You Probably Already Have Everything You Need To Make This Eco-Friendly Oven Cleaner

Everybody loves a spotless kitchen. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing every utensil in its rightful place and all the surfaces bright and shiny. The truth is, a clean kitchen can actually lower stress levels, lift your mood by boosting those feel-good hormones, and make the entire cooking experience far more enjoyable and rewarding. Now, surely cleaning your kitchen after cooking can be daunting, but there's one easy tip that helps — and that's cleaning it in small bursts as you go. However, cleaning the oven is a completely different type of nightmare. 

While dishwasher pods are the foolproof cleaning method that will leave your oven racks spotless, the oven's interior, which can accumulate grease buildup, fat drippings, as well as other sticky residues, calls for a different cleaning approach. And more often than not, it's the part we tend to avoid until the mess becomes absolutely unbearable. Thankfully, there might be a perfect solution for tackling that stubborn grime. And the best part about it is that it doesn't involve endless hours of scrubbing without getting the results you were hoping for: just stir together some water, cornstarch, and white vinegar. 

Once combined, the ingredients will form a paste that, when spread over the oven's surface, will get the job done in less than half an hour. The beauty of this method isn't just that it's super easy and effective, but it's also a friend to your wallet. Chances are, once you try it out, you'll quickly forget those pricey, good-for-nothing chemical cleaners ever existed. 

There's a great scientific explanation for why cornstarch is the surprising kitchen cleaner that's hiding in your pantry. Unlike the chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid), which produces bubbles as carbon dioxide gas is released, mixing vinegar and cornstarch results in a purely physical reaction called acid hydrolysis. This means that the solution thickens into a sticky paste without creating any fizz. 

Instead, in this case, the acetic acid breaks down the bonds between the glucose molecules present in the starch (which happens to be a natural polymer), and degrades it into smaller sugar molecules such as maltose and glucose. This alters the physical properties of the starch granules and produces a thick paste that outperforms most oven cleaners. 

So, once you've prepared the paste and it reaches a thick and spreadable texture, all you really need to do is apply it to the oven. That's of course after you've removed any crumbs or ash in the oven with a clean cloth. Whether you use a spoon or your hands to apply the paste, make sure to wear gloves to protect your skin. Then simply let the mixture rest for about 20 minutes to do its magic. In case of tougher buildup, you might want to give it a full hour before wiping it away with a clean cloth or a paper towel. Then all that's left to do is simply enjoy your spotless, sparkling oven. Who knew that cornstarch could be such a useful cleaning ingredient?