Are the grills and internal walls the dirtiest part of your oven? Maybe you're missing something...
The oven is an essential appliance in our kitchens, and allows us to prepare meals for the whole family on a daily basis. And, like all objects used in our homes, the oven requires regular cleaning - the frequency of which will depend on how often it is used.
While cooking, spatters and food residue get deposited on the grills and the walls of the internals. Over time, this grime build-up will reduce the oven's performance and create a potential health hazard (and even attract unwelcome insects, like cockroaches, into the kitchen).
The focus of any oven-cleaning effort should be on the internal walls and grills, i.e. those parts of the appliance that are in constant contact with food and which get the most dirty.
That said, there is an area of our ovens that can get even dirtier; this is located on the outside and you probably always forget to clean it. Let's see find out what this area is:
The knobs are the dirtiest part of an oven
It might seem unbelievable, but the dirtiest area of the oven is not inside the appliance, but is in the front, on the outside. Think about it: when was the last time you cleaned the oven's knobs? You probably can't remember, right? This "knob-area" can become very dirty over time, yet is often overlooked when it comes to cleaning.
Over time, the knobs pick up dirt and grime from food and our hands (and especially oils, fats and grease) and which will eventually attract parasites - not to mention becoming the perfect breeding grounds for germs, bacteria and mold.
So the next time you clean the oven, make sure you clean the knobs. Below, we show you how to do this properly:
Oven cleaning using natural products
There are many commercial products available on the market for cleaning an oven, but most of them are synthetic products that are harmful to the environment (and which can also leave residue on our surfaces that could be a health risk). Given this, you should opt for using eco-friendly commercial cleaners, wherever possible. Failing this, you can also prepare your own cleaning products using natural products you probably have at home:
- The most effective natural product for cleaning the oven is undoubtedly white or apple vinegar. Vinegar can not only remove grime and limescale, but does not leave any residue on the surfaces. You can spray vinegar directly on the oven knobs and rub clean carefully with a sponge;
- Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) is also great for cleaning the oven and can be used both inside and outside the oven, including on the knobs: prepare a paste with one part of water and 2 parts of bicarb, smear it on the knobs and leave the paste to act 20 minutes before scrubbing off thoroughly.
Now your oven will be perfectly clean and germ-free!