Do you want to clean the oven using DIY remedies? Try these simple homemade solutions

When it comes to cooking, the stove and oven are always the appliances that suffer the most - the ones that we find ourselves having to clean much more frequently than the other kitchen surfaces and appliances. In the case of the oven in particular, it is essential to keep it clean after each use to ensure that the dirt does not continue to burn, become charred and consequently, becoming even more difficult to remove (not to mention, that it is also certainly not good for your health). Cleaning the oven is also important to ensure a uniform distribution of heat, which helps both the cooking results and to avoids an unnecessary waste of energy and increased power consumption.

If you want to use some alternative and homemade methods rather than using harsh, expensive industrial products to clean the oven, you can try the solutions that we describe below:

Nenad Stojkovic/Flicr, Creativo

There are two cleaning methods that generally give the best results:

• 6 tablespoons of baking soda and 3 tablespoons of water mixed together to form a soft paste. Apply this in a thin layer on the oven, including the door's glass, and let it act for at least 20 minutes. Then remove everything with a sponge or a soft, wet cloth.
• 6 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, 2 tablespoons of dish washing detergent (or dishwasher liquid). This is applied in the same way as in the previous step.

A little less effective- at least when the dirt is very stubborn - but useful for routine cleaning:

• 230 ml of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of corn starch (you can also use rice starch or potato starch). In a saucepan, mix the vinegar and starch well, then heat it until it thickens and then turn off the heat. When this cream has cooled, spread it on the surfaces to be washed, leave it on for 15-20 minutes and then remove everything with a wet cloth.
• 4 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of dish wahsing soap. Mix everything together, spread on the surfaces and leave to act for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove everything with a wet cloth or sponge. You can also try this without adding vinegar.

In addition to dish washing soap - or if you want a different soap to use for washing the oven - you can also use Marseille soap, or black soap (also known as African soap or Moroccan soap), and these products are also produced from from olive oil.

What's your favorite DIY method for cleaning the oven?