Why It’s A Good Idea to Keep Your Oven Clean

From cookies to casseroles, the oven is the powerhouse of your kitchen. Eventually though, it becomes home to food overflows and grease splatters. It's probably your least favorite kitchen job, but it's also the most important. So, when’s the last time you cleaned your oven?

A dirty oven can be more than just an eyesore. Spills and drips from food and grease can make your food taste bad as they burn during the cooking process. But worse than a persistently charred flavor, some food buildup can even catch fire. And while the high temperatures are sure to kill off some germs, leaving the cheese from your lasagna bubbling on the bottom of your oven is just a science experiment in the making. With enough time and neglect, filters, vents, and temperature sensors can become clogged or blocked, interfering with your oven’s normal operation.

The self-cleaning option on modern ovens is a relatively new invention, having been introduced in 1963 by General Electric. Since then, this wonderful function has saved many homeowners time and effort when it comes to getting hardened foods out of their oven. With internal temperatures reaching up to 880°, it’s a good idea to let your oven carry out its self-cleaning function on a cool day, because things are going to heat up pretty quickly, and you don’t want to be uncomfortable. The self-cleaning cycle takes about three hours, so you can sit back and relax while your oven does the hard work. After the cycle is complete, let the oven have time to cool, and then do a follow-up clean in order to remove the ash created during the self-cleaning cycle. An Atlanta maid service like Allymaids can do the after-cleaning for you if you’re wanting a complete clean without the effort.

While the last thing you want to do is clean your oven after you clean up from dinner, wiping up any spills as soon as possible is a great preventative measure. But eventually, you’re going to need a deep clean. Oven cleaners may seem convenient, but they're full of harsh chemicals and may leave irritating odors. Baking soda and some elbow grease is the time tested option. Just remove the wire racks before using an old sponge to apply a paste of baking soda and water to the inside of the oven. Add vinegar and let sit for extra scrubby bubble power and then wipe clean.