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Oven cleaning can be a pain for a foodie that uses their kitchen regularly. Here, Katie Georgeson, from oven and cooker specialist Belling, shares her top five oven care tips that will make the clean-up process a breeze and get your kitchen back in action in no time. Read on to find out more.

As a foodie, you’re probably cooking or baking up a storm in your kitchen on a regular basis. But, with each delicious dish you prepare, you’re one step closer to a major oven clean-up operation that will halt your production line.

However, with a bit of preparation and know how, you can revolutionise your oven cleaning process and make a previously fiddly task into something much more straightforward. To help you out, I’m going to share my top five cleaning tips that will help you to keep your oven in great condition.

Preparation is key to less work

When you are regularly using your oven, you can avoid extra cleaning by thinking ahead. For example, should you be making a dish you know will expand when heated, use a dish or tray that is larger than you would usually need to account for any overflow. Alternatively, you can place a bigger baking tray on the shelf below to catch any spillages.

If you use your oven on a regular basis and find yourself having to repeat the cleaning process, then it might be worth considering an upgrade to a self-cleaning oven. These models have a pyrolytic cleaning programme that blasts food residue at high temperatures to turn it into ash. Then all you have to do is remove whatever is left.

Ensure you have the right tools of the trade

You can make sure that your clean-up goes as smoothly as possible by ensuring you have the right tools for the job. Firstly, you’ll need to make sure that you have high-quality cleaning products for your oven, hob, and stainless-steel areas. There are a lot of cheaper products on the market, but you may find that they aren’t up to the task, leaving behind residue and not tackling tough stains.  Investing a little more in your cleaning products will pay off in time saved.

For added peace of mind, always check warnings on the cleaners for advice on the suitability of the materials you are using them on, ensuring that all traces of the cleaner are removed after the cleaning process.

You’ll also need the right equipment to clean your oven. A set of sponges is required to do the majority of the legwork as you wipe the interior down, and a scouring pad is essential for removing stuck-on food from your shelves and oven door. If there are areas that are hard to reach, use an old toothbrush to reach in and get things moving. You will also need some top quality gloves, like those you can find at Unigloves, to protect your hands and some old towels to set out on the floor to soak up drips.

Clean your oven shelves by soaking

While most of your maintenance regime probably concentrates on the sides, top, and bottom of your oven, it’s also important to take care of your shelves to ensure everything is hygienic.

The easiest way to clean your shelving is by letting them soak. Take each one and place them in a resealable plastic bag. Then, spray them with a quality oven cleaner so that every inch is covered, and leave them to soak for half an hour. Finally, take them out of the bag, rinse them with warm water, then go over them with a scouring pad to remove any remaining residue.

Learn the less obvious cleaning hacks

If you’re looking to save some real time on your oven clean-up, you sometimes need to look outside the box for answers. For example, did you know that one of the best ways to rid your oven’s hood of oily residue is with more oil? Non-polar compounds like oil dissolve other non-polar compounds, so applying an extra bit will break down build up. Simply use a couple of drops of vegetable oil on a paper towel to rub over the area, then buff the surface with a clean cloth.

Another less obvious cleaning hack is to use a dishwasher tablet to clean off the food build-up on the inside of your oven door. If you don’t really fancy the tough job of scrubbing with regular products, take a dishwasher tablet and dampen it, then rub it firmly over any residue and it will come straight off. Tablets can remove the grime from your dishes and pans, and the same applies to your oven.  

Rid your oven of those lingering smells

Even if you’ve cooked up something absolutely delicious, after a couple of days, a once appealing smell can turn sour. Odours can really engrain themselves into the interior of your oven, which means they are often the source of a lingering smell.

Thankfully, these odours are pretty easy to get rid of if you know the right technique. Take a couple of drops of vanilla or citrus essence and apply them to an ovenproof bowl filled with water. Then, heat the bowl slowly for an hour or so, and the smell will be ousted.

Follow my five tips and you will be able to keep your oven in superb condition for your future foodie projects. With downtime minimised, you’ll be able to prepare even more of your favourite dishes.

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