Tips to Maintain Your Oven

A dirty oven has quite a few downsides. It can impart an unpleasant smoky taste on your food, obstruct proper flow from heat sources and even contribute to kitchen fires. To avoid all of these, it’s important to take some time for oven maintenance. Be sure to tackle more than just obvious food on the bottom of the interior. Invest a bit of elbow grease to keep your extractor fan and hood clean.

Extractor Fan

Before cleaning, switch the extractor off from the mains.

Make a cleaning mixture, by adding some mild detergent to water.

Using a soft cleaning cloth, dampen it with your mixture, and clean the extractor fan.

If there is dirt caught in the fan, you can lightly clean it off with an old toothbrush.

On most extractor fans, you can take off the filter.

The filter can be washed in a sink of hot soapy water.

You can clean the filter in a dishwasher as well, keeping it in an upright position. Note: It may discolor slightly, but doesn’t stop it from working.

If you have a charcoal filter, you’ll need to replace it every four to six months, depending on how often you cook. These cannot be cleaned as it will reduce their efficiency.

Extractor Hood

Switch your extractor hood off from the mains.

Make a cleaning mixture, by adding some mild detergent to water.

Using a soft cleaning cloth, dampen it with your mixture, and clean the interior and exterior of the extractor hood.

Dependent on your extractor hood, you’ll have one of the following filters below. Please check your manufacturer’s manual to see which one you have.

• Paper filter: These are disposable and can be easily replaced. Typically you should change them every month or once you notice them discoloring.
• Metal filter: The filter can be washed in a sink of hot soapy water. You can clean the filter in a dishwasher as well, keeping it in an upright position. Note: It may discolor slightly, but doesn’t stop it from working.
• Sponge filter: The filter can be washed in a sink of warm soapy water. After five to six washes, you will need to replace them.
• Carbon filter: These cannot be washed and should be changed every six months if you cook regularly.