Here’s a handy method for oven cleaning using the “bowl trick”:
To begin, soften the hardened grease. Since many skip cleaning the oven right after cooking, these hardened spills become tougher to tackle.
Employ vinegar and lemon as your main cleaning agents.
Take an oven-safe bowl, fill it with water, and add a cup of vinegar (avoiding overfill).
Place this bowl in the oven’s center and heat it to 180 degrees Celsius.
Let the steam work its magic on the grease.
After the water-vinegar mix evaporates, turn off the oven and let it cool.
Then, use a soft abrasive sponge to gently scrub away the grease.
Alternatively, baking soda can replace vinegar:
Dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda in a water-filled bowl.
Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius until the solution evaporates.
Ensure the oven is cool before you start cleaning.
Other Eco-friendly Oven Cleaning Methods:
Using Coarse Salt: Ideal for tough grease stains, salt can replace vinegar in the baking soda mix. Its grease-absorbing properties simplify cleaning.
Lemon Method: Lemon acts as a disinfectant and antiseptic, perfect for eliminating odors, especially after cooking fish.
After using the oven, add water, lemon juice, and zest to the oven tray.
Alternatively, squeeze juice from two lemons into a pan, place it in the oven, and heat for 30 minutes at 250°C. Wipe the oven walls with a cloth afterward.
Cleaning with Cola: Effective for cleaning oven racks.
Soak the racks in Cola for 15 minutes, then wipe clean with a damp cloth.
For deeper cleaning, submerge the racks in a bathtub with water and a dishwasher tablet, placing towels underneath to prevent scratches. After soaking overnight, scrub with a brush and rinse well.
These methods make oven cleaning more manageable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly.