How To Clean Your Stove: Tackling Those Tough Kitchen Chores

Stove, Oven, Range, whatever you call it, most homes could not function more than a day with out it. I use my stove almost daily (unless, of course, a crock pot is in use!).  I enjoy baking in the oven and heating my water for my latte on the burners.  (Why is it that water tastes much better warmed up in a tea kettle than in the microwave?  I seriously think it does!)

With the stove being a must use item at your home, it gets dirty.  Really dirty.  What's nice is the door of the oven stays shut most of the time so no one really knows what is going on in there. ;-)  Have you ever had company over and when it came time to get something out of the oven you look around you to make sure no one was looking before you open the door?   I have. Now, it isn't disgusting nastiness in there.  I promise.  However it isn't sparkling clean either.

How can we get it sparkling clean?

• Use the self cleaning button. What could be simpler?  You walk into your kitchen, you remove the racks, you push a button.  Voila! Done!  However, is it safe?  I think you could find research on both sides of the issue.  For example, this article here talks about the dangers of self cleaning your oven.  I personally have used the self cleaning feature and I don't like it.  It smells horrible and I almost always turn it off before the time is done.  I have decided to just clean my oven.

• Don't use oven cleaners on a self cleaning oven.  If you use oven cleaners on a self cleaning oven it can damage the oven's surface.

• Baking soda is your friend. I have seen many articles on using baking soda as an oven cleaner.  I have used it myself.  Simply spray down the inside of your oven with a little bit of water and pour baking soda on the oven.  Let is sit for a few hours and wipe off.  You can find a recipe using vinegar here.

• Cleaning the stove top.  You can use baking soda and peroxide to clean the stove top.  Here is a You Tube video on how to clean your stove top.

• Cleaning a glass stove top.  Have a glass top stove?  You can use the same method on cleaning a glass stove top as a regular stove top.  Here is another article.  I like the look of the flat stove top.  I think it looks nice, clean and smooth.  I really like my gas stove, however. :-)

I hope these tips are helpful in your stove cleaning adventures.  I really would rather clean the stove any day then the fridge.  However, if you come to my house, don't judge my stove. :-)