Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and many other special occasions are approaching! It is a wonderful time of year to gather together with friends and family; gatherings are a perfect excuse to bake your favorite treat or share a savory side dish. Needless to say, your oven has its work cut out for it in the upcoming months.
No matter how new or old your oven is, you should make it a habit to maintain your oven with proper and frequent care. Doing so will not keep your oven clean, but it will also prolong the life of your oven and help you avoid unnecessary repairs. Before this busy baking season begins, be sure you’ve done these three tips to care for your oven.
Vinegar
Vinegar is one way to remove some of the hard water build up you may have. Hard water is mostly made of calcium, which is highly reactive with acids like vinegar. Soaking faucets or other fixtures in hot, natural vinegar will dissolve calcium deposits in about an hour.
Keep the Inside Clean
If there is anything you should be doing for your oven it’s keeping the inside clean. Not only will it look a whole lot nicer, but it will actually increase the efficiency and functionality of your oven. As you use it, make sure to wipe up any spills, crumbs, or drips as they happen. You may miss some here and there, so you should aim to give the inside a nice deep clean at least once a year. For smaller messes you might be able to get away with using some soap and water, or in more extreme cases a bit of oven cleaner will do the trick. Don’t forget to remove the oven racks and clean those too.
If your oven has a self-cleaning feature, be sure that you are using it properly by following your manufacture’s guidelines.
Maintain the Door
Periodically you should check the gasket, which stops the heat from escaping your oven. Make sure there are no breaks, tears, or missing sections. Having a gasket in good condition will make a big difference in the efficiency of your appliance. It may even mean your food will cook faster!
If you notice little splatters on the front window, remove them as soon as possible. In some cases, these spills will stain when heated. Whenever you have the oven door open, be sure that you are not using it to hold any unnecessary weight. Remember, your oven door is not a shelf!
Call a Professional
There are many other functions of your oven that should be checked periodically to ensure that your oven is working properly. For example, you want to maintain the blower, your condenser should be getting proper airflow and your oven should have access to an appropriate power source. It might be hard to know what you’re looking for with these particular oven care tips, which is why it’s a good idea to call in a professional. Periodically having an appliance repair company, like Peter’s Appliance in Utah County, check your oven will give you the peace of mind that everything is working correctly and should continue working correctly! Don’t hesitate to contact them today for any of your appliance needs.
