You Should Never Remove The Knobs On Your Oven. Here's Why

Ovens are an appliance that can be found in nearly every household across America, as they are efficient and simple to use. Though this piece of cookware is relatively common, many users might not know how to properly clean or maintain it.

On top of increasing its effectiveness, cleaning your oven often can help prevent dangerous household fires, according to Upsie. Martha Stewart's site suggests that ovens should be cleaned at least every three months for regular users. Unfortunately, many homeowners are prone to shut the oven door and forget the mess is even there. One method is the oven self-clean feature, which involves removing the racks and turning up the temperatures for several hours to loosen food particles. MarthaStewart.com also suggests using cleaners that contain baking soda and vinegar.

According to Thor Kitchen, food particles underneath and against the oven can also create a fire hazard, so it's vital that you slide out your oven and perform a deep clean of the area from time to time. Though there are many safe methods for properly cleaning your oven, there is one that you should absolutely never do.

While deep-cleaning your oven, Thor Kitchen states that you should never remove the oven's knobs. Because the knobs are connected to the oven's control system, electrocution can occur when they're removed and scrubbed.

So, how can you ensure the knobs are cleaned effectively if they aren't removed? Per Appliance Warehouse Services, you can spray them each with vinegar, let the vinegar sit for around 30 seconds, then rinse and dry the knobs. The knobs should be cleaned regularly, as they are arguably the dirtiest part of the oven. Knobs are interacted with often, which leads to germs spread throughout the household.

If a knob breaks and it must be removed and replaced, it's important to read your oven's owner's manual to ensure safety in the process. In some cases, in place of full removal, cracked plastic or a split knob can be glued back together, according to Authorized Co. After repairing the knobs, you can get back to baking amazing casseroles for dinner.