A couple months ago, we covered how to clean your microwave oven (in the green way) in time for your new showing so that prospective buyers won’t run screaming when they see the tiny civilization that has grown inside.
This month: how to clean your oven naturally and efficiently before the turkey takes over and makes you start all over again.
Well, I guess you could wait until after Thanksgiving, but this is so easy, you might not want to.
Our friend at Going GreenHouse cleaning service, April Prothero, tells us not to hit the self clean button on your oven right before Turkey Day.
That’s a bad idea, she says, and here’s why: self-clean cycles can be hard on your oven especially if it’s an older one. This may cause your oven to completely burn out and break down before your houseguests even have a chance to taste some of your perfectly cooked turkey—leaving you in panic.
But before you reach for the extremely harsh chemical storm of spray oven cleaners, check out her recipe for a natural and efficient oven cleaner to get your oven spic-and-span for the big holiday–with a little elbow grease of course.
All you need are a few items that are probably sitting around your house already:
- baking soda
- water
- white vinegar (for later)
- rubber gloves
- damp dish cloth
- spatula
- spray bottle
- After removing the oven racks and anything else inside, mix up your cleaning paste. In a small bowl, mix ½ cup of baking soda with a few table spoons of water. Adjust the ratio of both as needed until you have a spreadable paste (usually about 3 tablespoons of water).
- Spread this paste all over the interior of your oven, paying special attention to the greasier areas. Do not coat the heating elements. Let this sit for at least 12 hours, or overnight.
- After 12 hours, take your damp cloth and wipe out as much of the dried on paste as possible. Use a spatula to help scrape off excess paste.
- Put a little vinegar in a spray bottle and spray everywhere you see leftover baking soda residue. This will cause it to foam. Use your damp cloth to wipe away the rest of the foamy mixture its created. Add more vinegar and water as needed to clean it away.
- Lastly, replace your oven racks and BAM! Clean, shiny oven!
This method may require a little sweat and elbow grease, but at least your nose hairs are still intact and you’re not struggling to breathe through harsh chemicals. Your oven will be perfectly prepared so you can put your guests into a turkey induced tryptophan coma!
And if you’re not in the mood to sweat, remember, you can always call April and the Going Greenhouse gang to schedule a special cleaning to include your oven.
