The First Step When Cleaning Your Oven Will Make The Rest Of The Process A Breeze
Cleaning your oven is arguably the most daunting household chore of them all. It's cumbersome and difficult, but it's also important for health and safety reasons. Any hack that can make cleaning your oven marginally easier is a welcome addition to your cleaning routine, and we have one simple step that makes a big difference.
One of the ultimate oven-cleaning hacks involves a tool you usually use in other rooms. Rather than getting shoulder-deep in your oven with a scrub brush and soap right off the bat, get all those burnt pieces of food and chunks of grime out of your way first using a vacuum hose attachment or handheld vacuum. Vacuuming up the crumbs and debris before doing any kind of scrubbing takes cleaning your oven from a dreaded chore to a simple routine clean. To make it even easier, use aluminum foil to clean any stuck-on bits from the oven walls before turning the vacuum on. This helps detach the crumbs so the vacuum can easily suck them up. Once your oven is relatively crumb-free, scrubbing it out should be a breeze.
You've nailed the first step — what's next when cleaning your oven?
With all those larger chunks out of the way thanks to your vacuum, you can opt for a chemical-free way to clean your oven, like a baking soda paste. Apply a simple 1-to-1 mixture of baking soda and water in a thick layer inside your oven or use it as a spot treatment between cleanings to help lift burnt food and splatter with relative ease. Just be sure to allow the paste to dry before wiping it down with white vinegar and rinsing it clean with water.
There are also several cleaning tips for keeping your oven spotless to avoid having to pull the vacuum cleaner out next time. Wiping up messes before they have a chance to harden onto your oven's walls can save you a lot of time and elbow grease down the road. One easy tip for keeping your oven clean after you've labored over it is to keep a cookie sheet on the lowest rack. It can help catch spills, splatters, and any other food messes before they fall on your oven.