If you’re anything like me, you’ll have a love-hate relationship with cleaning. There’s no denying that the end result feels fantastic, but the process is often something that fills me with dread. Especially when it comes to cleaning the oven.
There are many ‘annoying’ cleaning jobs that I’m convinced that I’m not alone in procrastinating, and cleaning the oven is definitely at the top of my list. With so many harsh and abrasive chemical kits out there, it feels like a job that requires a lot of time, effort and elbow grease. So, it’s a chore that typically ends up in my ‘I’ll do that later’ pile.
That is, until I came across TikTok’s latest low-effort oven cleaning hack. Using nothing more than CIF cleaning cream and a sheet of cling film, the results looked too good to be true. And after putting it to the test, it’s safe to say I was surprised.
As cleaning hacks go, this one is very straightforward. Simply apply a layer of cleaning cream to your oven and seal it with a layer of cling film. Following the video to a tee, I used the CIF cleanboost cream (available on Amazon at £7.99 for three). However, I imagine that any oven cleaner should do the trick.
My oven wasn’t absolutely filthy when I tried this hack, but it was definitely in need of a clean. A culmination of weekends spent baking and cooking dinners for friends and family meant that some sticky residue had dripped down onto the base of my oven, causing billows of smoke next time I used it.
Initially, I tried a chemical-free approach to clean the oven, with a DIY paste made from baking soda and water. However, this required a lot of scrubbing and the residue just didn’t seem to budge. So, I decided to put the TikTok hack to the test.
In @cleanipedia_uk’s video, the cleaning solution is left on for one hour, before it’s washed away. However, I’ve seen other influencers testing this hack, and some leave the cleaning cream to work its magic for up to 24 hours! I opted for a happy medium.
At 7am, before I started work, I applied a generous layer of CIF cream to my oven base and door, and covered it with cling film. I left it alone until 7pm, when I removed the layers of cling film.
To my surprise, the sticky residue on the base of my oven seemed to melt off onto the cling film, which had become brown with dirt. After peeling the cling film away, I gave my oven a scrub to help rinse away some of the CIF cream. I scrubbed with some effort around the areas I knew were stained, but didn’t apply as much pressure as I had with previous cleaning methods. After clearing the cream away, I gave the oven a wipe with a cloth and admired the results.
Granted, my oven isn’t completely spotless after trying this hack, but it’s a lot better than it was before. There are still a few stubborn marks remaining, but the sticky black residue – which was my main focus and the root cause of the smoke – is no longer an issue.
However, this hack is rather time consuming. I’m not sure I would’ve seen the same results if I’d left the solution to sit for one hour as recommended, rather than twelve. But it’s certainly worth a go if you have some oven-free time to spare, or if you don’t have it in you to faff with complicated cleaning kits. I wasn’t entirely convinced that cling film would do the trick, but it surprised me.
Will you give this hack a go?
Oven cleaning essentials
Save time and energy the next time you clean your oven with these must-have buys
Scrub Daddy
Scrub Daddy Original Sponge
This scourer is a cult classic for a reason, it’s friendly little face makes it super easy to hold and use.
Kleeneze
Kleeneze Deep Clean Power Scrubber Brush With 4 Heads
An electronic scrubber is a lazy cleaner’s best friend for quickly tackling messy corners.
MR.SIGA
Mr.siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloth,pack of 12, Size:32 X 32 Cm
For a streak-free finish you need to be armed with a good microfibre cloth. Pick up a pack like this with multiple colours and assign a colour to different jobs or rooms in the house.
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