Everyday tip: Clean the oven with baking soda

Few realize that cleaning the oven is a form of mindfulness. The mind relaxes and clears itself from unnecessary worries while polishing surfaces and scrubbing trays. Food cooked in a clean oven doesn't taste burnt, and cleaning is easy and eco-friendly with baking soda and vinegar.

Here's how to make your own oven cleaner: Mix together baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. You'll need 2 tablespoons of each. Double the portion if needed. When the mixture starts to form a paste, it's ready to use.

Oven cleaning

1. Remove trays and grills from the oven.
2. Apply the paste you made to stains and dirty areas.
3. Let it sit for about an hour.
4. If there's some pretty stubborn dirt, heat the oven to 50 degrees celsius and let the paste sit for about 30 minutes.
5. Clean stained areas with a dishcloth or a soft fabric. Avoid abrasive tools.
6. The mixture can also be used to clean the oven glass.
7. Finally, wipe the oven shiny with a damp, clean cloth.

Oven tray cleaning

1. Sprinkle baking soda generously on the tray.
2. Add warm water.
3. The mixture will bubble. Let it sit for a moment.
4. Dip a cloth in the mixture and scrub the tray clean.
5. If there's still dirt, add a bit of vinegar to the mixture.
6. Prevent tray dirt by covering the tray with parchment paper and cleaning immediately after use.

Refreshing the oven with vinegar

1. If the oven isn't very dirty, freshen it up with vinegar.
2. Pour vinegar into a deep, heat-resistant container and place it on the oven's middle rack.
3. Heat the oven to 50 degrees.
4. Let it cool for about 30–60 minutes.
5. Wipe it clean with a damp cloth. Grease and dirt come off easily, leaving the oven like new.