How to Calm a Fussy Baby

Dealing with a fussy baby is never easy for parents. There can be no worse feeling in the world than seeing that your child is upset and feeling like you don’t know how to make it better. However, if you try a variety of strategies and are attentive to your baby’s needs, you’ll be able to calm your fussy baby in no time at all.

Steps

Using Various Soothing Strategies

1. Calm your baby with gentle motion. Gentle motion can help calm your fussy baby and may even put him/her right to sleep. Though different forms of motion work best for different babies, you can try a variety of strategies to see what’s best for your baby. Though you may be used to the image of a mother and father rocking their children, just make sure you don’t put your baby in motion for so long that you get tired. Try some of these motion techniques to help calm your fussy baby:^[1]
   
   
   
   • Bounce and/or rock the baby in your arms
   • Gently pat the baby’s back
   • Hold your baby while rocking in a rocking chair
   • Go for a walk with your baby
   • Place the baby in a swing
   • Place your baby on your knees and gently sway him/her from side to side
   • Rock your baby in a cradle if you have one
   • Sit on an exercise ball and bounce up and down while holding your baby
   • Sway with the baby in your arms
   • Take the baby for a car ride
   • Walk slowly around the room with your baby
2. Enable side lying in your arms. Side lying can be another source of calm and comfort for your baby. To do it properly, just hold your baby at an angle and allow him/her to be on a side. Your baby can stop being fussy simply by changing the way that he/she is lying down. You can do this in your arms as long as you avoid placing the baby on his/her side in his crib, or this can cause him/her to roll over on his/her stomach, which will increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).^[2]
   
   
   
3. Make a soothing noise. Making a soothing noise can really help your baby calm down and be less fussy. Just hearing a new sound can make your baby interested and alert and can help alleviate the pain he/she was feeling earlier. You can use your surroundings to find an appropriate noise or sound or you can even do the work yourself. Here are some sounds that may help calm down your fussy baby:
   
   
   
   • Turning on a white noise machine
   • Soft singing
   • Humming
   • Turning the radio on static
   • Turning on the vacuum in the other room
   • Running a faucet
   • Playing soft music
   • Playing nature sounds
4. Swaddle your baby. Swaddling is a great way to calm your fussy baby; this is because your baby felt warm and comfortable in your womb and swaddling your baby can help mimic this safe feeling. To swaddle your baby, you should use a small and lightweight blanket, helping your baby stay tucked in so he/she doesn’t disturb himself/herself by flailing his/her limbs around. To keep your baby safe from SIDS or from having trouble breathing, it’s important to make sure that your baby isn’t swaddled too tight and that he/she is placed on his/her back; you should also avoid swaddling your baby with a pacifier to avoid choking and making sure your baby can breathe. Here's how you should go about swaddling your baby:^[3][4]
   
   
   
   • Lay out the blanket on a flat surface.
   • Fold down one of the corners and place the baby’s head over the fold.
   • Wrap one side of the blanket around the baby, pinning his/her arm down.
   • Take the point below your baby’s feet and pull it up, tucking it into the top of the blanket point that was tightly wound around.
   • Take the other side of the blanket and wrap it around your baby so his/her other arm is firmly tucked in.
5. Give your baby a warm bath. A warm bath can be the perfect soothing technique for some babies. It can help get them ready for a nap or just relax them and make them feel less tense, just as a warm bath has been proven to help many adults relieve tension in the past. Though this doesn’t work for all babies, you can try it to see if it has a positive impact on your child. Unfortunately, some babies actually get agitated after warm baths, so be vigilant when you do try this technique to see the effect it’s really having on your baby.
   
   
   
6. Give your baby something to suck on. If your baby is fussy, then he/she may be wanting something to suck on. He/she may not need a breast or a bottle but you can find something else to do the trick. You can give him/her a pacifier, put his/her thumb in his/her mouth, or even give him/her your pinkie nail, with the nail side down. Your baby may feel comforted from these simple offerings.
   
   
   
7. Give your baby a massage. Another thing you can do is to gently massage your baby’s body. Touch his/her palms, the pads of his/her feet, his/her shoulders, and the rest of his/her body gently so that he/she is soothed by your loving touch. You can just use the pads of your fingers to gently massage your baby, helping ease the tension that he/she is feeling.^[5]
   
   
   
   • Just remember that, much like a warm bath, some babies can actually be more agitated after a massage, so you should be vigilant when you try it so you see how your baby feels.
8. Give your baby a change of scenery. Your baby may very well be fussy because he/she just wants a change of scenery. Changing your scenery, whether you move to a different room or add some exciting elements to the room you’re in, can give your baby something else to pay attention to and can take his/her mind off of his/her agitation. If you don’t have the energy for anything too elaborate, you can simply move to a different room or stand near the window and face the outdoors. Here are some other tricks you can try to mix things up for your baby:
   
   
   
   • Look at your fish tank, a bright painting, or anything else exciting in your environment
   • Turn on your overhead fan
   • Dim the lights
   • Move to your backyard or front porch
   • Give your baby a new toy
9. Try shushing your baby. Sometimes babies end up making themselves more upset by their own loud tears. You can help calm them down by getting them to be quieter until their tears and fussiness stops all together. To do this, you can gently shush your baby in a sweet, calm way — as opposed to the way a student might be shushed by a librarian. In order to shush your baby, you should simply softly speak or shush just a bit louder than your baby and then slowly lower the volume of your voice until your baby’s voice matches yours.
   
   
   

Making Sure Your Baby’s Needs Are Met

1. Does your baby need burping? Babies are gassier than adults, and this can lead to pain and discomfort. a. To burp your baby, all you have to do is hold him/her in your left arm, having the side of his/her face on your shoulder. Then, pat your baby’s back gently until you hear a burp. Rubbing your baby’s back from the bottom upward can also help ease your baby’s pain. But just picking up your baby will often help.^[6]
   
   
   
2. Make sure your baby’s clothes are comfortable. Make sure that the clothes are not too tight or pinching your child. Tags or seams may be another issue. Make sure that the clothes are of a comfortable material.
   
   
   
   • Additionally, your baby may be feeling too hot or cold in the clothes. Feel your baby’s skin and make sure this isn’t a factor.
3. Make sure your baby isn’t upset by a change in routine. Your baby may just be fussy because you are doing something new and he/she doesn’t like it. Maybe you switched to a different brand of formula, maybe you took your baby for a walk earlier than usual, or maybe you’re spending time in a new part of the house your baby isn’t used to. Though you can’t stick to the same routine forever, you should note that this can be contributing to the baby’s fussiness.
   
   
   
   • If you’re trying to make a change, you can try to ease the baby into it, by going for a walk 15 minutes earlier every day instead of taking a walk 2 hours earlier one day, for example.
4. Make sure your baby isn’t simply tired. One reason for your baby to be fussy is just that he/she may be tired. If you see him/her yawning or just seeming restless, then put him/her down for a nap. Your baby may not be aware of the fact that he/she needs more rest, but you should let him/her calm down, turn off the lights, and soothe him/her until he/she is ready for sleep.
   
   
   
   • Even if your baby is acting very fussy and is active, this may be a sign that he/she feels overworked and needs some help calming down.
5. Give the baby less stimulation if he/she is overwhelmed. Another reason why your baby may be fussy is because there may be too much going on at home. Maybe you have a loud TV or music on, maybe the lights are too bright, maybe there are too many people around or maybe there are just too many toys in your baby’s crib. This is a major reason for a baby to get fussy, and if you suspect that this is the case, then you may need to simplify things and reduce the noise and excitement around the house for a while to calm your fussy baby.^[7]
   
   
   
   • See what an impact turning down the sound or the lights may have on your baby. You’d be surprised by how much better your baby may instantly feel.
   • If you’re introducing new people to the baby, try to do it one at a time. Your baby is likely to feel overwhelmed and fussy if there are ten new relatives hovering over him/her at once.
6. Give the baby more affection if he/she feels neglected. One reason why your baby might be crying or wailing is simply because he/she is feeling neglected and wants more attention. This can happen if your baby has been alone for a while, if you haven’t made physical contact for a few hours, or if you’re just not giving your child enough time. If this is the case, then you should hold, kiss, hug, or just spend time with your baby. This can help ease the fussiness pretty quickly, if this is your baby’s reason for being upset.^[8]
   
   
   
   • If your baby is crying, ask yourself when the last time you held your baby was. If more than a few hours have passed, then you should give your baby more physical affection immediately.
7. See if you can distinguish between your baby’s cries. Not all cries should be treated alike. This takes time and attention, but as you get to know your fussy baby, you will be able to distinguish between his/her various cries. One cry may mean he/she is hungry, while another may let you know he/she is wet. Though each baby is different, itis important to know that hungry babies tend to quietly fuss and squirm, and to escalate their cries as their hunger increases. A baby who is feeling pain, whether it’s from illness, gas, or teething, will have a more piercing cry along with a pained look.^[9]
   
   
   
   • The more attuned you are to your baby’s needs and to what he/she is telling you, the more easily you’ll be able to soothe your baby.
8. See if your baby has colic. Babies who have colic tend to cry and to be in consistent discomfort from 2 weeks after they are born until 12-14 weeks past their due date. You can tell if your baby has colic if his/her cries are high-pitched, frantic, or sudden, and if he/she cries with a rigid or stiff body with clenched fists and a look of pain or anger on his/her face. After about 6 weeks, the colic should reach its height and should slowly taper off or even end abruptly after that. Though this can be a frustrating experience for parents and babies alike, you should know that it will pass.^[10]
   
   
   
   • You can talk to a pediatrician about the colic, but unfortunately, there’s no real cure. The most the doctor may do is to recommend gripe water or mylicon drops for your child. You will also be told to have patience, even if that’s not what you wanted to hear.
   • You can also talk to your doctor about other problems that could be causing your child to cry, such as your diet if you’re breastfeeding, acid reflux, or allergies to certain food.

Knowing What Not to Do

1. Never, ever, ever shake your baby. Though you may get frustrated with your baby from time to time, the worst thing you can do is to shake him/her. Even shaking your baby for just a few seconds can cause damage that cannot be undone. If you feel yourself truly losing patience with your child, take a few seconds or minutes to leave the room until you feel that you can safely return to your baby. If you have a real problem with anger toward your baby, see a doctor immediately to keep your baby safe.
   
   
   
   • Over 1000 babies die a year from Shaken Baby Syndrome. It is 100% preventable. Shaking your baby can lead to death, brain damage, mental retardation, seizures, and even blindness.
2. Avoid "letting them cry it out". A common piece of advice for many women in older generations was to not rush in to sooth every cry--that the child needs to deal with it. But today's general advice is that children under 1 or so are crying because something is wrong. The baby is helpless, and looks to you for help. Ignoring the baby's cries with the idea that "they will be spoiled if you do" does no one any good.
   
   
   
   • Avoid letting your baby cry and cry, but sometimes you will find yourself unable to discover why the baby is crying. This can be upsetting to everyone. But the good news is that rarely do these episodes cause any lasting harm, either. Sometimes you never will find out why all the crying, and it is OK. Life goes on.
   • If you are overwhelmed as a caregiver, when these crying jags occur it is OK to sometimes take a few minutes to yourself. These times can cause even the most loving mother or father to feel like snapping. Take a quick shower. Call your mother.
3. Do not mindlessly use the pacifier. Though popping in a pacifier when your baby is crying or upset may be a great temporary fix for your baby’s problems, if you get in the habit of doing it too much, then you’ll be masking whatever is really wrong. Though this can be a tempting option, especially if you’re in public, you should work on figuring out what your baby really needs instead of using the pacifier as first resort.
   
   
   
   • Of course, it’s great to use it sometimes, but you want to avoid being too dependent on it if you want to really know how to calm your baby.
4. Don’t try too many methods of stimulation for your baby. If your baby is crying and you try feeding him/her, giving him/her a pacifier, going for a walk, and rocking him/her all in the same fifteen-minute span, then you’ll risk not really knowing what’s wrong with your child. You’ll not only not figure out what your baby really needs, but you also won’t really know which thing actually helped calm your baby down.
   
   
   
   • Try your calming methods one at a time until you have a strong sense of what really works. You may be surprised to find that you didn’t need to go outside or bring out that new toy all along.
5. Don’t feed your baby the second he/she starts crying. Though your baby may definitely cry or act fussy when he/she is hungry, this doesn’t mean it’s the only reason for him/her to be upset. If you feed your baby whenever he/she cries, even if he/she is been recently fed, then this may lead him/her to look at food as the greatest source of comfort, which can lead to overeating and problems down the line. Try to stick to your feeding schedule and don’t feed the baby much more than he/she needs to be fed just to stop the fussiness.
   
   
   
   • Of course, as babies grow and develop, their eating habits change and you shouldn’t keep them from eating if they’re truly hungry. Just make sure not use feeding as a catch-all for other problems.

Warnings

• Never ignore your baby's crying hoping that it will just stop. It may be something serious.

Related wikiHows

• How to Care for an Infant's Hair
• How to Increase the Length of Time Your Baby Sleeps
• How to Soothe a Baby
• How to Reduce the Risk of SIDS
• How to Soothe a Baby with Music

Sources and Citations

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How to Unfreeze an iPod Nano

A frozen iPod isn't much more than an expensive paperweight. Before you take it back to the store, however, there are a couple of fixes you can try at home to get it working again. Chances are, a quick reset is all it will take to get it up and running. If not, you may have to restore it to its factory settings. See Step 1 below to learn how to do both.

Steps

Resetting the Nano

1. Reset an iPod nano 1st–5th Gen. The 1st–5th generation iPod nanos are rectangular and all of them have a menu "wheel". The size varies depending on the generation.
   
   
   
   • Toggle the Hold switch. Toggle the Hold switch on and then off again. You should only have to do this once.
   • Hold down the Menu and Select buttons at the same time. Hold the buttons for about 6-8 seconds. The Apple logo should appear if the reset was successful.
   • You may need to repeat this process in order to successfully reset the nano.^[1]
2. Reset an iPod nano 6th Gen. The 6th generation iPod nano is square and has a screen that covers the entire front. There is no menu wheel on the 6th generation nano.
   
   
   
   • Press and hold the Sleep button and the Volume Down button. Hold both buttons for at least eight seconds. Continue holding until the Apple logo appears on the on the screen.
   • You may need to repeat this process in order to successfully reset. If it doesn't work, read on.
   • Connect the iPod to a computer or a power outlet. If a normal reset doesn't work, you may need to plug it into the wall or a computer that's turned on. Hold down the Sleep and Volume Down button again while the iPod is plugged in.
   • Let the nano charge. If the screen remains dark after trying to reset, the battery may be dead. You'll need to plug it into the wall for at least 10 minutes before trying to reset it again.^[2]
3. Reset an iPod nano 7th Gen. The 7th generation nano returns to the rectangular design, but does not have a wheel. Instead, it has a Home button at the bottom similar to an iPhone or iPad.
   
   
   
   • Press and hold the Sleep and Home buttons. Hold the buttons until your screen goes dark. This may take a few moments. The Apple logo will appear, and then your Home screen should come up.

Restoring the Nano

1. Launch iTunes. If performing a reset on your nano doesn't get it unfrozen, you may need to try a restore. Restoring your iPod will erase all of the data on it and return it to its factory settings. Restoring your iPod is not reversible, so make sure that you can't unfreeze it by resetting it.
   
   
   
   • Check to make sure you have the latest version by clicking on the iTunes menu, and selecting "Check for updates..." If you do not have iTunes installed, you will nee to download it from Apple and install it before continuing.
   • You will need an active internet connection in order to restore your nano. This is because newer versions of your iPod's software may need to be downloaded from Apple.
2. Connect your iPod to your computer. Use the USB or FireWire cable that came with the iPod. Your iPod should appear in the left panel listed under the Devices heading.
   
   
   
   • If your sidebar is not showing, click View and select "Show Sidebar".
   • Click on your iPod to open the Summary tab of the main iTunes window.
   • If your device is not recognized and the display shows a sad face, try putting the iPod into Disk Mode before restoring. If you cannot enter Disk Mode, then there is a hardware issue.
3. Click the Restore button. This will erase everything on your iPod and restore it to factory conditions. Accept the warning prompts and your restore will begin.
   
   
   
   • Mac users will be asked for the administrator password.
   • If using Windows, you may see one or more restore options prompting iTunes to automatically download the latest iPod Software.
4. Wait for the first stage of the restore process to complete. iTunes will display a progress bar while it is working. When the first stage is done, iTunes will show one of the following messages with instructions specific to the iPod model you are restoring:
   
   
   
   • Disconnect iPod and connect it to iPod Power Adapter (for older nano models).
   • Leave iPod connected to computer to complete restore (applies to newer nano models).
5. Start Stage 2 of the restore process. During the second stage of the restore process, the iPod will display a progress bar on the screen. It is VERY important that the iPod remain connected to the computer or iPod power adapter during this stage.^[3]
   
   
   
   • because the backlight usually turns off on an iPod during the restore process, it may be difficult to see the progress bar.
6. Setup your iPod. Once the restore process is complete, iTunes will open the Setup Assistant. You will be asked to name the iPod and select your sync options. At this point, the iPod has been fully restored. Sync it to your computer to reload your music.
   
   
   

Related wikiHows

• How to Reboot an iPod Touch
• How to Import Songs from an iPod to a PC
• How to Treat Scratches on Your iPod
• How to Use iPod Touch Applications

Sources and Citations

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How to Get a Bartending Job

Bartending jobs require skill, personality, and the endurance to keep working til the lights go out - not always an easy task. Bartending jobs are highly coveted, so before you apply, make sure you've mastered the basic skills and memorized the popular drinks. Read on to learn how to land a fun job as a bartender.

Steps

Hone Your Skills

1. Learn how to make drinks. In order to make drinks that look and taste like they were made by a professional, you'll need to learn basic bartending skills beyond just pouring and mixing. Check out online tutorials with information on the following techniques, then practice them until you have them memorized. Here are some basics you should know before you start looking for a bartending job:
   
   
   
   • Shaking. This involves using a cocktail shaker to mix and chill drinks.^[1]
   • Straining. Cocktail shakers have built-in strainers, which you use to strain the ice from the liquid.
   • Stirring. There's a proper way to do this to ensure the drink doesn't get watered down.
   • Muddling. This involves using a muddler to press the flavor from fresh ingredients.
   • Blending. You'll need a blender to make drinks like blended margaritas.
2. Memorize the classics. Start building your knowledge of different types of alcohol and learning how to make the most popular drinks. To a certain extent, the type of drinks you'll need to know how to make depends on the bar where you work; a high-end urban bar might focus on specialty martinis, while a college bar might serve a lot of Irish car bombs. Still, no matter where you work, you'll need the most popular standards in your repertoire. Learn how to make the following:
   
   
   
   • Basic mixed drinks like a whiskey soda, a greyhound, orange juice and vodka, Jack and coke, gin and tonic, and so on.
   • Other highballs like a bloody Mary, dark and stormy, fuzzy navel, melon ball, and Alabama slammer.
   • Lowballs such as a White Russian, a godfather, and a peppermint patty.
   • Martinis, Manhattans, and Rob Roys.
   • Tropical drinks like pina coladas, daiquiris, margaritas and hurricanes.
   • Shots like a lemon drop, slippery nipple, Jäger bomb or an orgasm.
   • Other cocktails like a mimosa, a mint julep, a mojito, or an Irish coffee.
3. Observe bartenders in action. There are little tricks to pouring a good beer, mixing drinks, and saving time behind the bar. Watch how your mixer handles drink orders. Most of it is not rocket science; the most commonly ordered drinks are liquor plus a mixer. Buy drink manuals to learn about the more complex drinks and practice at home.
   
   
   
4. Consider whether you want to go to bartending school. They'll teach you the basics and you'll have an opportunity to practice making drinks. Make sure the school you choose has a real working bar and all real bartending equipment. Bartending is a manual skill that requires speed and dexterity. There is no substitute for hands on training.
   
   
   

Go Job Searching

1. Apply for jobs you find online. A lot of bartending jobs are advertised on online classifieds websites. Do a job search and keep a list of the jobs that sound appealing to you. Some may ask you to submit a resume online, while others will ask you to come in for an in-person interview.
   
   
   
   • If you're worried you don't have enough experience, that shouldn't necessary deter you from applying. If you've practiced bartending skills and memorized the drinks, you may get hired anyway.
   • Make sure your resume is up to date, well-written, and proofread. Highlight any customer service experience you have, not just bartending experience. Any type of restaurant work is also a plus.
   • Some establishments prefer to hire bartenders with no experience because they won't have any bad habits to break. Experienced or not, the cover letter and resume need to be exciting and pop with personality. A great personality and attitude will elevate you above the competition every time.
2. Go to bars and talk to the managers. If you have a favorite watering hole, find out who the owner is and start talking him/her up. Befriend the bartenders, barbacks, and cocktail waitresses, and let them know you're looking for a bartending job. Tip well, go often, and generally be a happy, useful presence at the bar. The manager will be happy to hire you when a position opens up.
   
   
   
3. Look for charity guest bartending gigs. Many big cities are now offering this option. You pick a charity, promote the event, and bring your friends in. In exchange, you and a couple friends get trained for the evening and get to mix drinks all night. It's a great way to get some experience and make contacts. If you impress the bar owner, it could lead to a job.
   
   
   

Land the Job

1. Prepare for your interview properly. Many bartending job applicants go into their job interviews unprepared. If you look at bartending as a quick fix or so easy to do that you don't need to prepare, you will not get the job. Just like you would for any job, show up to the interview with a positive, friendly attitude and respect for the position.
   
   
   
   • Dress the part. Your appearance will be a factor when it's time to interview for a job. If you want a gig at a fancy restaurant, dress professionally. If you want a job at a hip club, dress edgy. If a dive bar gig is fine by you, dress tough. Most bars are going for a certain look or image, whether they tell you that or not.
   • Be ready to show your skills. Don't show up without knowing how to make a martini.
2. Be personable. If you have a fun, charismatic personality, your lack of experience won't matter nearly as much. Tell some funny anecdotes and crack a lot of jokes. Make it clear that you love talking to people, telling stories, and lending an ear.
   
   
   
3. Act responsible. A bartender's job is fun, but there's also a lot of responsibility involved. You have to open and close the bar, handle cash and credit cards, make sure you don't serve minors, and stop serving people who've had enough to drink. Show that you're mature and capable of handling the types of situations that are bound to arise late at night when the alcohol is flowing.
   
   
   

Tips

• Catering companies are a good place to start. They are easier jobs to get, if you can be of service a little bit, and you will learn a lot by doing basic drinks and pouring wine and beer.
• If you plan on going to a bartending school check their Better Business Bureau profile, and if they are licensed by the state department of education. Check how long they have been in business. Beware of any school or service that guarantee you a job or job placement. In most states, it's illegal. All a school can do is offer job placement assistance.
• Although some disagree, being a barback isn't a bad place to start. You learn from the bartenders you are working for and work your way up. A good bartender will tip you for your hard work and they might even teach you a thing or two.
• Often bar managers prefer people without previous experience as they don't have to be untrained of previously learned skills. This is especially true of small family run or local pubs and hotels which may have their own unique ways of operating. So never hold back from applying for a bar job because you don't think you have enough experience. We all have to start somewhere.
• Remember that the bar is a stage. You aren't just there to serve drinks but to entertain and perform. Remember the regulars names and usual drinks. Make an effort to connect with everyone. You don't have to tell jokes but be genuine, be yourself and enjoy the company of others. A smile, a nod or just the ability to laugh at your own mistakes can bring down the barriers and make the job fun,pleasant and rewarding.

Warnings

• Always be honest about your skills and experience. You do yourself or your employer no favors if you don't have the skills you say you have. And be willing to ask if there is anything that is not clear or you don't understand. It shows intelligence, maturity and willingness to learn. Better to ask a stupid question and risk looking a fool than not asking and confirming you are one.
• Where alcohol is involved, people can forget themselves and (with the exceptions of threatening, abusive or violent behavior). Be prepared to see, hear and learn things that discretion requires you keep to yourself. Do not be a gossip and be quick to forgive and forget.

Related wikiHows

• How to Get a Job After You've Been Fired
• How to Be Confident and Outgoing in a Job Interview When You Are Blind or Visually Impaired
• How to Get a Job
• How to Find a Job if You Are Disabled
• How to Stock a Bar
• How to Choose a Bartending School

Sources and Citations

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How to Clean the Oven

After months of roasting and baking, an oven tends to get fairly grimy. Built-up grease and charred food accumulate and turn into carbon, causing a strong burning smell when cooking. Letting your oven remain coated in carbon can eventually taint your food and even become a fire hazard. Read on for instructions on how to clean your oven, whether it has a self-cleaning feature or not.

Steps

1. Know what type of oven you have. There are a few standard types of ovens, and they each require slightly different cleaning methods.
   
   
   
   • Self-cleaning ovens have a feature that allows you to heat the oven to such a high temperature that the built up food and grease gets turned to ash.
   • Textured ovens, or continuous cleaning ovens, have a porcelain layer that is designed to burn spilled food away while you are using your oven to bake.
   • Regular ovens without these cleaning features must be cleaned regularly by hand.

Cleaning a Self-Cleaning Oven

1. Prepare to clean the oven. Choose a time to clean the oven when your kitchen area is at its least active.
   
   
   
   • Keep children and pets away from the kitchen while the oven is cleaning, since it heats to a very high temperature and tends to give off a burning smell.
   • Open your windows to ventilate the kitchen, so your family won't be inhaling the fumes.
2. Remove the oven racks. Place them in a sink full of warm water mixed with a few drops of dishwashing liquid to soak.
   
   
   
3. Turn on the oven's self-cleaning mode. This should lock the oven door and heat the oven to between 800 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit (427 and 482 degrees Celsius).
   
   
   
   • Make sure the oven door is locked before leaving the oven to clean. If the lock isn't working, put masking tape or some other kind of barrier on the oven door so your family knows it is not to be opened.
   • The oven will clean itself for 2 to 6 hours, during which the grease and burnt food will turn into a light gray ash.
   • Let the oven cool for at least 2 hours following the cleaning cycle.
4. Open the oven door. Sweep out the ashes with a small brush and dustpan. Wipe the oven clean with a wet rag.
   
   
   
5. Clean the oven door. Scrub the inside of the oven door with a clean rag and a misting of a kitchen cleaning product. You can also use a vinegar and water solution to do the job.
   
   
   
6. Clean the oven racks. Scrub the oven racks in the soapy water. Rinse them off and dry them, then replace them in the oven.
   
   
   

Cleaning a Textured Oven

1. Remove the oven racks. Place them in a sink full of warm water mixed with a few drops of dishwashing liquid to soak.
   
   
   
2. Wipe the inside walls of the oven with a damp sponge. Since the oven cleans continuously, it does not need to be heated first. Make sure your oven is cold when you clean it.
   
   
   
   • Avoid using abrasive scrubbers or chemicals in your textured oven. These may damage the porcelain.
   • If necessary, use a solution of vinegar and water to wipe down the walls.
3. Clean the oven racks. Scrub the oven racks in the soapy water. Rinse them off and dry them, then replace them in the oven.
   
   
   

Cleaning a Non-Self-Cleaning Oven

1. Remove the oven racks. Place them in a sink full of warm water mixed with a few drops of dishwashing liquid to soak.
   
   
   
2. Make a cleaning solution. Load a 1-liter spray bottle with 4 tablespoons (56.7 g) of baking soda and fill the rest with water. Shake the spray bottle to moisten and dissolve the baking soda.
   
   
   
3. Spray down the oven. Spray the interior of a cold oven, focusing on the charred and stained areas, until the carbon is completely saturated.
   
   
   
   • For particularly dirty ovens, increase the ratio of baking powder to water so that you have more of a paste than a liquid. Spread the paste all over the charred areas.
4. Allow the solution or paste to soak in for at least an hour. After an hour, test to area to see if the charred part has loosened.
   
   
   
   • If it's still hard as a rock, douse it again with baking soda solution and allow it to sit for another hour.
   • If it's loose enough to chip off, proceed to the next step.
5. Use a scraper to remove the loosened carbon. The type of scraper you would use to chip ice and snow off your windshield works well. Keep scraping until most of the carbon is gone.
   
   
   
   • Wear rubber gloves if you don't want your hands to get black from the soot.
   • Spray the area with more baking soda solution as you go to make the loosening process easier.
   • Sweep out the debris you chipped off. Use a small brush and dustpan.
6. Spray the oven interior with the baking soda solution again. Allow it to soak in for an additional hour, then use a scrubber to remove the remaining carbon.
   
   
   
7. Wipe down the oven once more with a solution of half vinegar, half water. At this point the interior of your oven should be clean. If caked-on carbon remains, try the following alternative methods:
   
   
   
   • Use an industrial-strength oven cleaner. These contain chemicals that may be harmful to breathe, so use with caution. They typically instruct you to let the solution soak into the charred sections and then scrub out the oven.
   • Use ammonia. Pour it on the caked-on areas and let it sit for thirty minutes before scrubbing it off with a scrubber and then wiping with a damp sponge.
8. Clean the oven racks. Scrub the oven racks in the soapy water. Rinse them off and dry them, then replace them in the oven.
   
   
   

Caring for Your Oven In-Between Heavy Cleanings

1. Catch spills with a baking sheet. If you're cooking something messy, place a baking sheet on the rack below it to catch grease and food spills.
   
   
   
2. Clean up spills right away. When something does bubble over onto your oven floor, you can begin the cleaning process even while your food is still cooking.
   
   
   
   • Sprinkle salt over the affected area, then close the oven door and finish cooking your food.
   • After you remove the food and turn off the oven, wipe up the spill immediately with a damp sponge.
   • Use a half-vinegar half-water solution for tougher messes.

Video

Tips

• Don't worry about using too much baking soda. The more you use, the stronger the chemical reaction between the baking soda and the carbon.
• Clean oven spills while they are still warm to prevent caking and charring.
• If your sink isn't large enough to soak your oven racks, use your bathtub instead. You will have to clean your bathtub afterward, though.
• Read How to Clean a Stove for tips on cleaning your stovetop when you're done with the oven.

Warnings

• Avoid getting the baking soda solution onto the glass oven door. Baking soda can get trapped between the panes.
• Do not spray baking soda into a hot oven. You will burn yourself and get baking soda everywhere.

Things You'll Need

• Oven
• Dishwashing liquid
• Rags
• Water
• Kitchen cleaning product
• Spray bottle
• Baking soda

from How to of the Day http://ift.tt/NI8nPk