dangerous burns.

Although the inside of the oven takes the brunt of the grease and grime, that doesn't mean that we should forget about the outside. As you probably know from wiping down the surfaces in your kitchen, dirt seems to magically appear out of nowhere. That daily sweep seems to collect quite a bit of dust, pet hair, and crumbs, and those paper towels look awfully dark after a quick surface wipe around the kitchen. The outside of your oven experiences all of this and should be cleaned down each time you take a rag to your countertops and surfaces.

Luckily, this process only takes a few minutes to accomplish. Use a damp cleaning cloth, or one with a little natural kitchen cleaner, and rub down the outside of the oven on the sides, front, and top surface. During each kitchen deep clean, use a scrubby sponge or brush to eliminate any tough stains, splatters, or spots. Don't forget that this is another surface in your kitchen, and can get just as dirty as the outside of your cabinets, your countertops, and the outside of your microwave. The handle to your oven door might need more frequent attention, as well as the top surface, so clean it as needed. Keeping up with the outside of your oven is a surefire way to keep your kitchen looking spick and span from the outside, and smelling fresh and clean.

Ovens were made with a built-in self-clean button, right? So why are we even discussing all of these alternative ways to keep your oven clean when all you have to do is press and button and come back in a few hours, without any hassle? Well, it's not that simple. In fact, we recommend that you should never use the self-clean button on your oven, and there are several compelling reasons why.

Firstly, this process essentially incinerates anything in the oven that isn't the oven itself. This creates a huge pile of ash and can result in a smokey kitchen if there is enough buildup. Of course, you won't want to inhale that smoke, but even worse, it releases chemicals like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. These chemicals are harmful and can cause damage to your lungs, and even poisoning if inhaled in concentration. At the very least, your kitchen can end up smelling quite unpleasant during the long cycle. Be cautious, especially if you have small children or any health-compromised individuals in the house. Be sure to open windows, and evacuate during the process, without going too far in case of fire. All in all, it's best to avoid that seemingly magical self-clean button and stick to a little elbow grease and maintenance instead. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's simply safer and healthier for you and your family in the long run.

One area of the oven that often gets overlooked is the inside of the door. This glass area is perhaps the most interactive part of the oven because it's where we get to watch our creations flourish. If you're unable to see through the glass, then it's long past due for a cleaning, and it's time to remove baked-on grease from your oven's glass door. Luckily, unlike the top or walls of the inside of the oven, the glass door is easily accessible and doesn't require bending and twisting to get to. Sometimes, they are even removable.

Again, we turn to our trusty household super cleaners, baking soda, and vinegar to get the job done. Create a paste using baking soda and water, wipe it on the inside of the door, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Do this only with an oven that is cool to the touch. Once the paste has had a moment to sit, spray or pour on some vinegar mixed with water to activate the baking soda. You can also use a microfiber cloth that has been dipped into the liquid solution to wipe the surface clean. The paste will foam as the baking soda and vinegar interact, which creates a reaction to help lift grease from the surface. Next, wipe it clean with a fresh cloth and water until it's spick and span. Enjoy your new standard of clean, and a bright, fresh kitchen.