Clean oven

I don't know how my oven didn't get tackled while I was pregnant and nesting, but it was desperately needing cleaned.  It was suppose to be in the low 70's over the weekend with high 50's and low 60's at night.  I thought it would be the perfect time to open the windows, and run the self cleaner on my oven so I could finally stop smelling that burnt stuff when I bake that's been sitting on the bottom of my oven for who knows how long.  There's no way I would run the self cleaner on the oven with the house closed up, because it makes a horrible smell!  I'm guessing everyone's is the same way, or maybe I just did something wrong when I ran our self cleaning cycle.  Who knows!  Anyway, back to getting my oven clean.  Exciting stuff, I tell you!

Most of you know my Mom sells Norwex.   Well, I found some Norwex grill and oven cleaner that I had bought from her a few years ago and thought I would try it out before running the self cleaning cycle.  Yes, I said a few years ago.  We've lived in this house for almost 6 years and I've only cleaned my oven once before this weekend.  I called my Mom after I read the instructions on how to use the cleaner to make sure I was going to do it right.  She pretty much told me to do exactly what the directions said, and I asked "So, I'll run my self cleaning cycle after I get done with the Norwex stuff?"  Her reply was a little chuckle and "No, you won't have to."  I thought:   Uh-huh, sure Mom, I'll try your Norwex stuff (only because I already had it) and then I'll run the self cleaning cycle that night while we slept. 

Who knew I had so much to say about cleaning an oven?!?!  Just sit tight...I'm almost to the good stuff!

So, I heated my oven up to 170 (the directions said 100, but 170 was the lowest my oven goes) and then shut it off.  I opened the door and sprayed the Norwex cleaner in it and waited 5 minutes.  When I opened the door after 5 minutes, all the nastiness in the oven was literally dripping down the sides of the oven and pooled at the bottom of it.  I grabbed some paper towels and wiped it all right up.  I couldn't believe it.  I had to scrub a few spots, and then sprayed it again and let it sit before wiping it again with paper towels, but it all came right off.   I was shocked!  My oven looks brand new again!  (I wish I would have taken a before picture.  I'm telling you, it was disgusting!  In the picture of the "before" door picture, you can see what was everywhere in the oven.  Just imagine the stuff on the door times 10 in my oven!)

 

The only thing the cleaner didn't get was all the gunk on the door.  But, that my friends, wasn't too hard to get off either with the help of some Norwex cleaning paste! 

Door before



Door after...you really can't see in this picture, but all the gunk on the before picture is gone!

I left the oven door open while I took the racks out to wipe them down, and Joel walked into the kitchen.  He looked in the oven and back at me and asked how I got it so clean (I'm telling you, my oven was disgusting).  I just laughed and said that Norwex cleaner.  He looked at me and chuckled.  He knows, as much as the rest of the family, how Mom thinks Norwex can clean anything.

The only pointer I have when cleaning your oven with the Norwex cleaner is:  Don't pull the racks out of the oven with pot holders after you've sprayed the cleaner.  All the nastiness will get on your oven mitt!  Yuck!

 
I'm so happy to say that I'm never going to run my self cleaning cycle on my oven again.  Yes, the Norwex cleaner is a little expensive at $29.99 a bottle, but if you're like me and only clean your oven once every few years, it's not really all that bad of a price.  I still have 1/2 the bottle (if not more) left, so it will last me a few more years!  You can find the oven cleaner here. 

I'm so happy with the oven cleaner that I think I'm going to have a Norwex party.  I haven't had one since Mom started selling the stuff and some of my stuff is starting to run out.  I bought my cleaning paste probably 5 years ago and I'm just now getting to the bottom of the container.  Yes, I do clean my house.  It literally just takes a small amount of the stuff to do the job, which is why it's lasted me so long.

I wasn't planning on making a whole blog entry about Norwex, but the stuff really is amazing.  I think the oven cleaner may be tied with the window cloths (which you only use with water to wash your windows...no more Windex and streaks) as my favorite Norwex item now!  If you want to check out Mom's website, here's the link.  It's all environmentally friendly and free of chemicals.  Let me know if you would like to order from my party (that my Mom doesn't even know about yet)!