Experts are urging people to give their ovens a thorough clean before roasting their Christmas turkey, recommending the use of a household staple: sodium bicarbonate. A survey by Thomas Sanderson has disclosed that Brits tend to clean their ovens only once every 18 months, and another study indicates that 2% never clean them at all.
However, accumulated grease and charred food can become breeding grounds for bacteria, potentially making your festive feast less safe and leading to illness. With around 1 million cases of food poisoning reported annually, including during the festive season, supermarket expert Richard Price from Britsupertore is offering advice on how to spruce up your oven door in less than three minutes using baking soda.
He said: “Cleaning oven doors can be challenging because food splatters and grease often bake onto the surface, making the stains difficult to remove, even after scrubbing vigorously. If it’s been a while since you last cleaned your oven, it is important to start doing it now ahead of Christmas cooking.
“This is because built-up grease and burn marks create the perfect environment for bacteria, compromising kitchen hygiene and the safety of your cooking. Using sodium bicarbonate is an easy and effective way to clean the oven, with great results in just three minutes, making it ideal for a last-minute cleaning chore.”
How to use baking soda to clean oven door
- Pour hot water onto your oven door: “To clean the greasy oven glass, start by pouring 2 cups of hot (not boiling) water over the entire surface of the oven door, which is just enough to cover it completely without spilling over.”
- Sprinkle baking soda onto the door: “Sprinkle sodium bicarbonate generously over the water until the surface is fully coated, letting it sit for 30 seconds.”
- Create a cleaning paste with aluminium foil: “Then, scrunch up a piece of aluminium foil into a ball and use it to scrub the glass in circular motions for 1 to 2 minutes. This will combine the sodium bicarbonate and water into a paste which will loosen the grease, burnt food and other grime.
- Wipe the paste away: “Wipe away the paste with a damp cloth. Use a clean cloth and a spray bottle filled with water to remove any streaks, and dry the glass with a paper towel for a streak-free finish.”