In this day and age most ovens have a self-cleaning option. Pour a little water in the bottom, hit a button and a few hours later, wah-lah, clean as a whistle! But did you know that using that self cleaning option comes with a lot of potential risks and health hazards? To be honest, we didn't realize how bad it actually was until we dove into it.
Cleaning the oven can be such a tedious, arduous and annoying task. All of the grime is really stuck on there, it's gross and then your back starts to hurt from leaning in to clean it because the oven door is in the way! We get it. But the way we see it is, our society has created a short cut for pretty much everything. We have robots vacuuming for us, while we're pushing a button to clean our oven. Convenient, yes. But that doesn't come without consequences. Not only has that drastically reduced the amount of exercise we get, or the amount of movement we partake in on a daily basis, but it has also contributed to the demise of our health. In our opinion, it feels good to use a little extra elbow grease in order to have the satisfaction of knowing you did the work and chose the non-toxic route in order to benefit your health. That alone is worth it.
It's easy to let cleaning the oven go...for years in some cases. But the built up food, grease and grime isn't the best for your health and it's also not great for the oven itself. So you have two options, the self cleaning method, or the non-toxic clean-it-yourself method. Let us explain why we choose the latter.
Why The Self-Cleaning Option Is Toxic
When you choose to use the self-cleaning option on your oven, there are many potential risks. Because of the high heat it requires it can damage parts of your oven like the heating elements, the door seals, and it can even in some cases shatter the glass. There is also a risk of a house fire. If there are any items near the oven or sitting on the oven, the heat reaches such a high temperature it can actually start those items on fire. But that's not all, this self-cleaning method also releases many toxic fumes. Some of them are:
Carbon Monoxide: This is a tasteless, colorless and odorless gas that can cause many respiratory issues, headaches, dizziness, nausea, blurry vision, weakness, rapid heart rate, memory loss, loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, fainting and death. You can die from carbon monoxide in large quantities. Why risk it?! It's even more of a danger to your pets and children.
Nitrous Oxide: This is also a tasteless, colorless, and odorless gas. It is also known as "laughing gas". While it is used in small doses for pain relief and sedation, it also has dangerous side effects, especially in large quantities. It can cause things like dizziness, dissociation, loss of balance, memory loss, respiratory issues like bronchitis and emphysema.
Teflon Fumes: It is not as common these days to find teflon coating in ovens, however if you have an older oven this may be the case. When teflon is heated to a high heat, it releases extremely toxic gas. When it is inhaled, it is called "polymer fume fever" which will exhibit symptoms of the flu, like chills, fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. This is extremely toxic to humans and pets. Also another important fact, if you have pet birds and they breathe this in, it can kill them. We could go on and on about teflon. We would recommend just avoiding it at all costs, including your pots and pans!
Toxic Gasses: Dependent upon what food was cooked in the oven, and what materials your oven is made out of, there could also be other toxic gasses that are expelled during the cleaning cycle.
How to Clean Your Oven the Non-Toxic Way
Oven cleaners are considered one of the most dangerous cleaning options. That's why we think it's so important to choose this non-toxic option. There are a few different ways to clean your oven in a safe way. You can use a spray bottle of vinegar with a sprinkle of baking soda and scrub your oven with a coconut scouring pad. But that can feel like a lot of work and often difficult and tedious. Especially if you've gone YEARS without cleaning your oven. So let us show you an easier way.
Here's what you'll need:
-Baking Soda
-Water
-Vinegar
-Rubber Gloves
-Small Dish
-Spray Bottle
-Dish Cloth
And here's how you do it:
Prep Oven
To prep the oven, you'll need to remove the oven racks and clean them in your sink. If you don't have enough room in your kitchen sink, you can also do this outside or in your laundry room sink! We recommend using the baking soda paste and coconut scouring pads to really remove that grime.
The Baking Soda Paste
Next you'll get a small dish and mix 1 cup of baking soda and 5-6 tbsp of water depending on the consistency you prefer. You can always double or triple this recipe if your oven needs a little extra love. When this is mixed to your preference, you can put on your rubber gloves and coat the inside of your oven with the paste. Make sure to avoid the heating elements. Don't forget the door! If you have spots that need a little extra attention, you can leave a nice thick layer of paste over them. Now, let it sit for about 12 hours! We recommend applying the paste before you go to bed and letting it sit overnight.
Wipe Out the Oven
Now that your paste has sat for about 12 hours, it's time to wipe the paste out. You'll want to get your spray bottle, fill it with vinegar and spray down the dried baking soda. It may have a little bit of a bubbling effect, and that's ok! Feel free at this time to scrub the troubled areas with a coconut scouring pad. Now, use your damp cloth and wipe everything out. You may have to do this a few times. Feel free to spray vinegar in there as much as you need to. If you have waited a long time to clean your oven, you may have some really pesky spots. For this, we recommend using a stainless steel sponge. Be sure to check that the sponge is safe to use on the material the inside of your oven is made of. Once you feel it's clean, wet your cloth and wipe the inside of the oven out with just water. Place the clean racks back inside, and you're done! Quite simple!
In Closing
Tasks around the home don't have to be difficult, and they don't have to be toxic! There are so many "alternative" options out there that are actually just as, if not more, toxic than the self-cleaning option. We're so happy you're here looking for better ways to take care of your home and you and your family! All the small things add up to big things in the long run. See you next week!
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