Whether you cook often or only bake for special occasions, you’ll likely use your oven more this winter. To make sure that your oven works safely without breaking down, follow these tips.

Clean Your Oven Regularly

The best way to keep your oven working properly is to clean it regularly. Most newer ovens have a self-cleaning function that burns spills and residue to ash with extreme heat. You’ll still need to clean the ash out of your oven, but it does make the job much easier. Use this feature after spills or whenever you notice a lot of stains or residue on the inside of your oven. Consult your owner’s manual to make sure you’re using it correctly.

If your oven doesn’t have a self-cleaning feature, you’ll need to clean it manually. Regularly wipe down all interior surfaces and racks with a mild detergent or a mixture of baking soda and water. That should be enough for most messes, but you should still deep clean your oven every three to six months. This usually involves using an oven cleaner to remove caked-on residue that won’t come off with regular cleaning. Chemical oven cleaners are very strong, so make sure you have proper ventilation before using them.

Have a Professional Inspect and Replace Oven Door Seals

The gaskets, or seals around the oven door, help trap heat inside your oven and allow for even cooking. These gaskets can wear down over time, eventually failing to make a tight seal and allowing heat to escape whenever you use your oven. Have a professional check your gaskets regularly for cracks or other signs of wear and tear. They will replace them for you if necessary.

Clean Your Burner Elements

If you have a gas stove, you’ll need to clean your oven burner tubes regularly. First, turn off the gas to your oven and unplug it. Next, wipe down all the burner tubes with a moist cloth. You’ll obviously want to wait for your oven to cool off if you’ve used it recently, but you should be able to wipe the burner tubes down fairly easily.

The next step will be to clean the bake burner. This is found underneath the bottom oven cavity panel, so you’ll have to remove the panel itself to reach it. Simply remove the thumb screws holding the panel in place, lift it off, and wipe all the residue you find on the bake burner.

Cleaning an electric stove involves roughly the same process. The only difference is that you won’t have to worry about shutting off a gas line.

Monitor Your Oven’s Temperature

If you have an older oven, its internal thermostat may not be as accurate as it once was. If it doesn’t reflect the actual temperature in your oven, you’ll be in for overcooked or undercooked meals. Fortunately, checking the actual temperature isn’t that difficult. All you need is an oven thermometer, which can be found at most retail stores. Preheat your oven to a set temperature, and check it with your thermometer. If you see any discrepancies, consult with a professional.

For more information about keeping your oven in good shape this winter or if you’re looking for an oven repair service in Fayetteville, AR, contact Natural State Appliance Repair today.