How to prolong the life of your oven and prevent common issues

As with all your kitchen appliances, keeping them well-maintained and clean is the best way to ensure they last as long as possible, whilst working at their best.

Getting cover in place before your appliance develops a mechanical or electrical fault ensures that you’re covered should the worst happen. Appliance cover with Home Emergency Assist covers over 30 of your most important appliances all on one plan.

We’ve put together a handy guide for keeping your oven running as efficiently as possible.

The best way to clean your oven

• Organic oven cleaner: you can use a mixture of water, baking soda and white vinegar to clean the dirt from inside your oven, however, you may need to work a lot harder at scrubbing than with a chemical cleaner. The benefit is that there are no harmful fumes or residue

• Chemical oven cleaner: these are designed to attack dirt which is hard to shift so you’ll need to follow safety guidelines while using these, such as using gloves and eye protection. Once used, it’s best to leave the oven at a high heat for around 20 minutes before use, but follow manufacturer’s instructions

If you have a self-cleaning oven, the internal temperature will be set extremely high to burn any dirt away, reducing it to ash and making it easy for you to clean out with a cloth. A self-cleaning cycle will take a few hours; longer than manual cleaning.

Cleaning oven glass

As above, you can use a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to clean your oven door glass.

Alternatively, if you’d rather use a chemical oven cleaner, check the bottle to make sure it’s suitable for use on glass. Some cleaners are too strong and may lead to cracks.

Everyday maintenance

• Clean up after every use, whether it’s the hob or main oven. Removing grease before it becomes embedded will save you time later on

• If possible, bulk cook. Using the oven once to cook multiple meals and freezing them will save on the wear and tear of your appliance as well as money on energy bills

• Open and close the oven door gently and don’t hang anything heavy on the door

• Replace any filters in the cooker hood regularly

Want to protect your appliances with insurance for mechanical and electrical breakdown plus accidental damage? Cover everything from washing machines, to ovens, air fryers and smart tech. Get a quick, free quote online to keep life running smoothly. Or explore our full range of plans, including boiler and heating, plumbing and drainage, or complete home emergency cover for total peace of mind.