Prepare your oven for Christmas with this quick and easy three-ingredient oven cleaner recipe

The typical oven cleaners you see in supermarkets not only have a very pungent smell, they are caustic and can be very dangerous if you touch them. Is that the sort of thing you want to have in an appliance you cook food in? We didn’t think so!

It is possible to get all the baked on grease and grime off your oven without resorting to potentially harmful measures – we have a completely safe and effective way to clean your oven that will save you time and money.

What you’ll need:

• Bi-carb soda
• White vinegar
• Dishwashing detergent

Plus

• Rubber gloves
• Damp wipe
• Plastic spatula
• Spray bottle

Method:

1. Remove your oven racks and anything else you have inside the oven. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix half a cup of bi-carb soda with a few tablespoons of water. Adjust until you have a spreadable paste.
3. Spread the paste all over the interior surfaces of your oven, steering clear of the heating elements. The paste will turn a brown colour as you rub it in but don’t worry.
4. Allow the bi-carb soda mixture to rest for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
5. Meanwhile, clean your oven racks:
   1. Line the bottom of your bathtub with two old towels and place racks on top.
   2. Fill your bathtub with very hot water until the oven racks are covered.
   3. Add 1/2 cup of powdered or liquid dishwasher detergent to the bath water. Swish around until dissolved.
   4. Let the racks soak overnight
   5. The next day, gunk on the racks should be soft and easy to wipe off.
6. The next morning, take a damp cloth and wipe out as much of the dried bi-carb soda paste as you can. Use a spatula to help scrape off the paste.
7. Put a little vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz everywhere you still see baking soda residue in your oven. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and gently foam.
8. Take your damp cloth and wipe out the remaining foamy mixture. Repeat until all the baking soda residue is gone. Add more water or vinegar to your cloth as needed while wiping to really get the oven clean and shiny.
9. Replace the oven racks and anything else you keep in your oven, and you’re done!