Compared to something like your grime-covered microwave, the inside of your oven might seem less pressing. After all, most people only look inside this appliance once a day, if that. But we’re here to tell you that the moment you see a spill or a splatter is when you should tackle it.
“The longer stuff bakes on, the tougher it is to remove,” says Carolyn Forte, director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Follow Forte’s cleaning advice for every part of your oven to prevent a bigger mess later on.
The inside surfaces.
Wipe down loose bits of food on the inside with a damp sponge or cloth. Then, if your machine has a self-cleaning cycle, run it to make sure every nook and cranny is touched. If something spills over while baking, pour table salt on it, and wipe it up when the oven is cool to make cleaning it up quicker.
The removable racks.
First, remove them from your oven. It’s easier to give them a thorough cleaning this way. Then wash them in warm, sudsy water and tackle burned-on gunk with a non-abrasive scrubber ($9 for a 24-pack, amazon.com) as needed. Rinse them, let dry and slide them back into place.
The oven door.
This galvanized or stainless steel surface can be cleaned the same way as the interior, or you can use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser ($6 for an 8-pack, amazon.com). For the glass, Forte recommends spritzing on a glass or grease-cutting multi-purpose cleaner ($28, amazon.com) and scrubbing it with a non-abrasive scrubbing pad. Rinse with a clean cloth or sponge and let dry.
Now that your oven is ready to be used to bake food again, try this easy oven-cooked bacon for breakfast. You deserve it.
