I do not enjoy cleaning my oven, including the self-cleaning kiln/incinerator function. It is just so wasteful and kind of creepy. I also find the spray oven cleaner in a scary, toxic iron lung sort of way. In the same issue that inspired the closet overhaul (see Coming out of the Closet), MS mentioned cleaning your oven with baking soda, water and time. This trio sounds right up my alley, especially the part about letting it one sleep. In addition, my oven has been getting lots of splattering love – “seasoned” as of late. Baking soda seems to be one of those things that can cure all ailments, like apple cider vinegar, chocolate, Windex and a nap.

Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate.It’s baking image was created by two New York factory bakers in 1846 by combining sodium carbonate (soda ash) and carbon dioxide. In baking, it brings the magic by reacting with the acidic bits (lemon, cream of tartar, vinegar etc) in batters, releasing bubbly carbon dioxide. This reaction in more obviousness demonstrated when making awesome sandbox volcanoes. Thar she blows! Try it. I also am at risk of confusing baking soda with baking powder (look alike, sound alike safety issue) and was a bit relieved to find that many baking powders are simply baking soda and cream of tartar. Now I wonder why I keep baking powder, baking soda AND cream of tarter. Mixing 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2 teaspoons cream of tartar = baking powder.

Cleaning Oven with Non-Toxic Baking Soda

What you need:

• A box of baking soda
• About 1 cup of hot water, you won’t add it all in a bit dump
• Spatula, sponge, paper towel, arm(s)
• Dirty Oven

Check out this dirty oven art collage! Porn? No way. Just well-used.

How to do it:

• Dump the whole box into a bowl
• Add in about a ½ cup of water and start stirring. Bubbly magic! But not overflowing
• Add in more water until you have a frosting like paste. Not too think but not so runny it won’t stay put.
  • Remember you can always add more water but you can’t take it out

• Spread it all over your oven. I was careful to not get it mashed into the fan in the back (I have a convection option). I just used my hands. Might be a “fun” “finger painting game” for kids. I didn’t have any handy to dupe into it…..

• Let it sit one sleep (overnight, or quite awhile)
• Come back after time elapse and start to remove. I did have a few spots that needed to sit a little longer, which I happily obliged. Magically my MIL came and cleaned it up (probably out of concern that I had forgotten, which I HADN’T, this time).
• To remove I used a spatula to wipe down the big bits. Start at the top and work your way down. Looks like dirty snow.
• I used spatula to scoop out most of the paste. Then wiped it with paper towel, following with a sponge dipped in water that I used to wash off, starting at top again.
• Wrapping it up with another damp paper towel wipe.

Viola! Dirty oven? Clean it up!

Worked out pretty good for me. You can see a spot or two in needs some more time. No worries! I’m tickled with the results.

{shout out to Orbitz gum for that one!} In fact, baking soda CAN be used to clean up a dirty mouth, whiten teeth, save lives, curb indigestion, biopesticide, extinguish fires, freshen carpet, fluffen omelets …. http://lifehackery.com/2008/07/22/home-4/ has a list of 75 uses!

Thank you! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate