Effective, safe and inexpensive: instructions for cleaning the oven with citric acid

Grease and soot accumulating on oven surfaces is an annoying phenomenon that is almost impossible to avoid during the cooking process.

It is difficult to clean the oven from dirt, especially if it is old. But there is no need to despair. There are many tools to help cope with the problem.

One of the most effective and safest is the use of citric acid to clean the oven.

Can the product be used?

When choosing a product that copes with fat and carbon deposits in the oven, one should take into account not only its effectiveness, but also possible harm. Household chemicals successfully dissolve contaminants, but they contain chemicals.

When the oven heats up, they react with food, which poses a serious health hazard and can negatively affect the condition of the oven surfaces.

Their use successfully removes both fresh and old grease stains and carbon deposits.. During the procedure, often carried out in combination with steam treatment, hardened fats are softened and subsequently broken down by the natural acid of lemon. In this case, no harmful substances are released. In addition, unpleasant odors disappear from the oven.

The noted aspects of using natural citric acid powder, as well as lemon itself, distinguish them favorably from household chemicals and aggressive home remedies using ammonia or vinegar.

How is it different from using lemon?

It is almost impossible to decide which copes better with fat and soot - the citrus itself or the powder made from it. There is no significant difference in the impact on pollution.

However, there are some nuances:

1. It is advisable to use lemon juice and pulp if you need to clean a fairly strong, but local, contamination.

   In this case, it is enough to treat the problem area with a slice of lemon and wait until the fat dissolves, after which it is easily removed.

2. Powdered acid acts similarly. Its advantage is that it costs much less than lemon, and you can treat the entire oven with an aqueous solution with its addition.
3. Concentrated acid can be used as an independent component in an aqueous solution or working solutions can be prepared with the addition of other ingredients. For example, baking soda, laundry soap or vinegar.

Consequently, preference is often given to citric acid. Although the effectiveness of both products is almost the same. It all depends on the purpose for which they are used. When treating a local area, it is enough to use a slice of lemon; to clean the entire oven, it is more prudent to use a concentrate in powder form.

Application technology

There are several ways to cleanse oven using lemon and powder. The advisability of their use depends on the degree of contamination of the cabinet surfaces, as well as how fresh or old they are.

Cleaning the oven with lemon

To clean the oven, a minimum amount of cheap components is enough. However, the effect of their use exceeds the effect of expensive household chemicals.

For the procedure You will need the following ingredients and available tools:

• 2 bags (20 g each) of citric acid;
• 0.5 liters of warm water;
• foam sponge;
• rags or fabric napkins;
• heat-resistant dishes.

Be sure to wear thick rubber gloves while working. Under no circumstances should you use a knife or other sharp objects to clean carbon deposits and grease from the oven surfaces.

Before starting the procedure, remove the baking sheets and racks from the oven. They are cleaned separately. After that:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Prepare a water-soda solution by thoroughly stirring the soda until completely dissolved.
3. Pour the resulting mixture into a baking tray or heat-resistant container.
4. After turning off the oven, place the bowl with the soda solution on the bottom of the oven.
5. Close the door tightly for half an hour or more until the temperature of the working solution and the surfaces to be treated is suitable for safely cleaning the oven.
6. Remove the container with the solution.
7. Start cleaning the walls with less contaminated areas.
8. Stains that cannot be cleaned can be additionally rubbed with lemon pulp or juice. After 3-5 minutes, wipe them with a sponge.
9. At the end of the manipulations, it is necessary to wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth, then with a dry cloth.

For minor contamination, you can simply wipe the internal parts of the oven with a warm water-soda solution without resorting to steam treatment.

How to clean with citrus juice?

Cleaning the entire oven with fresh fruit is irrational. It will take at least 4 - 5 lemons to treat all surfaces. It is wiser to use dry powder.

To remove small fresh stains, it is enough to:

• juice of one lemon;
• the same amount of warm water;
• sprayer.

Progress:

1. Squeeze out the juice and mix with an equal amount of water.
2. Fill a spray bottle with the mixture.
3. Apply the mixture to the inner walls, top and bottom of the oven.
4. Close the oven and keep it closed for at least 1 hour.
5. Wipe all surfaces with a sponge, removing grease, then wipe with a damp cloth soaked in water. The final touch is to wipe dry with a rag.

If you find small greasy stains, rub them with the pulp of a squeezed lemon. After 5 min. Remove the stain by lightly pressing the sponge. Don't forget to ventilate the oven after processing.

What can I add?

The need to include other ingredients when cleaning the oven with citric acid arises if the internal surfaces are covered with a thick and old layer of fat and carbon deposits. In this case, a paste-like mixture is prepared from several components.

Namely:

• 30 g citric acid;
• 1 tbsp. l. baking soda;
• 100 ml. table vinegar;
• warm soapy solution.

Step by step steps:

1. Turn on the oven and preheat to 100°C.
2. After turning off, leave for a quarter of an hour so that the carbon and fat soften under the influence of heat.
3. During this time, prepare a paste-like mass by combining citric acid crystals with soda and vinegar in a deep bowl. It is important to combine the dry ingredients first and then gradually add the table vinegar, as adding it will start a reaction.
4. Generously lubricate the internal surfaces with the resulting mixture, leaving it on them for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. After this time, wipe the surfaces with a soft sponge to remove dirt.
6. The surfaces should then be washed with warm soapy water. It is advisable to use laundry soap.
7. Rinse off the soap solution with clean water.
8. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.

Pros and cons of processing

Cleaning the oven with any means has its advantages and disadvantages. The use of lemon and citric acid is no exception. Among the advantageous characteristics, one cannot fail to note such a fact as the removal of unpleasant odors. In addition, the treated surfaces acquire their original shine.

How often to wash?

The frequency of cleaning the oven depends on the frequency of its use.

It is recommended to clean surfaces every time after preparing food. in the oven. In this case, no persistent contaminants are formed in it.

You can treat the walls by wiping them with a weak solution of citric acid or water and dishwashing detergent.

It should be noted that general processing will still have to be carried out at least once every 3 to 6 months.

Alternatives

It is possible to clean the oven efficiently using other means. There are many time-tested folk recipes and special preparations, able to cope with fat and soot.

Their use certainly competes with citric acid. After reviewing the most popular ones, you can decide which one to choose.

TOP 3 folk recipes

Among the best recipes are those that are least aggressive to the enamel coating and safe for humans. The ones listed here are effective and easy to use:

1. An original tandem of vinegar and soda. This recipe requires following the exact sequence. Namely: first you need to wipe the surfaces of the compartment with vinegar using a sponge. Then pour soda onto the sponge and apply it evenly to the moistened walls. The combination of these ingredients for 2 - 3 hours will soften the stains. As a result, they are easily removed with a thick sponge. All that remains is to rinse the oven with water and let it dry.
2. How can we do without laundry soap? The method is absolutely safe and simple. Should I grate it first? part of a bar of soap and dissolve it in hot water. Place a fireproof container with soap solution in the oven, preheating it to 200°C. In 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, let it cool to a comfortable operating temperature and remove softened greasy deposits along with carbon deposits with a sponge.Then rinse the surfaces with clean water and ventilate the compartment.
3. Using vinegar essence leads among all folk remedies in ease of execution of the procedure. You just need to wipe all problem areas with a sponge soaked in essence and leave the oven closed for 1 - 2 hours. It is recommended to hold the sponge with tweezers to avoid burning the skin of your hands.

You can find out how to clean the oven with baking soda, vinegar and citric acid. Here.

TOP 3 household chemicals

With so many oven cleaning products out there, it’s hard to choose the best one. Each has pros and cons. The tools presented here can rightfully be called the best:

1. Grill.net. The product, produced in Germany, does an excellent job of cleaning any type of fat and soot.

   Foam applied to a contaminated surface dissolves grease and carbon deposits within 2–3 minutes, after which its remnants are easily removed with a damp sponge. The cost of the product is 400 - 500 rubles.

2. Mister Muscle Expert. The drug can be called universal. It easily deals with grease and scale in just a few minutes. Just 10 min. will be needed to clean the oven from old dirt. The product is easily removed with a washcloth. The undeniable advantages are efficiency and a pleasant citrus smell. Price – up to 300 rubles.
3. Faberlic. The undisputed leader among analogues. To clean the oven, 2-3 drops of gel are enough, which is applied to problem areas and after 5 minutes. removed with a damp sponge. The absence of a pungent odor, exceptional efficiency and cost-effectiveness are the characteristics of the product. At the same time, the bottle costs only 170 rubles. There is a drawback - there is no dispenser.

Cleaning the oven with any specialized preparation requires that the oven be washed and ventilated. You should wear gloves when working with household chemicals. You will find a rating of the best oven cleaning products with reviews, prices, and instructions for use. here.

Adviсe

All the tips are simple. However their implementation is mandatory:

• unplug electric stoves and turn off the tap on gas stoves before starting procedures;
• when using products with aggressive odors, wear a mask;
• protect your hands with gloves;
• avoid getting any products into your eyes;
• do not forget to ventilate the oven after finishing work;
• exclude piercing, cutting and hard objects from available means;
• strictly follow the directions for dosage and duration of exposure.

Video on the topic of the article

This video will tell you about cleaning the oven with citric acid:

Conclusion

After reading the recommendations for cleaning the oven and deciding on the choice of the most suitable product, do not forget that the use of specialized products is not always more effective and safer than homemade products. A striking example of this is the use of citric acid.