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Despite the self-cleaning feature that most halogen ovens have, cleaning this appliance manually from time to time is essential.
This probably isn’t what you want to hear, but regularly cleaning your halogen oven does have its benefits.
These include prolonging the lifespan of the cooker and improving its overall performance while also eliminating any harmful bacteria that could contaminate your food.
Take advantage of this kitchen appliance’s self-cleaning capability, but be aware that it is unlikely to remove stubborn stains and baked-on food particles. These will require a little more elbow grease to get rid of on your part.
You’ll find, though, that cleaning your halogen cooker isn’t quite as daunting as it may seem after reading our guide on how to clean a halogen oven.
Cleaning Your Halogen Oven
Use the Self-Cleaning Function
First things first, you’ll want to make use of the self-cleaning feature on your halogen oven to reduce the amount of time you’ll have to spend cleaning it.
You’ll see that your halogen oven has a number of settings, not all of which are used for cooking. On most models, there is usually a ‘thaw’ function that doubles as a wash setting.
Step 1: Fill a Bowl with Water
Get a glass bowl that will fit your halogen oven and fill it with approximately two inches of hot water.
The water needs to be at a high temperature to help remove stubborn baking stains. Be very careful not to overfill the bowl. The water could boil over during the cleaning process.
Step 2: Add Dishwashing Liquid
As an option, you can also add some mild dishwashing liquid to the water if you wish.
Step 3: Place inside the Halogen Oven
Put the glass bowl on the metal rack inside your halogen oven.
Step 4: Use the Thaw Setting
Change the setting on the control panel to thaw/wash. Allow the appliance to clean itself for about ten minutes. You can also follow what is suggested in the instruction manual. When the timer is up, turn the wash setting off.
Clean the Lid
The lid of your halogen oven is the part that will accumulate the most stains and baked-on food spatters. This means that you should ideally clean the lid of your halogen cooker after every use.
While properly cleaning the lid will extend the life of your halogen oven, you should be careful when you do so. This is because the lid contains all the electrical components of the machine.
For this reason, you should never submerge the lid of your halogen oven in water. This will damage the internal equipment and extender ring.
Step 1: Check the Heating Element
Some halogen ovens allow you to remove the heating element from the glass section of the lid, which is then safe to wash in the sink or dishwasher. If you’re unable to do this with the model you own, then you’ll need to use a damp sponge or cloth to clean the lid instead.
Step 2: Air-Dry
After cleaning the lid, you should allow it to air-dry before covering the oven bowl. This will reduce the risk of any moisture coming into contact with the electrical parts of the appliance.
And here’s a handy space-saving tip for storing your halogen oven once it’s been cleaned: turn the lid upside down so that the control panel faces the inside of the oven bowl.
Washing Your Halogen Oven
Often, the self-cleaning function on your halogen oven isn’t thorough enough if you want it to be spotless. In this case, you can proceed to clean it by hand.
Step 1: Practice Safety
Ensure that the appliance is switched off and that the power cable is unplugged. Then, carefully remove the glass bowl that you put inside the cooker for the self-cleaning session. The water is likely to be hot, so take care to avoid scalding yourself by touching it with your bare hands. Use a dish towel or oven gloves to take it out of the machine and allow it to cool down completely.
Step 2: Deal with Stains
If you’re struggling to remove a particularly stubborn stain, simply apply some cleaning spray to the area and allow the solution to soak into the dirt for a few minutes.
Step 2: Wipe and Wash
Once your halogen oven has cooled, you can wipe down the interior with a clean cloth to remove any remaining food particles. You can also use some cleaning spray to get rid of greasy residue and accidental spillages in a pinch. Alternatively, you can detach the oven bowl and the metal cooking racks from the unit and wash them with warm soapy water in the sink.
Word of caution, only put parts of the cooker in a dishwasher if the instruction manual indicates that it is safe for you to do so. In addition, avoid using any abrasive cleaners or scrubbing brushes on any part of your halogen oven when washing it by hand.
How Do I Clean the Exterior of My Halogen Oven if I Haven’t Been Using It for a Long Time?
You’ll find that the exterior of your halogen oven will also need a little TLC every now and again. It’s very likely to gather dust and dirt, especially if you have it standing on a countertop in your kitchen.
To clean the exterior, use warm water. Then, using the cloth, simply wipe down the outside of the machine. You can also use some cleaning spray for an extra sparkly finish.
Halogen Oven Cleaning Tips
Now that you know how to clean a halogen oven regularly, here are some tips on keeping your appliance in tip-top shape.
- Use the thaw/wash setting to minimise the amount of time and effort you’ll spend cleaning your halogen oven in the first place.
- Use hot water and mild detergent in a glass bowl placed inside the oven to get the most out of the self-cleaning feature on this appliance.
- If the self-cleaning session doesn’t result in a spotless interior, use a cloth and some cleaning spray to remove stubborn stains or wash each part in the sink or dishwasher.
- Use a moist sponge or cloth to clean the lid.
- Clean the exterior with warm water, some cleaning spray, and a cloth.
Caution When Cleaning Halogen Ovens
Remember to follow these safety precautions when cleaning your halogen oven, or any other electric kitchen appliance for that matter:
- Always avoid using abrasive cleaners on any part of your halogen oven.
- Make sure that it is switched off and that the power cable is unplugged before cleaning or detaching any of its parts.
- Avoid exposing any fans or heating elements to excess water.
- Never wash the lid in the sink or the dishwasher unless you can detach the heating element from the glass.
- Do not put any part of the appliance in the dishwasher unless the instruction manual states that it is dishwasher safe.
- When in doubt, check the instruction manual that came with your machine.
Sparkling Clean
And that’s how to clean a halogen oven efficiently and effectively. Cleaning your appliances is an important part of maintaining them and improving their longevity, so be sure not to skip a step and enjoy your halogen oven for years to come.
How do you clean your halogen oven? Tell us in the comments below.
Paul is the type of person who never met a problem he couldn’t fix. He can always be found tinkering with something in his house, even if it isn’t broken! His tips and tricks are often shared on our site. He’s the one you call when something breaks because he has been known to improvise fixes for everything from leaky faucets to malfunctioning dryers.
