How to clean your oven without expensive chemicals

It’s the one kitchen cleaning job most people dread.

From wiping the grime off the floor to scrubbing your oven racks, cleaning the oven can be a nightmare.

But it doesn’t have to be.

What about those acidic oven cleaning chemicals with their unpleasant fumes?

Turns out you don’t need them to get your oven looking fresh.

Here are some simple oven cleaning tips using everyday household products.

Bi-carb soda and vinegar

One of the most popular DIY oven cleaners is a simple mix of bi-carb soda and vinegar. Try sprinkling bi-carb soda on the door and floor of the oven and spraying vinegar over the top. When the mixture fizzes, wipe it off with a cloth or a pair of rolled up pantyhose. You may need to repeat this step several times if there is layers of grime. When cleaning the walls of the oven, remove the oven racks. Dip two sponges – one in bi-carb soda and one in vinegar. Press the bi-carb soda sponge against the oven wall and the vinegar sponge on top of it, squeezing the vinegar through both sponges as you wipe down the walls. When you’re done, wipe the walls with a damp cloth. To see what you’re doing when cleaning the roof, put a mirror on the oven floor.

Read more: How to clean your oven naturally

Bi-carb soda and water

A mix of Bi-carb soda and water also works well in the oven. Mix the two ingredients into a paste and leave a layer of it on the floor, walls, roof and door of the oven. Leave the mixture for 12 to 24 hours and then scrub it off with a wet sponge.

Lemons

With two lemons and a quick wipe down, you can easily clean your oven.  Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into a baking dish, leave what’s left of the lemons in the baking dish and fill a third of the dish with water. Turn your oven to 250 degrees and bake it for half an hour.  The steam from the water and lemon juice will loosen the grime so that when the oven ic cool, you can simply grab a scrubbing brush or scourer and scrub the grime away. Use a little bit of lemon water to aid with the cleaning. If the build up of grime in your oven is tough, try baking the oven for longer.

Bowl of hot water

If your oven isn’t too dirty, try using steam to clean it. Put a large oven-safe bowl of water on the bottom rack. Set your oven to high and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When the oven has cooled, the steam will have loosened any grime in the oven. All you’ll need to do is use a damp cloth to wipe the oven clean.

Want to prevent your oven from getting filthy in the first place?

Try putting aluminium foil on the rack below what you’re cooking in the oven to catch all the dirt, grease and spills. Don’t line the bottom of the oven with the foil or you could start a fire! Alternatively you can use salt. Salt can help loosen up liquid spills in your oven. Try tossing some salt on the spill as soon as it happens. When the oven cools, wipe it with a cloth. It’ll be cleaner, smell better and save you from scrubbing harder next time you clean your oven.

What everyday household products do you use to clean your oven?