Cooking up casseroles, cakes, and cookies is the fun part, but cleaning up grime, crusts, and stains is the not-so-fun part of getting creative in the kitchen. A clean kitchen is crucial for preventing foodborne illness and keeping appliances in prime running order. A dirty oven can be particularly stubborn, but we’ve got an all-natural oven-cleaning hack to help you out: To renew the surfaces of your oven, try cleaning your oven with a pumice stone, also known as a scouring stick.
A pumice stone is a rock made of hardened lava. The same type of pumice used for your oven-cleaning stone is the same as that used in some types of lightweight concrete. That means it’s strong enough to immediately cut through caked-on, hardened debris lingering in your oven with minimal scrubbing on your part — and if you do need to push hard on a few extra-dried bits, it won’t fall apart. Plus, with repeated scrubbing, the tool can be shaped to effortlessly fit every corner and curve inside your oven.
If you’re wondering why you should use a pumice stone instead of oven-cleaning chemicals, some cleaning supplies can include chemicals that exacerbate headaches, allergies, and respiratory conditions, according to the American Lung Association. A pumice stone, however, is a non-toxic solution for kicking the kitchen muck. Plus, it also works on glass baking dishes, sinks, and the grates in your grill, making it a multi-purpose product for many cleaning needs.
Tips for cleaning your oven and other appliances with a pumice stone
To use a pumice stone for cleaning your oven and other surfaces, first sweep out any crumbs that might be hanging out in the oven. Then wet your oven with warm water and white vinegar (a spray bottle works well for this) before dampening one end of the pumice stone with water.
Work the stone across the dirty areas in small circles, keeping your stone moist and your pressure quite light to prevent scratches. When you’re done, wipe down the oven again with the vinegar and water solution.
There are a couple of caveats to cleaning your kitchen with a pumice stone. Part of the tool’s appeal is its abrasiveness, but that can also be a drawback on the wrong materials: Steer clear of stainless-steel, enamel, acrylic, plastic, and decorative tile to prevent damage. To avoid expensive mistakes when scrubbing down your oven, the safest route is to first test your pumice stone on a small area of the appliance to see how the material reacts. It’s also important to review the user manual that came with your oven: If it specifically advises to avoid abrasive cleaners on the inner porcelain, choose a different cleaning tool, or use the pumice stone very carefully and only for baked-on gunk that no other cleaner can budge.
