Time to clean the oven before making holiday treats? Prefer to have the clean oven but not taste the cleaner on your baked items? Think of cleaning green this season

Many commercial oven cleaners have several negative issues:

• They are housed in metal and/or plastic containers which are hard to impossible to recycle
• The fumes they give off can be harmful to you and the environment
• They can be caustic, causing irritation to skin already affected by dry winter weather

Commercial oven cleaners usually have the word ‘toxic’ in their warnings for use. A common chemical used in these cleaners is sodium hydroxide which is a caustic soda. It is not harmful in small doses, but with a pH of 14 (alkaline) is not the best thing to put into the environment overall.

If you do not have a self-cleaning oven, cleaning an oven with natural products is easy enough. Baking soda, salt and water, are usually available in every kitchen. To clean:

• Create the natural cleaner by mixing together as a paste:
  • 3/4 cup baking soda
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • 1/4 cup water
• Use a sponge and water to dampen the interior of the oven
• Spread the cleaning paste over the interior of the oven, avoiding any exposed metal (heating elements) if possible
• Let paste sit overnight
• Remove the next morning with a sponge or spatula
• Use a gentle scrubber or fine steel wool (please consult the oven’s manual for suggestions - goal is to not scratch the oven) to scrub tougher stains
• Rinse with sponge and clean water

To prevent future tough stains in the oven:

• Cover baking dishes to prevent splatter
• Place a sheet of aluminum foil under the bottom element to catch spills
• Use a cookie sheet under casserole dishes or pie pans to catch any run-off

Clean Ones® - For Clean Hands on Dirty Jobs®

Clean Ones Corp. 122 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204; 800-FOR-GLVS