To
clean the oven properly here is a process that will make the boring task quick,
easy and safe and it will not damage the surface (which makes it even harder to clean in the future).
Preparation:
1. Before you begin, check the amount of vinegar
and baking SODA (not powder) on hand.
You will need quite a bit, at least one jar of the soda and probably
half the container of vinegar.
2. Remove the racks from
the oven (small one too on the counter next to the toaster) and put them on the
top shelf of the dishwasher. The little
ones you may need to fit in on the bottom.
3. Remove the other
elements from the top of the stove and fit them carefully into the bottom part
of the dishwasher (being careful not to let them interfere with the movement of
the washing spray arms).
4. You will likely be
able to fit in the exhaust filters in too.
5. Before you fiddle with
them, turn off the power at the powerpoint in the cupboard with the salt, I
believe.
6. Then carefully remove
both filters and put them on top of the oven racks at the top of the
dishwasher.
7. Put in the dishwashing
soap and turn on the Pots and Pans cycle.
Do not turn it on yet.
8. Leave the roasting
tray inside the oven at the bottom (if it is not at the bottom, just put it on
the bottom).
9. Fill the tray about
half full with some of the vinegar and turn the oven on to about 200 degrees
and close the door.
10.
Let
the vinegar do its work for about 40 minutes, the kitchen will spell of vinegar
and if its warm enough outside, you might better open the window and doors.
11. Also, I need to know
when you turn the oven on so I can go and hide away from the fumes.
More Preparation
12.
By
letting the hot vinegar begin to soften any baked-on stuff it becomes quite an
easy task. So very little scrubbing is
needed.
13. Get two cloths from
under the package of dishwashing pellets under the sink on the right side of
the cupboard. They are clean and fresh,
just a little raggedy from previous use.
14.
Get
the big blue ice cream container (in the corner cupboard, beside the sink where
my rubber gloves are) and fill it with hot soapy water and drop one of the
cloths in for later.
15. You may wish to use
the green rubber gloves (your size) when you scrub, but the vinegar and soda are
not toxic in fumes or on your hands but I always do to keep my hands dry.
16.
Find
two of the red cereal bowls and a small saucepan (not the shiny Scanpan
one).
17. Fill one of the bowls
with about half the container of baking soda and wait till the next steps are
complete.
18.
Once
the 40 minutes has passed, turn off the oven and let it set for about another
20-30 minutes. (The idea is that it will still be hot on the surface, but not
too hot for you to touch).
19.
Once
it is cool enough to touch the surface of the inside of the oven, CAREFULLY
remove the tray of vinegar. Please do
this slowly so as NOT to spill any on you.
20.
Carefully
pour the hot vinegar into the small saucepan to use for the next steps.
21.
Put
the oven tray now empty -- with vinegar on top of the racks in the top of the
dishwasher.
22.
Put
in a dishwashing pellet and turn on the dishwasher – the ‘pots and pans’ cycle
-- and let it do it’s magic while you do yours.
Cleaning without Scrubbing with a Scratchy
a. Take the bowl of
baking soda and add water a little at a time, stirring thoroughly, until you
make a thick paste of the mixture.
b. Dip a portion of the
cloth in the vinegar and then in the soda mixture (which will fizz a bit)
throughout the process, so there is always enough of the mixture on the cloth.
c. While the oven is
cooling, clean the outside of the door, dividing the surface into quadrants
about 10 x 10 inches and then move on to the next using the soda-vinegar
cloth. The soda is gritty enough but so
fine that it does not scratch.
d. After you are
satisfied with the results of a quadrant, wring out the cloth in the blue
container and wipe the soda-vinegar mix off and move onto the next quadrants.
e. Once finished, you
need to disconnect the oven from the electricity, the plug is in the cupboard
to the left of the oven.
f. Then clean the inside
surface of the oven door in the same way you did the outside.
g. Then begin the
surfaces inside the oven, scrubbing with the vinegar-soda mixture until you’re
satisfied. I usually start with the
floor of the oven, because it seems the worst and the easiest to take pride in
cleaning, but you will find a way that suits you.
h. By the time you are
finished with the oven, you could wipe down some of the stove surfaces if they
need it and around the exhaust fan, although the fan is a bit of a lost cause
because of so much frying in grease.
i. Take a break and when
the dishwasher is complete, open the door of the dishwasher and let the steam
escape and then reassemble the stove, oven and exhaust fan.
j. You should feel very
proud of this accomplishment and I will be able to breathe again. Hope you are up to the task!
