Chemical cleaning agents or natural household remedies?
It's easy for your baking tray to become encrusted or dirty with frequent use. To get rid of these, you don't necessarily need the chemical mace from the supermarket - after all, oven cleaners are not without their drawbacks. Instead, you can use common household remedies to remove dirt from your baking tray. Not only are they available in almost every household, they are also inexpensive and environmentally friendly. You should therefore definitely try the following options if prolonged soaking alone does not help:
How easy it is to clean your baking tray with home remedies
Salt is a simple, quick and inexpensive way to remove baked-on grease residues and crusts from the baking tray. This option for cleaning baking trays not only removes light stains, but also stubborn stains. To do this, apply salt to the areas where the food residue is burnt on so that everything is well covered. At an oven temperature of around 50°C, it takes around 30-50 minutes for the salt to turn a light brown color. Then tip the salt off the oven tray. The incrustations will also come off here. To remove all the spots, clean the baking tray at the end with a sponge and warm water.
Another household remedy for cleaning your baking tray is baking powder. There are two cleaning options here, which can be used for light or heavier soiling.
- For light soiling: Pour warm water onto the baking tray and mix with a sachet of baking soda. After half an hour, you can simply wash the baking tray with a sponge.
- For heavy soiling: Take three or four packets of baking soda and mix them with warm water. Choose a ratio that produces a viscous consistency. Coat the burnt and dirty areas with the paste and leave everything overnight so that the mixture can take effect. The next day, the dirt will have dissolved and you can wash everything off without any problems.
Dish or cleaning tabs are also suitable for cleaning encrustations. First fill the baking tray with hot water and then let a tab dissolve in it. If there is not enough foam, you can add more tabs to the water as required. After half an hour, the dirt can be easily removed with a sponge. You should also remove any remaining residue under running water and wipe the baking tray with a little washing-up liquid and water.
You can also use vinegar or lemon juice to clean your baking tray with home remedies. The baking tray must be covered with a layer of the respective liquid. We then recommend placing the tray in the oven at 200°C and waiting 20 minutes. Then remove the dirt with a sponge and water. Many people find vinegar unpleasant due to its pungent odor, but it is precisely this acid that dissolves the dirt particularly well. To soften the smell a little, we recommend mixing the vinegar with lemon juice in a 1:1 ratio.
Baking soda as a household remedy for cleaning baking trays
Last but not least, baking soda is also a suitable household remedy for cleaning your baking tray. As with baking powder, there are two ways to clean light or heavy soiling. Using baking soda has another advantage: as soon as the mixture of baking soda and water evaporates, it remains in the oven for a while and you can clean the whole oven in one go.
- For light soiling: Take the baking soda and spread about 50 grams over all dirty areas. Then add enough warm water to cover the bottom of the baking tray. Now you need to be patient for a few hours until the baking soda and water mixture takes effect and the dirt has dissolved. You can then simply wash off the dissolved dirt with water.
- For heavy soiling: Proceed in the same way as described above. After you have spread the baking soda and water mixture on the baking tray, place it in the oven at 100°C bottom heat for 20 minutes until the water begins to evaporate. You can then simply remove the incrustations.
Tips for keeping your baking tray clean for longer
Before you have to clean your baking tray again with home remedies, there are a few little tricks to help prevent it from getting dirty so quickly.
- Always place a piece of baking paper or baking foil underneath. A baking mat is also suitable.
- Clean the tray after each use and do not wait until the food residue has burned into the metal.
- If possible, do not use rough steel sponges to clean your baking tray. These cause cracks and scratches, which only make the tray more susceptible to dirt.
Date: 25.01.2021
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