If you’re anything like most, you probably dread cleaning your oven. Especially me right now since my oven needs repair. Appliance repair or oven repair, is amazing, although it is not in my budget right now. So, lets get back into the dreaded cleaning. There are few things harder to get sparkling, and even the thought of trying might give you a headache. A headache which, ironically, will get a whole lot worse when you do get down to this.
That’s thanks to the heavy chemicals most of us use in the hopes that it makes this job more manageable. Industrial strength oven cleaners are easy enough to pick up at your local store and, for many, they seem like the only option. The trouble is that, as the skull and crossbones on the back suggests, these chemicals aren’t the best.
Thanks to ingredients including sodium hydroxide and other high-alkaline additions, off-the-shelf chemical cleaners can spell bad news for our health and our homes. Is it any wonder, then, that you dread cleaning your oven as much as you currently do?
The good news is that heavy chemicals aren’t your only option. Keep reading for proof of why you should avoid repurchasing your standard cleaner, and what you can use instead.
Toxicity + food = A recipe for disaster
If you have to wear a mask and gloves to apply a cleaner, what do you think those chemicals will do to your food? The fact is that, no matter how well you wipe your oven, there are sure to be some cleaning spores left behind. When you next cook food, then, you risk unwanted toxicity. This is an issue which becomes even worse when you consider cleaners that stay in your oven overnight. Before you know, those chemicals cleaners could get into your digestive system. Over time, that could do untold damage to your health.
What about your oven?
You’re cleaning your oven to extend it’s life, not do damage. Yet, shop-bought chemical cleaners have been proven to do just that. That’s perhaps not surprising when you consider that these are products which can burn your skin. When used on your oven, they could lead to issues such as corrosion of metals, rotting of rubber, and a distortion of your elements. In every case, you would need to either contact a local appliance repair company or buy a whole new oven. All because you did what you thought was best for your oven.
So, what other option do you have?
Many of us realize the damage cleaners can do but use them regardless because we’re unaware of alternatives. In reality, though, there’s every chance you already have the ingredients you need to make a replacement. By mixing half a cup of baking soda with a few teaspoons of either water or vinegar, you can create a cleaner which cuts through grease just as well as the best products out there. And, you can do it all toxicity-free and zero waste. Not to mention that you could save a small fortune on those expensive ‘oven-specific’ products. Even if you’re reluctant that this will work at first, one try will surely convert you for life.
Check more great lifestyle post at the Kamfy Living section of the blog.