MOST HOUSEHOLD CHORES can be broken down into the category of either cooking or cleaning, but sometimes you have to do both at once. 

Cleaning cooking appliances — whether ovens, hobs, airfryers or whatever else — can often be one of the tougher jobs we face when keeping our homes clean. The stains only become more stubborn the longer we leave them, and nobody wants to clean right after they’ve just had their dinner.

In this week’s edition of Allianz Home Magazine, we’re looking at tips, strategies and hacks you can use for cleaning your cooking appliances and keeping them clean for longer.

Give your oven a little lovin’

Cleaning the oven is not a pleasant job, but there are steps we can take to make it easier. We all know that we should be proactive, deep cleaning our oven every few months. However, the more diligent you are about keeping it clean, the less deep cleaning you’ll have to do. 

Once a week, leave a bowl of boiling water in your oven while it is warm (NOT hot). This will make your life easier by loosening the dirt and grease that has attached itself to the door, roof and sides of the oven. You’re not going to want to use oven cleaner every single time you scrub down your oven, so instead, rely on a paste made of warm water, baking soda, white vinegar, dish soap and some lemon juice.

As for the base, use a removable tray rather than foil, which can damage your oven’s element and clog up the circulation. 

Airfryers

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The advent of the airfryer has made cooking much more convenient for many of us, but they do have a tendency to suffer from a build-up of grease, stickiness and burnt food if not attended to regularly. 

Firstly, lining the basket with perforated holes that will catch most of the debris without blocking air vents is a good start for keeping your machine clean. Similarly to your oven, using warmth and steam to your advantage will also make the job of cleaning go faster. 

To clean the heating element at the bottom of your airfryer, turn it upside down and clean it with a soft cloth soaked in warm water and dry it completely before using it again.

Microwaves and toasters

These might seem like smaller jobs, but depending on how often you use these appliances, it’s very important to keep them clean. With a toaster, you can achieve positive results simply by turning it upside down to loosen crumbs caught in the interior. As for the microwave, it can be treated similarly to the oven, by putting a steaming bowl of water inside before going at it with a warm, wet cloth. 

Prevention is the best course of action when it comes to keeping your microwave clean, which can mean using a vented lid to prevent food from splashing up and sticking to the roof or walls of the appliance as it heats up.