Keeping the oven in your kitchen squeaky clean is a must due to the fact that residues from baked foods can release carcinogens during the process of baking. However, you should not use store-bought oven cleaners to do this, according to Healthy Holistic Living, because these products are full of dangerous toxins which can do damage once they come into contact with your skin and the inside of your body. Instead, you should rely on homemade, natural cleaning products, for example, a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, and you will have an amazing homemade oven cleaner which will help you and not damage your health.
Why You Need to Avoid Store-Bought Oven Cleaner
A lot of store-bought oven cleaners contain ammonia and lye and they can penetrate the skin, remove its layers, and the fumes will get into the lungs. Once you clean your oven with this type of product, the fumes continue to linger and things may even get worse when you turn on the oven next time to bake your favourite pie or lasagne, i.e. it will be full of these dangerous toxins lingering in the oven- you may not actually taste them, but believe us, they are there!
As explained on Healthy Holistic Living, some dangerous side effects from the toxins from common grill cleaners are serious throat ache, nose, eyes, ears, lips, and tongue burning, and vision impairment, as well as abdominal ache, blood in the stool, and vomiting blood. The most dangerous ingredients commonly found in these products are butane, monoethanolamine, sodium hydroxide, diethylene glycol, etc.
What Should You Do Instead?
If your oven has a self-cleaning feature, use it- it will help you stay away from harmful ingredients. But, ensure you are adhering to the instructions because this feature may cause the production of carbon monoxide, especially if there is too much baked-on food in the oven.
If your oven does not have this feature, do not worry, there is a safer way to clean your oven naturally. Check it out below.
DIY Oven Cleaner
Needed:
2 glass bowls
A brush
Sponge for scrubbing
Baking soda
Vinegar
Essential oil like orange, a drop or two
A spoon
Gloves
Procedure: First, remember to remove the oven racks because they should be separately cleaned in your sink and put on gloves. Then, in a bowl, mix the baking soda, vinegar, and essential oil. Mix and add water if needed to get a thick, paste-like texture. Next, with the help of the brush, take some of the mixture and coat the whole inside of the oven. Leave it for 8 hours or overnight. Afterwards, fill another glass bowl with water and use the sponge to wipe the oven and remove the residues. Each time you wipe, squeeze out the sponge and clean it in the water. Change the water as needed.
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