Well hello. Since I last posted, I practically burned down my house during what we would call a “Pinterest Fail.” I needed potato chips. I wanted potato chips. I made potato chips. In the process of making said potato chips, I about destroyed my oven and caused a storm of funk to explode in my oven. Note to self- never, ever, ever set your oven to 500 degrees and throw in some 1/8 inch sliced potatoes drizzled with olive oil. It will be bad. Very, very bad. Smoke detector going on, house stinking, mess.

Oven before cleaning.

Oven before cleaning.

The result? A desperate need for a non toxic oven cleaner. I hate, hate, hate the way Easy Off smells, and I really dislike the idea of putting so many chemicals in the place where I make my food. My goal was to restore my gorgeous KitchenAid Convection oven to it’s prior glory WITHOUT loading it with toxic fumes. Amazing Maids Boise homepage helped me learn clearer ways to really lean in and scrub the bajeesus out of my stove, but with a bit of trial and error, I got the job done. On Pinterest there are a number of tips to clean an oven, some work, some don’t.

Here is what works for me and my nasty, filthy, ‘tater explosion of an oven.

The Ingredients

Dawn Dish Soap- 3-4 drops

4 T of Baking Soda

5 T of Vinegar

Juice of a lime or lemon

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Highly Technical Instructions

1.) When you are pouring the vinegar on the baking powder, GO Slow, otherwise, you will get a bit of science experiment mess.

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2.) Slather on the paste into the oven. Get all sides (including your window)

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3.) As Ron Popiel would say “SET IT AND FORGET IT”- Let is soak in for a few hours

4.) Using a sponge, scrub where some of the deep scorches/messes exist

5.) Using a kitchen washcloth, wipe out until all cleanser is gone.

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Done.

That easy.

I’m so glad I used homemade instead of toxic nightmare products.

Go forth and clean  your oven. Your turkey will thank you.