Cleaning the oven without toxins

You probably know that a Chemical Free Home is one of my passions. And as we begin a fresh new year, I truly hope it will be one of your passions, too. You will never regret making the switch to toxin-free, superior solutions for your beautiful home.

Here's my approach to cleaning an oven – safely and economically. You might have seen it on Martha Stewart's website!

from Martha Stewart Online

From sauces that bubbled over to drips of gooey cheese now burnt, your oven is a canvas for spills and splatters of all kinds. But tackling this can be easy – with no need for expensive cleaning products, either. In fact, all you need to make your oven sparkle again are two pantry staples: baking soda and vinegar. (And if you have Tea Tree and Lemon Essential Oils, we're going to put those to work as well!)

"These ingredients are great, all-natural cleaning agents, especially in place of many conventional oven cleaners which can often leave harmful residual vapors in your oven," says Melissa Poepping, natural cleaning expert and author of the Chemical Free Home series. Both non-toxic and safe to use around food surfaces, baking soda (a natural alkali) and vinegar (a natural acid) work together to help lift off stubborn stains and grease for easy wiping. Smell of vinegar turn you off? Poepping says you can easily enhance your homemade cleaners with two to three drops of essential oil, particularly Tea Tree oil which can act as a natural degreaser. "For cleaning the oven glass, I also like to make a spray of equal parts water and distilled white vinegar with a few drops of added Lemon oil for scent," she says.

Ready to roll up your sleeves? Here's how to give your oven a deep clean.

Make a Paste
Stir together 3/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup warm water, noting that a large oven may require more paste. If you are adding any essential oils, you can do so here (two to three drops should suffice, but you may add more if desired).

Clean Oven Racks
Always take your racks out even if you are using your oven's self-cleaning function; the heat during the cycle can warp racks. Once removed, let them sit in dishwashing liquid for a few hours, scrub with a scouring pad, and then rinse well and dry. If racks need heavy-duty cleaning, apply the paste. Only use on stainless steel racks; baking soda can discolor aluminum.

Apply the Paste
Fill any openings in the oven with foil. Using a paintbrush, spread the paste throughout the oven's interior, avoiding bare metal surfaces and the oven door. To get into tight corners and tough spots, you can use an old toothbrush. Leave overnight.

Clean It Out
Remove the paste with a plastic scraper, wetting as needed. Wipe with a damp cloth, repeating to remove streaks.

Wipe the Door
Using a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar, clean the oven door with a soft cloth. Avoid wetting the gasket.

Done! Sparkling clean...and chemical free.