Clean Between the Lines: The Secret to Spotless Oven Glass
No matter how clean your oven is, dirty glass can make it look filthy.
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Even after you clean your oven, does it still look like a raccoon has been living in it? (You are cleaning your oven this spring, right?)
That's because even if you cleaned the inside and the outside, you probably still missed the spaces in between. What spaces, you ask? Well, your oven window is made of two panes of glasswe mean by that is the space between the panels of glass, and the gap is a real grease trap. But cleaning between them is simpler than you think.
Let's get started, shall we?
What you'll need
To get started, you'll need to a pair of pliers, cleaning wipes, and a wire coat hanger. You might want to throw in some latex gloves for good measure. If you don't want to go to the expense of pre-made wipes, try using some paper towels dampened with the cleaning solution of your choice.
Just remember: A lot of grease is probably caught in between the panes of glass.
Getting Ready
First, you need to slide out the bottom drawer of your oven and set it aside:
Once you've done so, you should be able to locate several slots at the bottom of the oven door. These will provide you with the access points you need to get at the sandwiched grease and grime. The slots should look something like this:
If you're wondering why there are gaping holes in the bottom of your oven door, the answer is actually quite simple: These slots are there for venting, in case anything happens to boil over and make a mess.
Let's get cleaning
Now it's time to make a doohickey (yep, that's a technical term) to clean in between the glass panes. Time to grab your pliers and wire hanger, because you need to use the former to cut through the latter. Just like so:
If you find your wire hanger is too tough, or your arm muscles are too weak (don't worry, we're not judging), you can try using a flat-head screwdriver and a hammer. Find a hard surface—like the floor of your garage or the sidewalk—and hammer away. Your neighbors might look at you a little funny, but hey, they're not cleaning ovens.
After that, take your pliers and straighten out the hanger. You should make a small hook near where you cut the hanger, since the pre-made hook is sometimes too thick to get into the slot between the glass.
Thread a cleaning wipe or moistened paper towel onto the hook. Be sure to loop it around the wire at least twice to make sure it doesn't fall off inside the gap. Now take your new cleaning wand and work it into the slot.
Push forward to apply pressure to the glass and use your contraption like a squeegee. You'll probably collect a surprising amount of filth, so feel free to replace the wipes as often as necessary.
Even after just one swipe, we got some pretty good (aka: icky) results.
Isn't spring cleaning wonderful?
Hero Image: Flickr user "valerierenee" (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
