No one looks forward to oven cleaning. You either have to use a heavy-duty oven cleaner that takes hours and heats up your house, or you have to take your oven out of service for hours. Instead, use ARM to make your own oven cleaner.
As much as we love crispy, delicious bacon, it comes with an unfortunate downside – dealing with the leftover bacon grease. When that hot grease inevitably splatters or spills in your oven, it can be a tricky mess to clean up. But with the right techniques and products, you can get your oven sparkling clean again in no time.
Why Prompt Cleaning is Essential
Don’t leave bacon grease in the oven for too long. Here are some of the issues it can cause if left untouched:
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Fire hazard – Bacon grease is highly flammable and could ignite at oven temperatures, leading to dangerous kitchen fires. This risk increases over time as grease accumulates.
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Bad smells—When bacon grease breaks down and oxidizes in the oven, it releases bad smells that fill the kitchen.
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Bug attraction – Spilled grease can attract pests like cockroaches and mice looking for food.
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Damage to the oven: Over time, grease stains can rust and break down oven surfaces.
Regular cleaning keeps your oven safe and usable for all your cooking needs,
How to Clean Bacon Grease Spills from an Oven
When bacon grease spills in the oven, follow these steps to thoroughly clean it up:
Step 1: Allow the Oven to Cool Completely
- Turn off the oven and allow it to cool fully before wiping up any spilled grease. Hot grease can cause severe burns.
Step 2: Remove Any Loose Debris with a Paper Towel
- Once cool, blot up any easy-to-remove grease pools or drips with a paper towel and discard it. Don’t smear the grease around.
Step 3: Make a Baking Soda Paste
- In a small bowl, stir together baking soda and just enough water to make a spreadable paste.
Step 4: Apply the Baking Soda Paste
- Using a sponge, soft cloth, or brush, coat the remaining grease stains thoroughly with the baking soda paste.
Step 5: Let It Sit for at Least 15 Minutes
- Allow the paste to work on dissolving the grease for at least 15 minutes. For tough stains, let it sit for several hours or overnight.
Step 6: Scrub and Wipe Away
- Use a sponge, soft cloth, or non-scratch scrubber to thoroughly scrub the greasy areas until clean. Wipe away baking soda residue with a damp cloth.
Step 7: Use Vinegar for Extra Cleaning Power
- For really stubborn grease stains, spray the area with undiluted white vinegar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before scrubbing again. The vinegar will help cut through the grease.
Step 8: Finish with a Vinegar Wipe Down
- Wipe down the interior oven surfaces with a cloth dipped in vinegar to remove any last traces of grease and deodorize.
Baking Soda and Vinegar – A Dynamic Duo Against Grease
Baking soda and vinegar make an effective oven cleaning combo, Here’s how they work to cut through grease
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Baking Soda – Acts as a gentle abrasive to scrub the grease away and deodorizes.
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Vinegar – Acid in vinegar reacts with baking soda to fizz and dissolve greasy residue. It cuts grease and removes odors.
Using these two inexpensive, non-toxic products is an easy, fume-free way to tackle the mess bacon grease can make in an oven. With some scrubbing elbow grease, they make ovens fresh again.
Other Handy Tips for Grease Cleanup
Here are some other useful tips for cleaning bacon grease spills from an oven:
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Wear gloves to protect skin from hot surfaces and cleaning products.
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Place bacon on foil-lined pans or baking sheets to catch drips if possible.
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Cover grates and other surfaces with foil for easier cleanup.
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Wipe up spills with salt or sawdust immediately to absorb hot grease safely.
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Use a plastic spatula to scrape off cooled grease.
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Clean oven surfaces regularly to prevent grease buildup.
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For tough baked-on stains, let oven cleaner or a degreaser sit before scrubbing.
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Avoid harsh caustic oven cleaners, which can damage surfaces.
With the right preparation and cleaning methods, bacon grease doesn’t have to be an oven disaster waiting to happen. A clean oven makes cooking safer and more appetizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of bacon smell in my oven after cleaning up grease?
Use vinegar – Wipe down oven surfaces with undiluted vinegar using a cloth. Baking soda also helps absorb odors.
How do I clean under the oven where grease drips?
Carefully lift warm (not hot) oven up and clean underneath with baking soda paste and vinegar. Wear gloves to prevent burns.
Is it safe to clean a warm oven?
No, allow the oven to cool fully before wiping up any grease. Hot grease can cause severe burns.
Should I use water to clean up bacon grease?
No, water will just make hot grease splatter. Blot with paper towels instead once the oven is cool.
How do I prevent bacon grease messes in my oven?
Cook bacon on foil-lined pans, clean up spills promptly, and wipe the oven regularly to prevent grease buildup.
Cleaning up slippery bacon grease spills in the oven can seem like a messy chore, but with the right preparation and cleaning techniques, you can keep your oven fresh and prevent greasy disasters. Follow these tips, and you’ll have your oven looking spotless again in no time.
Basic Oven Cleaning with Baking Soda
Baking soda is non-toxic, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and remarkably effective on cleaning oven grease. Baking soda is alkaline, and oven grease made of food particles is typically acidic. Because baking soda neutralizes acids and breaks down grease, you can wipe it up with little work. It’s also a mild abrasive, so it works well at removing dried, stuck-on foods. The oven can be used right away after being cleaned with baking soda; you don’t have to turn it on.
Baking soda usually does its magic in just 15 minutes. This means that cleaning the oven isn’t such a big deal—you can do it in the time it takes to watch one episode of your favorite sitcom.
The basic baking soda oven cleaner recipe for regularly cleaned or lightly soiled ovens is as follows:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda
- 3 tablespoons water
- Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until you have a paste that is about the consistency of pancake batter.
- Remove the racks from the oven.
- Spread the paste over the dirty metal or glass parts with a rubber spatula or your gloved hand. Avoid the heating elements.
- Let the paste sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Use wet paper towels to wipe off the paste and any loose dirt or grease.
- Use water or a 3:1 mix of water and distilled vinegar on a wet paper towel to wipe down the inside of the oven.
Repeat if necessary for tougher stains, or try the heavy-duty method below.
A Natural Oven Cleaner Without Harsh Chemicals
Anyone who has ever read the label of a store-bought oven cleaner knows that it’s a long list of chemicals. Conventional oven cleaners contain a range of chemicals such as potassium hydroxide, monoethanolamine, sodium hydroxide, and butoxydiglycol. These and other chemicals can irritate your respiratory system and burn your skin, lungs, and eyes. Directions for using a commercial oven cleaner recommend wearing long gloves and avoiding inhaling the fumes. It makes sense that a lot of people are worried about using these chemicals near their pets and children or in a kitchen appliance that cooks food.
There is a natural oven cleaner that you can use instead of store-bought ones, and you don’t even need to wear gloves. Plus, it’s a lot cheaper than spray-on oven cleaners and doesn’t leave behind chemicals that can make your oven smell bad the next time you use it.