Whether you use your oven to sling out savory treats like Julia Child or just to heat up last night’s pizza, you’ll want to make sure your oven is clean and well-maintained. These seven tips from a housecleaner and appliance repair technicians will help you take action and get this task off the back burner.
1. Clean your oven regularly
According to Kimberly Mazzone, owner of highly rated Kimberly’s Kleaning in Las Vegas, you should make an effort to clean your oven at least twice a year. If you use your stove every day, it will need to be cleaned more often. 2. Safely use your oven's self-cleaning feature Mazzone says the self-cleaning feature on your oven should be safe to use, as long as you’re following the manufacturer’s guidelines. She says you’ll want to stay home during the process and suggests opening a window because it gets hot. After the self-cleaning cycle, let the oven cool for at least six hours before wiping it down. 3. Don't clean under oven knobs James Beardsley, owner of highly rated James Beardsley Appliance Service in Austin, Texas, warns against removing the cooktop’s knobs while cleaning — the source of several of his service calls. While it’s tempting to pull them off and squirt cleaner all around the area, you are essentially dousing an electrical system, which could cause it to short out or electrocute you. 4. Replace the gas According to Jim Thienel, owner of highly rated Berkley Appliance in Royal Oak, Mich., you should replace the gas line if you purchase a new gas oven. Moving and swapping the ovens creates a lot of movement, and vibration could cause leaks in the gas line. He says replacing the line at this time is a small expense and a major increase in safety. The new gas line can be bought from the company installing your new oven for about $12. They can change it during installation, but you may pay an additional labor fee, which varies by contractor. 5. Unplug oven when cleaning with water Mazzone advises unplugging the oven if you’re going to be cleaning the inside of the oven by hand. She uses a lot of water in the process and takes necessary safety measures to eliminate risk of electrocution. Her process starts by spraying a baking soda and water mixture all over the oven. After that turns to a light film, she wipes the oven down with dish soap to cut through the grease. Finally, Mazzone says to go over everything with a vinegar and water solution, which makes everything shiny and kills germs. 6. Inspect your oven's burners Thienel recommends inspecting coil burners for deformities and replacing any damaged ones. A small spot on the coil that’s redder than the rest when cooking means it’s about to short out, and that could cause tremendous damage to the burners and oven. Do not use that burner and replace it immediately. 7. Create a spill barrier If you’re cooking a pie or casserole and some ingredients spill onto your oven, clean it as soon as possible. The longer messes sit, the more they’ll burn. Mazzone suggests putting a small cookie sheet covered with tinfoil under your oven racks to catch any spillage, but be sure not to block any vents.
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