Appliance Series Maintenance of the Oven

One of the more heavily used appliances in the home the oven (stove) is far more likely to need cleaning, repair and maintenance. It is not difficult to keep the oven in solid working order when just a few simple steps are taken to ensure it lives a long and functional life.

☼ I know I will sound like a broken record here but cleaning the oven is the best way to keep it in top shape! The outside and door seal can be wiped down with warm soapy water to remove grime. For those who have a window in the door and want a streak free view in, use white vinegar and wipe it down with newspaper. Yes seriously, it will be streak free and sparkling! This can be done on all glass -- mirrors, windows, car windows, etc.

☼ Try to clean up spills right away to avoid baking on.

☼ Some models have a self cleaning feature which basically incinerates anything spilled in the oven and it allows the residue to be wiped out with a damp sponge. It will utilize energy but no harmful chemicals are sprayed into the air or the cavity in which we all prepare our foods so this would be a serious trade off decision.

☼ For those who do not have this feature however (like me) I found a better solution than spray on foams which contain propellant and other chemicals. Mix up 4-5 tablespoons of baking soda, a few drops of dish soap and 3-4 tablespoons of white vinegar. Make a paste, spread all over the inside and let sit for fifteen to thirty minutes. Wipe down using plenty of warm water and use a green scrub sponge if necessary to remove more stubborn stains.

☼ If the oven is beyond what seems repairable mix equal parts salt, water and baking soda into a paste. Apply and heat the oven to approximately 500 degrees and cook the mixture on for about an hour. Once cool a damp sponge should take care of the incinerated cleaner. (I have not actually tried this one myself but may do so at my dad’s rental property, I’ll keep you informed how it goes!)

☼ Unless there are spills, it is only necessary to clean the inside of the oven a couple times a year. Always be sure to wipe the inside of the oven to dry after cleaning.

☼ Make sure the temperature you set is the one you get. Pick up an oven thermometer to ensure the oven’s thermostat is in solid working order. Center a rack and enter the thermometer on that rack then turn on the oven to the standard temperature you use to cook with for about fifteen minutes (about 350 is good). Some fluctuation is normal but for differences of fifteen to twenty five degrees either way the thermostat should be replaced.

☼ Be sure there are no electronic malfunctions as this could potentially lead to bigger problems. Call a qualified repairman to service the oven if anything malfunctions.

Please note that these tips do not include information for continuous cleaning ovens as I personally have had no experience with this style oven. While doing research however it appeared that 99% of the stuff that was safe for conventional and self cleaning models was not safe for a continuous clean oven. It is always best to check the owners manual or manufacturer website prior to doing any cleaning or maintenance on an appliance but with a little ingenuity we can keep our entire kitchen sparkling naturally!

Eco-Friendly Ways to Use Paper

As a person who always looks for ways to creatively reuse items that come into my house I started thinking of the number of pieces of paper that show up on a daily basis. The first eco blog I posted over at The Organic Mechanic was on creative uses for shredded paper and recently Charmaine sent me a link to paper flowers. In our conversation after receiving the link I commented on a way to use newspaper as wrapping paper. I wondered if perhaps there were even more functional or funky ways to use paper.

A moderate level of paper makes its way into my home and I find much of it ends up in the shredder. Generally I would just place a paper bag full of the tiny strips in my recycle bin but then a while back I ordered a gift and when the box arrived I was immediately impressed with the packing material used by the seller -- shredded paper. It opened my eyes to a new use for this material so when we moved we used shredded paper to pack items like dishes and it worked like a charm!

The paper flowers that I was introduced to are nothing like the crepe paper and pipe cleaner style most of us made in kindergarten. The paper items that Revolt Media creates are made from scrapbook and other specialty papers and are sophisticated and classy. Currently they are working on a custom order of origami style flowers in red and black for a wedding party. Upon the end of the ceremony the flowers can simply be recycled!

Charmaine was questioning what to use for wrapping paper since she had used up all of her brown paper bags. I suggested painting newspaper with appropriate holiday colors and then use it as home made gift wrap. This could be a fun project to complete with kids to make their gifts personalized. Everyone would have unique wrapping, making not just the gift but its packaging really special.

Writers can find many uses for old papers such as creating a personalized journal. By taking papers due to be recycled, cutting them down to the same size, stacking them and then Japanese stab binding the pages with a front and back cardboard cover, a journal is born!

Making furniture from paper has become not only an art form but a career for artist Jens Praet. By adding a bit of resin to simple shredded paper Praet has created everything from bookshelves to desks and he claims the pieces are even stronger than wood. It might be cool to keep those Christmas cards we never know what to do with at the end of the season by turning them into an end table.

With a little creative ingenuity we can find even more uses for all that paper we look at once and throw away.