The First Thing To Do Before Cooking In A Vacation Rental

Food and travel go hand in hand. In fact, there are some cities people would visit just for the cuisine! But if you're the type of traveler who can't go without a home-cooked meal, you may want to book a vacation rental so you still have access to a kitchen. There's just one thing to do before you start cooking — give the grill, stovetop, or oven a good scrub. While many rentals have some sort of cleaning service between guests, the only way to ensure that the kitchen is clean is to do it yourself. Doing so will not only save your food, it might even save your life.

A dirty oven or grill can lead to a number of problems. Burnt food and grease that's built up inside an oven can cause fumes that will stick to whatever you're cooking, altering the taste. Food and grease remnants can burn, leading to smoke filled with chemicals like carbon monoxide that is dangerous to breathe and will definitely ruin your food. An oven or grill covered with gunk will also not work as well, so it may be more difficult to cook foods like meat to a safe temperature. Most importantly, unclean cooking appliances increase the risk of house fires. The best way to avoid these issues is to make sure everything is clean before you start cooking.

If the oven doesn't have a self-cleaning mode, you can use an oven cleaner that you just spray, let sit, and then wipe down. You could also make your own cleaning solution by combining baking soda and water. Apply the mixture all over the oven, then spritz on some vinegar. Let everything sit for about half an hour before scrubbing down the oven with a scouring pad. While you wait, you can clean the oven racks by soaking them in hot water and dish soap.

For the grill, you'll need to use a grill brush or metal scraper to get rid of any large debris, then scrub with hot soapy water. You can also use a bit of hot soapy water, a scrub brush, and a little elbow grease to clean the stovetop.

Everything doesn't have to be spotless; just try to remove any excess gunk or grime that may cause problems. If you don't want to lift a finger during your time off, check out some of the hotels with the best restaurants in the U.S. Otherwise, if you're going to cook in your home-away-from-home, make sure you clean the oven or grill. The extra effort will be worth it when it comes to keeping you and your food safe.