(oven cleaners) Fwd: Ideal Bite: A Hot Mess

August 28, 2009

Ideal Bite <daily

cyndikrall

Fri, Aug 28, 2009 3:30 am

Ideal Bite: A Hot Mess

August 28, 2009

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OVEN CLEANING

A Hot Mess

If 10,000 Biters clean their ovens by hand instead of using the self-cleaning feature, we'll save enough energy to power 175 American homes for a year.

Does your oven look worse for the wear? Clean up its act, since ovens caked with last month's casserole drippings cook less efficiently. Just opt for a cleaner that works without caustic ingredients and without you having to fire up the self-cleaning option, which uses a ton of energy. Sizzlin'.

A richer self-image. On average, using the 900-degree self-cleaning function burns about 200 kilowatt hours of power (often from coal plants) per household per year, or about $25.

It's not such a disaster for your body. Nontoxic cleaning products and a little old-fashioned scrubbing get the job done right without abrasive chems such as butane (a potential carcinogen) and sodium hydroxide (a toxin to the nervous system).

A planet that isn't a total wreck. Less energy use + fewer harmful chemicals = a win-win equation for the earth.

Jenifer, our resident oven cleaner tester, figured it was time to clean her oven after she got smoked out of her apartment trying to roast some veggies. All of these options degreased, but she did have to work her scrubbing muscles quite a bit.

Restore the Earth Grill & Oven Cleaner - spray it on to cut grease and soot using botanical-based ingredients such as coconut and soy oils; use steel wool as a scrubber for the full effect ($9/22 ounces).

Earth Friendly Products Orange Plus Complete - orange solvents in a superconcentrated liquid, so you get more for your money ($8/16 ounces).

DIY Bite: Mix 1 cup of white distilled vinegar, 2 cups of hot water, 1/2 cup of baking soda, and a few drops of lavender essential oil in a spray bottle, shake it up, and you've got yourself a cheap, easy oven cleanser (though it takes a lot more elbow grease than the above options).

If you must use the self-cleaning feature, try not to use it more than a couple times a year, and fire it up after you've been cooking to make use of heat already lingering in the oven. Once it's sparkling, maintain it by pouring salt on new spills and rubbing them away while the oven's still warm.