Wash the Stove While the Oven Is On
I develop recipes for life, which means that my stove is always a disaster. Cleaning sucks, and while I know it creates more work in the end, I’ll find any excuse not to wash the oil splash off my stove.
Recently, I started wiping down the stove while something is baking – or before the oven has time to cool down – and that is game-changing. Surfactant detergents usually need to sit for 10 or 15 minutes to even try to dissolve any accumulated dirt, but the heat from the oven speeds up the process. The debris I had just accepted as part of the topography of my stove vanished with the clean scrub. So does everyone clean their stove? If so, where have I been and why are you holding on to me?
There is one obvious caveat to this trick: never try using flammable cleaners. Even if your oven is off and is cooling down quickly, spraying a spray cleaner on a hot surface is a bad move. Stick to detergent-based products or good old vinegar , remembering that heat can dissipate aromas, so don’t spray what you really don’t like.