How to Clean Your Oven…not very well
Cleaning your oven is a thankless job. It is something else that no one will ever notice unless you never do it. I would love to have a self-cleaning oven. In fact, I have been drooling over this double oven for several months now. Recently it went on sale at the Home Depot, and I would have been able to save $300. Douglas did not feel it was necessary. Probably because he never tries to clean the oven himself.
A couple of weeks ago, I was determined to get the oven properly clean. It has been driving me crazy.
I searched online and found this article on the Kitchn that seemed as good a method as any for cleaning my oven. I followed the directions to make a paste of baking soda and water that I then allowed to sit overnight. In the morning I started to scrub. I used scrubbies made for non-stick pans and then switched to Magic Erasers in hope that they would work better. Nothing seemed to work all that well, but the water did get awfully dirty.
After a couple of hours of scrubbing, I was completely discouraged. The oven looks better, but there is still a lot of crap on there.
Next I tried Bar Keepers Friend. I spread it on and waited for a while.
Bar Keepers Friend did absolutely nothing for me. Maybe it is because I am not a barkeeper. I have not had success with that product any time that I have used it. So, my oven is cleaner but not quite clean. From now on I think that it should be Douglas’s job to clean the oven. Maybe then he will think it is worthwhile to buy a self cleaning oven!
P.S. This post was written earlier and scheduled to post today. I am in Costa Rica and will not have regular access to the internet. Please, DO leave comments but understand that I will not be able to respond to them immediately. Also, feel free to extend your condolences to Douglas, Kahlua and Crème, who have been left behind to guard the fort while I am away.
I am a teacher, traveler, artist, writer, homemaker and a whole lot more. In January 2009, I bought the Cape of Dreams. It was the second house that I had ever owned, but it was the first that I bought by myself. I now live in the house with my husband Douglas, our dog Kahlua, and Crème de Menthe, the cat. Because, what life is complete without a little Kahlua and Cream? I love arts and crafts of all kinds, and I refinish furniture as well. We are slowly redoing our entire house. You can read about my projects on my blog www.CapeofDreams.com
I hate cleaning the oven and even if it’s brand new, mine always has stains that won’t go away.
They must come with the stains. Perhaps I should look at it as a design on my oven.
Cleaning the over – arrrgggh. Really the perfect job for the man o’ the house. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
You are so right!
I don’t use the oven, so I say glue it shut and don’t worry about it. .. 🙂
That’s convenient for you. However, the Law of the Universe states that as soon as you would glue it shut, you would need it!
I HAV a self-cleaning oven, and I’m embarrassed to admit mine looks lots worse then yours! I would crank the sucker uo and clean it … but it’s been so hot lately that I don’t want to turn it on. Yeah … that’s my excuse!
Clean it in the winter! Summer should be more fun than cleaning your oven. I should have left mine alone.
yeah, we also have a self cleaning oven that’s a disaster. i’m not sure we’ve ever used the self cleaning feature. our kitchen has no windows and the thought of all that heat is horrid. maybe this winter… yours looks awesome compared to ours!
Well, that makes me feel better!
I am in stiches laughing at your husbands reply, my partner thought it very funny also. We have finally broken up for summer today and I am slightly ashamed to say that I have already started my summer holiday deep clean. This includes the oven, I remove all racks and shelves and here in the UK we have a product called Oven Pride where you place them in a sealed bag overnight with a solution and they come out gleaming. The inside of the oven is a different matter, the best product I have found is Mr. Mrscle oven cleaner which is a spray on. I have the joy of that task tomorrow. Hope you have had a great trip x
Good luck with it! I hope you have more success than I did. I wonder if we have Oven Pride around here. It sounds marvelous.