As the old saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”, which so happens to apply perfectly when it comes to your cooker. By taking the necessary steps needed to avoid potential problems with your oven, you can save yourself a bunch of hassle, time and money trying to fix it up. So, what are the things that you need to be doing to ensure your cooker continues to run as efficiently as possible and avoids any unwelcome issues? Below we take a look at 10 essential oven maintenance tips.

1. Check your oven door seal – Did you know that over 20% of an oven’s heat can escape if the doors are not sealed properly? This can and will result in incredible losses in efficiency, meaning your food is going to take a lot longer to cook – nightmare! To ensure your oven door seal is intact, simply open the door and feel the rubber gasket around the perimeter of the oven’s hatch to check for any broken, torn or worn sections. If you happen to find more than one broken area, then it is time to get your seal replaced! You can browse our range of replacement door seals & gaskets below.

2. Clean your broiler pan – One thing is for sure; broiler pans can be a real pain to clean. Nobody wants to spend hours scrubbing off old, burned food do they? An easy solution to clean your broiler pan is to heat the pan up and then sprinkle some detergent on the affected areas. Cover the laundry detergent with wet paper towels and after around 15 minutes, remove the towels and scrub the food off easily.

3. Salt a grease spill – Spillovers can be an annoying part of cooking, especially if you're making an effort to keep grease off of your cooking tray or dish. To make light work of cleaning up spills, simply sprinkle table salt over a spill before using your oven. Now, close the door and proceed to cook your food. When it’s finished, you might be surprised to see a tricky grease spill has turned into a cleanable pile of ash that can be easily swiped away.

4. Oil your oven rack – If you want your oven racks to glide smoothly when taking them out and putting them back into your oven, then it’s important to not ignore them. Start by cleaning the oven wall ridges that the racks slide in and out on using soap-filled steel wool pads. Once the ridges have dried, wipe them over with some vegetable oil. Your oven racks should now glide on the ridges effortlessly.

5. Cleaning dirty oven racks – An old but effective method of cleaning your dirty oven racks. Simply get a large, heavy-duty plastic bag and fill it with vinegar, dishwashing liquid and hot water. Then, place your oven racks inside, seal the bag and place it in a tub of warm water for an hour or so. Once this has been done, remove the racks from the plastic bag, scrub, rinse and dry. Your racks should now be just fine to use again. If you can’t get hold of a heavy-duty plastic bad, then you can use your bathtub instead. Simply fill the bath with soapy water to loosen the grime on your racks. The longer you leave them to soak, the easier it will be to get the grime off.

6. Cleaning the inside of your oven – If your oven racks and clean(ish), but the rest of the inside of your oven isn’t, then you’ll be glad to know that there is an easy solution. Simply fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and turn your oven on a high temperature for two minutes. Now, turn your oven off and leave it for a further two minutes. You can now open your oven door and using a sift rag, begin to wipe the muck on your oven walls off.

7. Removing embedded food – Removing food from your oven that has been caught in between the racks can be a real pain, but it really doesn’t have to be. To get the food out, all you need is an ordinary plastic nail file and a damp cloth or newspaper bail. Attache the cloth or newspaper to the nail file and place in between your oven racks. The trapped food should attach and be easily lifted out.

8. Regular stain removal – You may be surprised to learn that newspapers actually work a lot better to clean your oven than a sponge. Try making a ball from a few sheets of newspaper, soak it in soapy water and rub your oven down with it. The burnt food and stains should easily wipe with minimal fuss and effort. A good tip to remember when cleaning the inside of your oven is to not wait for your oven to cool down. The longer you leave cleaning your oven once it has been turned off, the harder it will be to remove dirt and stains. Burnt food is a lot easier to remove while the walls are still warm.

By following these essential cooker and oven maintenance tips, you will go a long way to ensure that not only does your cooker continue to work at its optimum level, but the chances of damage and fault are dramatically reduced. If things are already looking bleak for your cooker and you require quality replacement parts to get it back and running, then Cooker Spare Parts are here to help!

We offer an extensive range of replacement parts for a wide variety of cooker models, so no matter what you need, we are confident that you’ll find it here. Click below to browse our spare parts. For more information on any of our parts or on our oven maintenance tips, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team today.

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Ah, oven cleaning. The culinary equivalent of tooth extraction: terrifying and painful but ultimately a necessary evil.

It’s a chore that nobody looks forward to but, as responsible adults, we are naturally faced with every once in a while, particularly those that own their own home.

As such, any oven cleaning tips to make the task easier are always welcome, in our book.

Well, would-be oven cleaners, you’re in luck. We’ve got three handy hacks that will leave your oven looking good, smelling good and performing on all levels.

Attack the Rack

When it comes to restoring your oven rack back to its former glory, this next trick may seem like a bit of a half-baked idea, but trust us – it works!

The best way to attack your rack is with a nice, relaxing soak in the bath. Not for you, but for your dirty oven racks – so don’t pour yourself a glass of red and light those candles just yet.

First, wrap your racks in foil so they are completely covered. Then, run a hot bath deep enough to cover the racks and simply leave to soak with a dishwasher tablet for at least two hours.

Once the two hours plus have expired, simply unwrap the racks, give them a wipe down and bask in their greaseless glory!

When Life Gives You Lemons

While the sweet scents of roasting chicken and freshly baked cakes can be wonderful aromas to have floating around the kitchen, the same can’t quite be said for oven dwelling fish and baked-on cheese.

Luckily, when it comes to ridding your kitchen of those latter nasty smells, the solution is surprisingly easy, without a chemical cleaner in sight.

The citric power of lemons and oranges are more than enough to combat your oven’s nasal nuisances, while vanilla extract also makes for a fantastic natural odour-eater.

Best of all, each method is incredibly simple! Simply pick your weapon of choice and get to it! For the complete step-by-step of each, head over to our blog on getting rid oven smells and see for yourself.

Let Off Some Steam

Now, time for the main event – cleaning the inside of the oven.

When it comes to rolling up your sleeves and getting down to the nitty-gritty, this next hack will make life a lot easier. Best of all, it requires very little effort at all!

Fill an oven-proof dish about 1/3 of the way up with hot water. Next, add an equal amount of white vinegar to the bowl, mix and place in the oven.

Ramp up the heat to 180°, close the door and allow the mixture to come to the boil, cutting off the heat once it does.

Open the door and spray the inside of the oven with a 50/50 solution of warm water and white vinegar. Leave to sit for at least 30 minutes, allowing the oven to cool down at the same time.

Once the oven has cooled down, get to work on the grime by wiping down the inside. The residue should now be loose, allowing you to clean with ease.

Utilise Your Old Toothbrush

As far as oven cleaning hacks go, this one is sure to shed hours off the snooze-worthy scrubbing!

Grab your old toothbrush, dip it in your chosen oven cleaning solution and get to work on the cracks, crevices and corners.

The small head and soft bristles are great at removing baked-on dirt without tarnishing your oven's interior.

Once you're finished, pop your old toothbrush under the kitchen sink ready for the next oven cleaning occasion, or (if it's really destroyed) chuck it away - you wouldn't want it ending up in the bathroom by accident would you!)

Take Mrs Hinch's Oven Cleaning Advice!

If you don't know who Mrs Hinch is, you need to get to know. She's basically the cleaning goddess, so if anyone can help you get your oven clean - it's her.

Mrs Hinch uses an abrasive cream cleanser called the Pink Stuff to clean her oven, and the results are spectacular!

Simply apply the paste all over your oven and gently massage it into tough stains and grease. Then, using a cleaning cloth or nylon scourer, remove the paste (and all the dirt with it!).

For more top oven cleaning tips, check out our blog on our “How to Clean an Oven” blog for the full rundown. For any other enquiries, call now on 02920 452 510 or click below to get in touch online.

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Cleaning an oven is an unenviable task that commonly finds itself high on the list of hated household chores.

Dirty, boring and laborious, it’s a duty that tends to be avoided at all costs, unless absolutely necessary.

That being said, when needs must, productivity often hits a roadblock when it comes to cleaning the oven door.

Keep your oven from becoming a culinary crimes scene with this handy guide to cleaning oven glass.

Cleaning Oven Door Glass

The ability to clean the glass of your oven door can make or break your oven cleaning endeavour.

Unsightly drips and noticeable streaks are far from an uncommon occurrence on oven glass and can leave your oven appearing grubby, even if the inside itself is actually spotless.

However, oven glass accessibility isn’t always simple and can take a lot more effort than simply spray, scrub and wipe.

If your oven door glass playing hard to get, you may need to be a little creative in your approach. Luckily, there’s a tried and tested formula for just that.

Hang in There

Oven doors are notoriously tricky to clean, particularly when it comes to maintaining the transparent glass front.

Worse still, oven doors often comprise of multiple layers, a myriad of parts and a multitude of intricate fastenings holding it all together.

Avoid the headaches of dismantling and horror of reassembling your oven door by using this handy coat hanger hack.

Hang Fire

Before you do anything else, you’ll need to make your coat hanger contraption.

Straighten out a metal coat hanger and wrap a glass cleaning wipe around it, securing it in place with an elastic band.

Hey, presto – one wiry cleaning wand!

Infiltrate

Most ovens will have a drawer or casing below the oven door itself.

Remove this front panel to reveal the oven door’s exposed inner workings. This will give your additional access to the oven door, including the usually inaccessible oven glass.

Behind Enemy Lines

By laying under the now exposed door base, you’ll now be able to see open slots, giving you access between the oven and the window glass.

Slide the wire cleaning wand into the gap and simply wipe away the dirt from the grubby area.

For dirty glass, this may take a couple of goes with several new wipes – but be persistent. The result will be worth the effort!

Fall Back

Once clean, simply remove the wand and bask in the glory of a job well done!

When you pull out the hanger and see how much dirt has been removed by the glass wipes, you’ll be amazed at how effective this simple technique can be.

And all without removing a single screw!

For more information on oven cleaning, why not check out our other oven cleaning blogs for more hints, tips and hacks. Alternatively, if your oven is beyond cleaning and you’re in need a replacement part, call now on 02920 452 510 or get in touch online using the button below.

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When someone is cooking up a storm in the kitchen, there are few things that compare to the sweet, sweet aroma of a finely cooked dish.

Whether it’s a freshly made sauce on the stove, a roasting chicken in the oven or even the scent of toast gently browning in the toaster, the slightest whiff can get the taste buds tingling and the mouth salivating.

That being said, the cacophony of odours can create quite the aromatic cocktail over time and leave you with a less than harmonious oven smell (particularly when it comes to fish and meat).

Avoid a smelly oven with these tips to keep your oven smells under control.

How to Remove Odours from your Oven

When your oven smells become too much to handle, you can deodorise an oven in a number of different ways; however, you don’t even need to reach for the industrial power of chemical oven cleaners to do so.

In fact, perhaps the quickest and easiest way to neutralise your oven smells is to enlist a helping hand from Mother Nature. Here are three sure-fire techniques to rid your oven of its nasty odours naturally.

Lemon

A great natural way of getting rid of oven smells is to enlist the awesome citric power of lemons. In addition to smelling great, they also make for a great way to loosen grease for a one-two punch of citric power.

First, fill a large oven-proof dish with about an inch or so of water. Next, slice two or three lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the dish, placing the squeezed lemon halves into the dish as well.

From there, simply pre-heat the oven to 120 C, place the dish on the rack and leave it to boil over for up to an hour, depending on the extent of the smell. Voila – one citrus fresh oven!

Vanilla

Another fantastic natural ingredient for masking odours, vanilla is a great alternative for a sweet-smelling kitchen.

Simply mix a teaspoon of vanilla extract with a small bowl of water and mix. Dip a cloth into the mixture and ring out the excess water until you’re left with a damp cloth.

From there, use the damp cloth to wipe down the inside of the oven, making sure to cover all walls, roof, base and racks. Repeat this process two or three times to ensure the whole oven is appropriately coated.

Much like the lemon method, you can also use the evaporation technique to deodorise your oven. Simply follow the same steps using an oven-proof dish and an inch of water, replacing the lemon juice for a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Oranges

Much like lemons, the citrusy goodness of oranges makes them the perfect weapon for a fresh smelling oven.

However, unlike the lemon method, you only need the peel for this approach (so feel free to snack on the juicy segments while you prep).

All you have to do is peel an orange and place the skin on a baking tray in the oven. Leave them to bake for up to an hour and – hey presto – you should be left with an odourly wonderful tropical scent.

So, there you have it: three unbelievably easy ways to rescue your smelly oven from the stench of defeat. If your oven trays, racks and pans are simply beyond saving, you can always get a replacement here at Cooker Spare Parts. Click below to get in touch today.

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Ah, oven cleaning – a hated household chore like no other.

Right up there with the likes of cleaning the gutters, weeding the garden and unblocking the toilet, there’s a special place reserved in the pit of the soul for chores like oven cleaning. A deep, dark corner filled with loathing resentment, but a reserved spot nonetheless.

In fact, a 2017 study of 1000 Brits by Anglian Home Improvements had “oven cleaning” placed at the very top of the list of most hated household jobs, beating off stiff competition from the likes of grouting bathroom tiles, defrosting the freezer and cleaning the barbeque.

Nevertheless, as a homeowner or long-term occupant, it’s a chore that does require your attention from time to time. If you’ve bitten the bullet, rolled up your sleeves and accepted your oven-baked fate, you may need a helping hand.

Luckily, we’ve got a few tricks to help make the process as pain-free as possible.

How to Clean Your Oven

While cleaning your oven may seem like a mammoth task akin to scaling Everest on a unicycle, it can actually be surprisingly straightforward… provided you haven’t let your oven degenerate into a cremated cornucopia of crust.

In fact, you don’t even need any store-bought oven cleaner to give your cooker the sprucy boost it needs. All you need is water, baking soda and steady supply of elbow grease.

Step by Step Guide: How to Clean Oven Inside

• Empty oven
• Remove/clean racks
• Mix ½ cup of baking soda with 3 tbsp water
• Spread paste on interior oven surface
• Do not paste heating elements
• Leave for 12 hours
• Grab a well-deserved cuppa or beer for getting this far
• Return to the scene of the crime
• Wipe off paste using a wet washcloth
• Spray vinegar in grooves
• Wipe clean to remove any remaining paste residue
• Bask in glory of shiny-clean oven.

Alternative Oven Cleaning Methods

If you really want to go to town on your oven, you can of course buy an over-the-counter oven cleaning product and follow the instructions accordingly.

There are a variety of store-bought remedies available from recognisable brands available in most supermarkets; however, results can vary dramatically and the fumes alone are enough to put you off for a lifetime.

Failing that, you can always get a professional to provide a comprehensive oven cleaning service. There are oven cleaning specialists available nationwide, many of which are available on coupon sites online, offering their services.

Self-Cleaning Ovens

Some ovens come with a “self-cleaning” feature. While this may seem like a gift from the gods of gadgetry, this is also a prime example of “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is”.

Self-cleaning ovens essentially fire up the internal temperature of an oven so that it rivals the depths of hell. The purpose of this is to burn off any remaining food residue, vapourising any evidence of its existence.

While this may seem like a sound strategy, it is somewhat flawed. As a result of the oven becoming a kitchen-based thermal reactor, it should come as no surprise that this can, at times, compromise major components of the cooker.

Naturally, these ungodly temperatures can cause a myriad of fiery damage, from melted circuit boards to charred wiring and broken heating elements. Imagine the scene of Sarah Connor’s nuclear nightmare from Terminator 2 and you won’t be far wrong.

As such, you may want to think twice before you activate your oven’s self-cleaning cycle and set off Judgement Day in your kitchen.

Beyond Saving

When it comes down to cleaning your oven and its internal components, you may find that some of the parts are simply past the point of no return. For example, you may find a tray/rack that’s simply tattooed with unidentified molten cement. In this case, your best bet is to simply buy a replacement tray/rack.

On the other hand, you may have attempted a self-clean and found out first-hand the effects of turning your oven into a fiery furnace. Should this be the case, you can again find replacement part right here at Cooker Spare Parts, covering everything from electric thermostats to grill elements.

For more information on oven cleaning and oven parts, drop us a line on 02920 452 510 or alternatively send us an email using the link below.

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