Kicking Off the New Year with a Clean Oven

The holiday season has come to an end and it's a New Year. As you resolve to give yourself a fresh start, why not offer the same to your oven? Chances are, your oven worked very hard over the holiday season from roasting the Thanksgiving turkey to baking appetizers for New Years Eve. Provide a little TLC to your oven by cleaning it without harsh chemicals.

You'll need four basic cleaning supplies: baking soda, vinegar in a spray bottle, a wet rag and a sponge. That's it!

Before cleaning the oven should be completely cooled. Remove the oven racks and soak in the kitchen sink in hot water with a 1/2 cup of vinegar. (If your oven racks don't fit in the kitchen sink you can soak them in the bathtub, be sure to place a towel underneath to avoid scratching your tub). If possible, allow soaking overnight. 

While the oven racks are soaking, make a baking soda paste. Mix a few tablespoons of baking soda with water to form a paste. Spread the paste inside the oven on the base and along the walls,  avoiding the heating elements. (Hint: It's normal for the paste to turn brown). Leave the paste to sit overnight.

Use a wet rag to wipe up as much of the paste as possible. Spritz remaining paste with vinegar (the reaction will cause it to foam, this is normal and expected). 

Wipeout remaining vinegar and baking soda residue with a wet rag.  Give the oven racks a light scrub with a scrubbing sponge, rinse with water and return to them to the oven. Voila!