Tuesday cleaning tip--Ovens

Good Morning. Is it really only Tuesday? This week seems to be going a bit slow around here. I've got this chore coming up, actually I should have done this already, lol. Here are some tips for those of us without a self-cleaning oven.

AMMONIA
Every few weeks, fill a small glass bowl with ½ cup full-strength ammonia, place it in a cold oven, and close. Let the liquid stand overnight. The next day, remove the bowl of ammonia and wipe loosened-up grime with a wet sponge. The ammonia can be saved and re-used if stored properly.
*Ammonia is a very strong cleaning agent and I would recommend making sure the children are not in the room when you are doing this. Also, be sure to store it where the kids cannot reach it.
(I remember being a child and finding my Aunt Alice's ammonia on the steps to her basement. Being curious I opened it up and took a big whiff of it. LOL You can be sure I never did that with any bottles ever again.)

HEAVY DUTY HOMEMADE OVEN CLEANER
1t Liquid dish soap
1t Lemon juice
1-1/2t Bleach
1qt. Warm water
Mix all ingredients in bucket or bowl and apply solution (with a sponge) to the oven's cavity. Allow to sit for 45-minutes and then scrub clean. Rinse well!

NATURAL OVEN CLEANER RECIPES

VINEGAR RECIPE
5T Baking soda
3 drops hand soap or liquid dish soap
4T White vinegar
Mix above ingredients until they form a thick paste. Apply paste to inside of oven and scrub with sponge. Wipe clean and rinse thoroughly.

CITRUS CLEANSER
Use equal amounts of lemon juice and salt. Apply paste to stubborn stains and allow to sit for 3-5 minutes. Scrub with brush and wipe clean.

TOUGH STAIN REMOVER
1c Salt
1c Baking soda
1c Water
Make a paste using the ingredients above and apply it to the inside of the oven. Close door and heat oven to 500-degrees for 60 minutes. Turn off oven and allow to cool. Wipe debris from oven using a moist sponge. Rinse well.

NATURAL SCRUB CLEAN OVEN SOLUTION
4T Baking soda
4T Hot, steamy water
Make a paste with the above listed ingredients and apply it to the oven's cavity using an old toothbrush or soft-bristled cleaning brush. Allow solution to sit for 1-minute. Scrub with brush until oven is clean. Rinse with water and sponge until no traces of baking soda remain.

*You can remove all cleansers from the oven by rinsing with vinegar and water.
*Always wear rubber gloves if using chemical-based solutions.
*Wiping the oven after each spill will eliminate the need for a big cleanup later.
*Use aluminum foil to avoid a mess from accident boil overs, greasy run-offs, and spills.

Of course, I'm sure there aren't many of you out there like me...dealing with an oven that is 30 years old. Well, at least it works. Maybe if I show it some love , by giving it a good and thorough cleaning, it will start showing me some love and hit the right temperature. LOL A gal can always dream.

Have a terrific day!
Hugs!
Jill Marie