I Hate Cleaning

Isn’t it true that we continuously postpone the dreadful task of cleaning this particular electrical appliance for weeks, months, even years?

How Often Do You Clean Your Oven?

We may wipe the glass now and again, but that’s about it. And why is that, when we are very much aware that it is used for cooking food, which then, enters our bodies. A couple of excuses spring to mind:

1. It’s a mighty job, getting rid off all those burnt food particles and dried up spillages, together with layers of grease, which has turned into a black coating that lines the oven walls.
2. Some of us console themselves with the fact that high temperatures kill all bacteria and microbes, so whether we roast, grill or bake, our delicious creations are nothing, but safe to eat.

There is a grain of truth in both pretexts above. And let’s not forget the self-cleaning option that some newer models come with, although cleaning experts insist that this functionality is far from effective when it comes to doing the job perfectly and bringing the equipment to near new condition.

In the Summer…

You may question the time relation aspect in the title, but let’s think about this in more detail. I believe, many would agree with me that we give our oven a good rest during the hot months of the year. All those restaurants and cafes we go to dine, enjoying the sea view from the lovely terrace, all those takeaways that we grab after an enjoyable day on the beach. And what about the camping holidays, when we have supper around the fire or the number of barbecues we attend? On this list, we can add the so popular picnics with the kids and the numerous garden dinner parties that we host in the summer. Besides, who wants to scurry up and down, stressed and sweating, standing next to the heated oven, when it is scorching hot outside.

To sum it up: not in use – so why even thinking about cleaning it?

But, Now, Winter is Here

Right, as soon as the colder, gloomy and rainy weather sets in, we suddenly find ourselves digging out the old cooking recipe books from the bottom kitchen unit drawer. We start dreaming about preparing hearty meals, like the delicious roast lamb in a mint sauce for the coming Sunday or the grilled delicate salmon fillets, the hubby loves so much. And what about the chocolate or savoury cheese muffins, the kids adore or the almond cookies, they want to help make with you? Yes, we don’t even notice how our temporarily forgotten oven all of а sudden gets brought back to life again.

And then, the disaster strikes… We find that the grilled fish tastes a bit funny and the cookies smell of burnt food. It could be worse, of course: the kitchen may fill up with unpleasant smoke, caused by layers of burnt food that have accumulated on the electrical elements and oven walls.

The Time to Clean Your Oven has Clearly Come

There are plenty of specially designed oven cleaning products on the market, should you skip the option of hiring the professionals to do it for you. However, many of us feel reluctant to use the powerful chemicals, containing harmful ingredients, which successfully compete with toilet cleaning products with regards to their toxicity.

So, here is my green cleaning tip on how to make your cooking appliance look as new:

1. Place a heat resistant glass bowl, filled with water and a spoonful of baking soda, and turn the oven on high for 20 to 30 minutes. This will loosen most of the dry burnt particles and will make it easier for you to clean it.
2. Mix the following ingredients in a bowl:

•         4 tablespoons of washing up liquid
•         6 tablespoons of baking soda
•         2 tablespoons of vinegar
•         2 tablespoons of Coke
•         The juice of one lemon

You should end up with a paste-like cleaner. If it is too runny, just add a little bit of baking soda.

3. Apply the homemade cleaner on the inside surface of your oven with a sponge, including   the rack. Leave it to do its magic for at least 5 hours.

4. Fill a bucket or a washing up bowl with warm water and wipe the cleaner with a scrubbing sponge, while rinsing it in the bowl. For the rack, use initially a scouring pad and then, proceed with a sponge as described above.

5. Then clean any remnants of the cleaner with a wet wiping sponge and dry the interior with some paper towel.

Voila! Now you can enjoy your healthy winter cooking!

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Lana Jane Fox

Lana Jane Fox is a young, aspiring housewife, currently living in North Melbourne. At present her primary job is to be a good wife and a helpmeet to her husband and only after that she describes herself as a marketing executive and a blogger. When she is not knitting, cleaning, cooking, or experimenting with DIY projects, Lana is planning her next road trip, or spends precious time with her husband. She dreams of having a baby boy, a Welsh Corgi dog and a house with a fireplace and a garden where she can grow organic food.

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kitchen cleaning, oven cleaning