Maintaining a clean oven is essential for kitchen hygiene and cooking efficiency. While there are various cleaning methods available, like the self-cleaning feature on your appliance, steam cleaning your oven is a highly effective and chemical-free option that can help remove stubborn grease, grime, and baked-on food residue. Apply the same technique of steam cleaning your microwave with your oven.

Consistency is key, so how often should you steam clean your oven? This will depend on how frequently you cook. Spills, overflows, and food residue in your oven should be wiped away immediately. Frequent cooks should steam clean their ovens four times a year or more. Other signs that you should steam clean your oven include the bottom of your oven having burnt on food, smoke appearing when your oven is turned on, the glass door of the oven being splattered with grease and grime, and a burning odor filling your kitchen when the oven is turned on.

Getting the Best Results Requires Good Maintenance

Steam cleaning your oven is very easy and is great for loosening grease and grime. However, you’ll get the best results from steam cleaning if you consistently maintain your oven. A slightly dirty oven always produces the best results after being steam cleaned. It’s important to upkeep your oven in between cleanings by wiping it clean after every use. If you neglect to clean your oven, you’ll have to resort to using cleaning products.

How To Steam Clean

The items you’ll need to steam clean your oven are common household products.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Water
• Large ovenproof bowl
• Gloves
• Sponges or microfiber cloths

The first thing you’ll do when steam cleaning your oven is to fill an oven-proof bowl with cool water. You’ll then need to set your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure that your oven-proof bowl is the only thing in the oven. Close the oven door with the bowl filled with water inside.

Set your oven’s timer for 30 to 60 minutes. The dirtier the oven, the longer the oven-proof bowl should stay in the oven.

After the timer goes off, leave the door of the oven closed until the appliance has completely cooled. This is necessary so the steam in the oven can loosen the grime. It also prevents you from being burned by the hot water.

Once the oven is fully cool, open the door and remove the oven-proof bowl. With a damp sponge or microfiber cloth, wipe away the grease and grime in your oven. Rinse the cloth and sponge frequently to prevent the grime from getting back on the oven’s surface.

If your oven is fully cleaned after this process, you should use oven-cleaning chemicals to complete the cleaning.

The best way to ensure that steam cleaning works each and every time is to properly maintain and clean your oven after every use and between steam cleanings.