Ogden Oven Cleaning Tips to Improve Lifespan

While certain appliances in our home may wear down over time in unavoidable ways, there are also plenty of situations where we have at least some level of control over this progression. One good example here is the oven in your home -- while no oven will last forever even if you take perfect care of it, you can absolutely get a longer lifespan from your oven if you take the right regular care approaches, and one of these involves periodic cleaning.

At Dick Kearsley Service Center, we're proud to offer a wide range of appliance repair services for clients in Ogden and other parts of Northern Utah, with ovens and ranges among the numerous appliances we service for clients regularly. In addition, however, we often provide customers with tips and expertise on how to maintain their highest-value appliances and avoid the need for repairs or replacements as long as possible. What are some general recommendations to keep in mind for cleaning your oven? Here are several.

Oven Cleaning Frequency

There's no set frequency with which an oven should be cleaned, and this is because every often is used differently. For example, if you cook frequently, then your oven is going to be used more often and could need a thorough cleaning every one or two months.

On the flip side, if the oven only receives occasional use, you can go several months between cleaning it without risks. However, it should still be cleaned at least twice a year at minimum to ensure that you're getting rid of excess grease and other debris.

Collect Your Supplies

First and foremost, you'll need a few basic supplies for cleaning an oven. Most or all of these will typically already be available in your home, and can be purchased at any nearby home improvement store if not. They include:

• Rubber gloves
• A sponge, ideally one with a strong scrubber feature
• Baking soda
• Warm water
• A metal bowl
• Vinegar
• Liquid detergent (for grates) or dish soap (for other areas)

From here, we'll go over some cleaning methods for each of the major components of a standard oven.

Cleaning Oven Grates

The grates in your oven are some of the most important areas to keep clean, as they're the part of the oven that comes into direct contact with food during cooking. Here are some basic steps for carrying this process out:

• Fill your tub or bin with hot, soapy water, using either liquid detergent or dish soap.
• Place some towels at the bottom of the tub so you have them available.
• Place oven grates in the tub of hot, soapy water, and let them sit for at least two hours. If your grates are large enough that they don't all fit in the tub, carry out this process in separate batches.
• Use a combination sponge and scrubber to lift food drippings from the grates, then rinse them under running water.
• Dry the grates off completely, then leave them to the side for at least 30 minutes for air drying.
• Place your oven grates back on the heat source when you're ready to use them again.

Cleaning Oven Interior

While the grates are very important for cleaning, that does not mean you should gloss over the actual interior of your oven. Leaving this space too long in between cleaning will lead to excessive build up of grease and other debris, so aim to clean this area at least once every two months.

Here are some basic steps for cleaning your oven interior:

• Using a bowl or other container, add three cups of baking soda and a single cup of water.
• Mix these two around until a paste is created.
• Using a scraper or spoon, rub the paste inside the oven across all the sections you want cleaned. The paste will stick onto these areas, and should be left for at least 30 minutes.
• Grab your scrubber sponge, and dip it into a solution of pure vinegar before using it to scrub off the paste.
• Rinse the oven interior until all of the baking soda and vinegar has been removed.
• Wipe dry with a towel or dish cloth, then place oven racks back inside before closing door to allow it to cool down.

In some cases, you may have to perform this process more than once for ovens that have not been cleaned in some time. If this happens, it should serve as a good reminder to you to up your oven cleaning frequency.

Cleaning Oven Screen

This process is likely the easiest of the bunch:

• Get a standard glass cleaner and either paper towels or a soft piece of cloth.
• Spray the glass surface of your oven screen with the glass cleaner.
• Wipe down this area using either paper towels or a cloth.
• If you notice any areas that are particularly greasy, consider using an extra drop or two of cleaning product before wiping them clean.

Self-Cleaning Ovens

For many modern ovens, a self-cleaning function is built right in. This feature typically involves a high level of heat that's run into the oven, helping burn away any residue left inside.

It's important to remember that as nice as the self-cleaning function can be, there are a number of downsides, including:

• Smell: Self-cleaning tends to create a very strong smell, and the roof of your oven might remain discolored for a few months after using it.
• Danger: Self-cleaning can lead to excessive buildup of dirt and grease along the sides of doors, which will lead to much more difficult future cleaning experiences.
• Extra smoke: The heat from the self-cleaning process can create a lot of smoke, and this will likely need to be vented out through your home's ventilation system.

For these reasons, while using the self-cleaner periodically is just fine, we recommend using the above steps for more common cleaning needs.

To learn more about how to clean your oven to help it last as long as possible, or for information on any of our appliance repair or other services in Ogden, speak to the team at Dick Kearsley Service Center today.