Spring Cleaning?

Tonight we set our clocks ahead 1 hour, it's getting close to SPRING! I am actually looking forward to Mud Season and even the Blackflies. This winter has been brutal. This weekend, aside from a bit of rain, was absolutely lovely and spring like. Of course more SNOW is in the forecast for tonight and tommorow- 4-6 inches. Because we're near Mt. Monadnock, we usually get a bit more. *sigh*

Anyways, I am thinking SPRING and getting preparations underway for spring cleaning. I am starting with the most disgusting nastiest toughest job first- the oven. I do a lot of cooking and baking. After this weeks homemade baked beans, Indian pudding, baked ham, sweet potatoes, homemade pizza (which I bake directly on the rack, no pan) the bottom of my oven looks like a creature is ready to burst forth and grab a passerby. It is covered with black crusty bubble like formations of gooey junk. I have long ago gave up the nasty chemical oven cleaners and use the all natural and better smelling homemade stuff with great sucess. Here's the recipe: 

Oven Cleaner (non-toxic)

You only need four ingredients:

Borax, which is found in the laundry soap section of your grocery store.

distilled white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar (I prefer the apple cider vinegar- smells a bit better)

water

Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, (I love the Almond one) which you'll find in your local natural food store, or section of your grocery store. I use Dr. Bronner's for doing dishes, it doesn't hurt my hands  or our septic tank.

Mix two teaspoons of Borax, four tablespoons of vinegar, two cups of water and an eighth of a cup of Dr. Bronner's Castile soap.

Spray this homemade cleaner into your oven ... all over the oven walls and floor. Then, cover the wet surface with baking soda and follow with a second layer of your homemade cleaner. Let that sit overnight and wipe clean in the morning.

*If you remember your 3rd grade science class experiments, baking soda and vinegar make a foamy chemical reaction. Don't be alarmed! This is a good thing! For scorched stuck on stuff in pans, I throw in some baking soda then a bit of vinegar and let it sit, comes right off. Your oven will be sparkling and no brain cells will have been harmed in the process.