The topic is oven cleaning, and truly, this trick for tackling that nasty job is a game-changer! I say “nasty” job, and I’m not alone in this opinion. Research shows the #1 most detested kitchen chore is cleaning the oven. Would you agree?

Cleaning this appliance is such a challenge, but turns out there's a tip that's been making the rounds on TikTok since 2021. (I don’t do TIK TOK, so I appreciate food writer Sydney Wingfield sharing this information on www.allrecipes.com.) In case you too, don’t do Tik Tok, I’m sharing it with you.

The bottom line is that the task of cleaning an oven doesn’t need to be as difficult or physically awkward as it typically is IF you remove the oven door. Maybe you astute Cook’n readers already knew it could be removed, but I’m embarrassed to say I did not. Talk about a no-brainer—of course it’d be easier to clean if there’s no door in the way!

To remove it, you’ll want to follow these steps:

·         Loosen the latches that connect the door to the oven.

·         Give it a little wiggle to loosen it.

·         Lightly pull the door up, and it should come right off.

You’ll want to proceed with caution when doing this, though, as not all oven doors are the same. Some may have screws that need to be undone, and others may not be able to be removed. So, consult your appliance manual before attempting this hack. Plus, oven doors are typically VERY heavy, so there's a risk of dropping the door or pinching your fingers in the very powerful spring-loaded door latches.

And here’s another tip regarding oven doors: For many ovens, you can separate and remove the glass panel inside the oven door to clean all those built-up streaks and greasy residue. To do this, just open the latches that keep the glass and oven door together, and voila. Once your oven door is spotless, carefully replace the panel and then the entire door onto the latches to secure everything back in place.

Both tricks really are that simple and effective. So, the next time you’re deep cleaning your kitchen, don’t forget to take the oven door off for the thorough scrub it deserves.