Fall and winter are the seasons where your oven seems to see the most action. From cooking the Thanksgiving bird to baking cookies for Santa Claus, it takes a beating and may get particularly grimy.
One TikTok account is showing others how to keep their ovens clean with one simple ingredient.
The scoop
This hack was posted by Joanne and Tracey (@additivefreelifestyle), who post videos on how to live the "additive-free lifestyle."
The short video shows how users can slice a lemon into wedges, cover it with water, and pop it in the oven to bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Then, the video instructs that users should leave the door propped open to allow it to cool down.
@additivefreelifestyle Simple Swaps - OVEN CLEANER For years I have used our soft cleaning scrub and although that's great, it can be pain to get out and leaves residue sometimes. I'll never use it again now I know how to do this! 🍋🍋🍋 And I'll NEVER use the toxic stuff from the shops!! ☠️ (which I certainly did before I knew better). Here's how to clean your oven naturally… 🍋 2-3 lemons chopped up Place into a casserole dish and top with water Cook in oven, 200C, for 30 mins. Turn oven off and either leave the door closed to cool down, or open door and allow everything to cool down (including lemons and the water). Then give the doors and walls a little scrub (use a bit of the lemon water if you have to) and wipe away. With the stubborn areas and racks I rubbed over the cooked lemon and then it easily scrubbed off. Save for reference and share with a friend! You'll be blown away 💛☀️🍋 PS - obviously don't wet the electronics and open fan grill space etc in the oven. #additivefree #ovencleaning #oven #ovenclean #ovencleaner #lowtox #loweringtoxicload #toxic #toxinfreehome #toxins #additivefreelifestyle ♬ original sound - Additive-Free Lifestyle
After the oven is cooled down, the woman shows how to rub the wedges against the door of the oven and wipe off the grime with a towel.
"With the stubborn areas and racks I rubbed over the cooked lemon and then it easily scrubbed off," the account explained in the video caption.
How it's helping
This hack is a great non-toxic way to keep your oven clean. Chemical oven cleaners carry significant risks to your health, including irritation to the respiratory system and even burns. Plus, if these chemicals, which contain volatile organic compounds, are exposed to the environment, they can also linger and cause pollution.
Another benefit of this solution is that it utilizes an ingredient that many folks already have lying around. So if you have leftover lemons from your cocktail party, you can put them to good use with this hack.
The lemon is a non-toxic and cheap solution, which has also been suggested for cleaning ovens by other users. The acid in the lemon cuts through grease and kills any lingering bacteria. Plus, who doesn't like the smell of slow-roasted lemon?
Several other creators have suggested other ways to clean the oven, including scrubbing with a pumice stone to remove caked-on grime.
What everyone's saying
Users were impressed by this non-toxic and inexpensive hack.
"Such a great idea and much safer than toxic chemicals," one user commented.
"Just did that today - it worked better than I thought," another shared.
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