That job everyone hates doing…..

It’s used every day, gets splattered, stained, full of grime and grease, and   a constant battle to keep clean (no, its not the boys bathroom); it’s the job of CLEANING THE OVEN.

Over a period of time, it gets dirtier and greaser….yet we put off this cleaning job time and time again.  WHY?  Because it requires TIME, ENERGY and lots of MUSCLE, however if you want a good work out and tone and strengthen those arm muscles, then I do recommend this job!

The stove top is quite easy to clean compared to cleaning the inside of the oven; take a look here. Cleaning inside the oven is such a big task and literally can take hours to do.  Those harsh, toxic chemical oven cleaners are not worth risking ones health over (and not forgetting to mention the “cough, cough, dry reach & gagging” that follows).  After using the toxic cleaners, the oven often stinks the house out for days and every time it is used there is that horrid smell ~ what could it be doing to the food inside?

So after googling, there are alternatives to using chemicals for cleaning inside the oven.  And the easiest and most effective is using bi-cab soda and water.  Yes that is all you need!  Find a bowl or dish (even an empty ice-cream container) and mix the water into the bi-cab soda to make a paste, smear it onto the floor and walls of the oven and leave for 4 – 6 hours or over night.

My 90cm oven was about 2 cups of bi-cab soda.

 

Once ready, using a damp sponge or scourer, wipe off the white residue and miraculously watch the oven shine (in some areas a stainless steel is needed too)!  The fat and grime does come off with little effort though.

For the oven racks, I used “chemicals” but nothing potent.  Line the bath with two old towels, and place the racks on top (making sure they don’t touch the bathtub).

Sprinkle a good amount of nappy soaker over the racks and start filling the bath with hot water.

Next pour in a little bleach and watch the water turn a milky white substance (there are no smells either)!

Cover the racks with the water and leave for a good hour or so.

 

Next using some elbow grease, give them a good scrub with a stainless steel and the black just comes right off.

When complete, take outside to either give them a high pressure water spray or a hose down and look how shiny they are now!