Everything You Need To Know About Oven Cleaning
Having an oven is a necessary requirement for a fully furnished kitchen and any household that enjoys baked food in any capacity will wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Living without an oven will significantly reduce your consumption of baked and roasted products which is not nice at all if we are simply being honest.
Naturally, if you have an oven and you use it extensively, you will be needing to clean it very soon. You can also hire professionals for the task if you are not feeling up to it. Nonetheless, cleaning of dirty ovens is a very serious business and if you have been negligible in this matter then you better change your ways since dirty ovens can be extremely dangerous in more than one way.
Dangers of Dirty Ovens
Following are the most common dangers of not cleaning the oven properly.
Threat of Fire
Most people don’t realise that dirty ovens and stoves are the cause for a majority of home fires. In the US, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported last year that from 2009 to 2013, 45% of the home fires were caused by cooking appliances whereas, in the UK, more than 52% of the home fires happened due to the same reason. This is why, you should schedule regular clean up sessions for your oven and preferably, call on the professionals to perform this task.
Carbon Monoxide
If you don’t clean your oven regularly and properly, the vent holes can become crowded with dirt, spilt food material and other stuff. This can lead to production of carbon monoxide from your kitchen range which is an extremely hazardous gas and can even lead to the death of a person in case of severe exposure. The problem is that carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless and odourless gas with initial symptoms of exposure similar to that of flu, so it may be too late before you realise you are being intoxicated by CO.
Quality of Meals
The spilt food particles that lay rotting in the pits of an oven along with the accumulated smoke and dirt can severely deteriorate the quality of your food. When you are not being careful about the cleanliness of your oven, you are compromising on the health of your meal. All the care you take while buying & cleaning food items and then with hygienic cooking methods is lost if your dirty oven throws cold water on all those efforts. Therefore, to keep your meals healthy and to stay away from any diseases, you should be cleaning your oven regularly.
Dangers of Oven Cleaners
Oven cleaners are among the riskiest chemicals used domestically along with drain cleaners and toilets bowl cleaners. However, it is important to understand why it is considered toxic and if it is so toxic, why is it used in the oven where we prepare our food?
First of all, some chemicals are toxic on a molecular level where you don’t notice on hand the damage they can do, whereas others are toxic when in a highly concentrated form. Fortunately, the oven cleaners belong in the latter category and so they are only harmful when in large quantity or with prolonged exposure. Thus, there are two main risks of using oven cleaners carelessly.
Corrosion Risk
If you let the cleaner stay for too long on the on the oven or use more than the suggested amount, it would be bad for your oven and its making. Since people are usually not accustomed to using these cleaners, it is better to let the professionals do this job. Any undue exposure to the oven cleaners may damage the oven which can lead to a carbon monoxide problem or become a fire hazard.
Burn Risk
Don’t let the oven cleaner touch you and in case that happens, clean it immediately. It can cause pain or burn on contact. It is recommended to wear protective gloves and clothing, as much as is suitable, while working with chemicals like this. These oven cleaners are made for domestic use and therefore not highly concentrated, which lessens their risks considerably. Still, it is better to take all the safety measures and call the oven cleaning professionals if you are feeling uncomfortable while handling the oven cleaning chemicals.