Are you looking to polish your baking skills or love cooking meals for your family? It is impossible to provide your family with delicious meals without a clean, high-performing oven. You can enhance the oven’s performance and lengthen its lifespan with the correct oven maintenance tips. The tips will also prevent costly professional repairs or replacements. Let’s look at nine oven maintenance tips to enable your oven to cook safely and look clean even when preparing highly messy meals.
Clean the oven regularly
In busy households, it is easy to overlook cleaning the oven regularly. Unfortunately, when the grime and gunk from your cooking accumulates, the oven is less efficient. When you splatter or spill any food on the even, ensure that you wipe it down using a soft, damp cloth dipped in soapy water. Wipe the spill immediately when it cools down. Besides cleaning as you go by, ensure that you deep clean your oven at least four times annually.
- Steps to follow when cleaning your oven
- Switch off the power supply and unplug the oven
- Dip a soft towel/cloth into the warm soapy water and wipe the oven exterior, including the door gaskets and knobs
- Add a decreasing agent to the water or use warm soapy water and a cloth to scrub the ovens inside.
- Soak the grates and burners in warm soapy water to make it easy to scrub off the residue
- Detach the hood fan filters and soak them in water with a degreasing agent or soapy water
- Rinse and dry all the parts before placing them back in the oven
Remember, if you did have a range hood, the grease and steam from your oven tend to wear it down faster. The steam can also affect the quality of your indoor air.
Use the Self-Cleaning Option Sparingly
Modern ovens have a self-cleaning option on the oven that increases the temperature to up to 600 degrees to help in breaking the stubborn debris. Running this option more often accelerates the wear and tear in the oven. We recommend using the self-cleaning option sparingly in the circumstances such as catastrophic lasagna overflow or during the deep cleaning session. Each model comes with different instructions on using the self-cleaning feature, so be sure to check the manual before using it. When using the self-cleaning feature, do not leave your oven unattended.
Inspect Your Gas Line
After buying a new oven, make sure that you talk with a local appliance repair company to help you install a new gas line. The new installation can damage or jostle an old gas line, leading to small leaks. It is also crucial to check for leaks when doing your general oven maintenance. You can use an electronic leak detector to check for leaks. When you notice a leak, switch off the gas valve to the oven, open the windows and get in touch with an appliance repair company.
Replace Damaged Burners
The burners wear off fast, leading to oven inefficiency. If you notice red-hot blemishes or spots on the burner coils, turn your oven off and contact an oven stove repair technician. Don’t assume even if you spot a small bright red blemish, which could damage your oven extensively. Replacing damaged burners on time will help prevent costly repairs.
Check Your Oven Gasket
The gasket is the rubber strip on the inside of the oven door. The gasket ensures a tight seal to retain the heat during the cooking process. When deep cleaning your oven, ensure that you closely examine the gasket for holes, tears, and holes. If the gasket has no wear and tear, clean it using a soft cloth dipped in warm soapy water. Replace the gasket if you notice any wear and tear.
Avoid getting liquid behind knobs
When cleaning your oven, ensure that water and cleaning solution does not get into the crevices left by the knobs. Before cleaning, unplug the oven from the power source. After cleaning the oven, get a dry microfiber cloth to wipe off the water. Let the oven settle for about thirty minutes before switching it on.
Do not overload or crowd the oven
Besides decreasing the oven performance, overloading it can increase fire risk. When it is overloaded, the air inside it cannot circulate freely. Avoid cooking too much food on the stove by scheduling your cooking time, and keep the foodstuff warm on the stovetop by using a foil or lid to cover them.
Check Behind Your Range
An accidental spill can send pieces of food behind the stove. The back of the stove is hard to access, making cleaning difficult. However, cleaning it at least four times a year can help protect against mold, rotting food, dust, and kitchen pests. To do this, unplug your range and pull it a few inches away from the wall. Use a vacuum attachment, microfiber mop, or broom to clean the gunk that might have fallen behind it.
Cook Responsibly
Additionally, responsible cooking will help in maintaining your stove in top condition. First, you need to reduce the need for tiresome cleaning by cooking the dirty dishes with extra care. Placing recipes such as casseroles and pies on a baking sheet will help prevent the food from overflowing and dripping below. Additionally, never place aluminum foil or baking sheet on the oven bottom as this could block the heat blow, damaging the burners. More importantly, always treat your oven as a high-traffic appliance that needs the proper attention and maintenance.
Summary
The oven maintenance tips will help your oven’s performance and prolong its lifespan. The tips will also enable you to notice any problems with the oven’s components. When you do, it is time to schedule for routine oven checkup. At Appliance Cowboys, we provide expert oven repair and maintenance for clients in Houston and neighboring environs. Our highly skilled technicians are committed to providing high-quality service that meets your needs. Regular maintenance also helps the technicians to catch a problem early enough to prevent costly repairs. Connect with us today to schedule an appointment.