Freshen Up Your Oven Effortlessly With This Clever Trick
A greasy oven can leave behind stubborn odors long after you’ve finished cooking. Fortunately, you don’t always need a strong commercial cleaner to freshen it up.
One simple method is to use baking soda and warm water.
🧽 The simple oven-freshening trick
Let the oven cool completely. Remove the racks and any loose crumbs.
Make a paste by mixing baking soda with a small amount of warm water.
Spread the paste over greasy or dirty areas inside the oven, avoiding heating elements and electrical components.
Leave it for several hours or overnight so the baking soda can loosen grime and absorb odors.
Wipe everything away with a damp cloth or sponge.
Rinse the surfaces with clean water until no baking-soda residue remains.
Dry the oven and replace the racks.
🍋 Want a fresher scent?
After cleaning, you can place an oven-safe dish containing water and a few lemon slices inside the oven and heat it gently for a short period, provided your oven manufacturer’s instructions allow this. The warm moisture can help loosen light residue and leave the oven smelling fresher.
⚠️ A few things to remember
Don’t apply cleaning mixtures to heating elements, fans, or electrical components.
Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia, or other household cleaners.
Always follow your oven manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.
For heavy, baked-on grease, a product specifically designed for ovens may work better than a homemade solution.
The trick: baking soda does the heavy lifting, while a little steam and lemon can help freshen the oven afterward.
