Why bother?
Let’s face it nobody really loves cleaning their cooker or oven. It’s the last thing you want to clean in a kitchen.
How would you feel if you walked into your local takeaways kitchen and saw a dirty oven or hob!!! No good reviews there.
OLD DECAYING FOOD REMAINS = GERMS
Make sure you clean your oven every time you use it and wipe up any spills you might make on your hob.
TOP TIP: Keep your oven clean by laying a sheet of aluminium foil in the bottom and simply throw it away when it get dirty.
Let’s start with…..
The oven
How much time and elbow grease this is going to require depends on the last time you cleaned your oven. If you’ve not given your oven a deep clean for a few years you could be looking at a few hours worth of scrubbing.
Protective equipment
In an ideal world you should be wiping the oven down after every use to mop up any spillages. For stubborn marks and lots of burnt on carbon buy a heavy duty oven cleaner. Something like Mr muscle oven cleaner or oven pride works well on domestic ovens. Make sure you read the instructions in full and take the necessary safety precautions such as a face-mask, safety goggles and long rubber gloves.
Take extra care when cleaning self-cleaning ovens and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Protect surfaces
NOTE: make sure you protect any wooden surfaces to prevent the oven cleaner burning through the wood. An oven cleaning tray might come in handy here.
The hob
You can probably get away with hot soapy water and a clean dishcloth for the hob.
Take extra care with ceramic and halogen hobs as you don’t want to damage the surface of the hob from scratches.
TOP TIP: Use baby oil or a lubricant to make your stainless steel shine like new!
Any gas burning rings should be dismantled and and cleaned in hot soapy water. Attempting to clean them while they are on the hob may cause damage to the rings and the holders. You can use a nylon pad to clean the rings once you’ve dismantled them.
Grill pan
The best way to keep your grill pans clean is to wash them after every use with hot soapy water. Try lining them with aluminium foil and simply remove the foil after use.
TOP TIP: Store any grease in the pan in a cup and throw it away in the kitchen bin at the end of the week. Do not pour it down the sink.