How To Clean Your Oven: 10 Effective Ways

You finally made it to the weekend and you are looking forward to getting the house organized and making some homemade meals for yourself and your family or friends. As you are getting everything in order to spend the day relaxing and cooking, you notice that your oven is a disaster. Time for some oven cleaning!

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10 Ways To Clean Your Oven

The above scenario happens often as it is easy to let something like oven cleaning get put on the back burner (pun intended!). You will be happy to know that even though cleaning your oven is considered a chore, there are a lot of simple and effective ways to clean the oven without having to invest a lot of time or money in different cleaning products.

If your oven doesn’t get cleaned often, you may be unsure of which techniques or cleaning supplies to use. Take the guesswork out of oven cleaning and use the tips below to make your oven shine.

Tip #1- Spot-Clean Along the Way

All ovens are different, but regardless of the style or size of your oven, you should always ‘spot clean’ it after using it to cook. A simple wipe down using dish soap and a sponge will suffice after a cooking session.

Not only will this help to maintain the appearance and function of your oven, but it will also make the future deep cleaning of your oven less of a hassle. You should deep clean the oven a minimum of four times a year (more if you use it more often).

Tip #2- Invest In A Good Oven Cleaning Product

Not all oven cleaning products are created equal. It is important to use a cleaner designed specifically for ovens so that you aren’t mixing chemicals in an area where you prepare food.

Some oven cleaners are designed to take off grease quickly whereas others require time to let the cleaner sit for a deeper clean. There are a lot of oven cleaners on the market so it is helpful to choose the cleaner that works best for your oven’s needs.

Tip #3- The Oven Self-Cleaner Was Invented for a Reason

Years ago, oven manufacturers realized it was worth the extra feature to add in a self-cleaning option on ovens. This feature allows you to clean your oven without having to do much besides wiping it down with a wet rag at the end.

Have you ever wondered how the self-cleaning button works? The self-cleaning feature uses extreme heat to burn off any leftover residue. All you have to do is wipe down the remaining ash once the cleaner turns off. This won’t work for all grease and stains though which is why deep cleaning your oven a few times a year is necessary.

Tip #4- Focus on What You See First

The oven window glass is what you see most when you quickly glance at your oven as you walk to make your morning coffee or grab a snack from the fridge. Keeping the oven glass clean isn’t hard, you just need to make sure to use the right materials. Glass can scratch easily, so avoid cleaning the oven doors with anything too rough.

It is best to use something simple like a sponge and soap and water. If there are tougher stains you can mix baking soda and water to make a paste and let it sit on the glass to break down the stains before you wipe it off. Be careful not to use harsh chemicals on the glass as it can cause residue to build up over time.

Tip #5- The Lemon Trick

Did you know you can use a lemon to clean your oven? If you slice a lemon in half and rub the fruit along the inside of the oven and the glass door, you are creating a natural cleaning liquid. It not only removes stains but leaves your oven smelling so fresh and clean.

After you rub the juice on the inside, squeeze any remaining juice into a baking pan and fill with water. Bake the water and lemon mixture for about thirty minutes. Once the oven cools off, take a cloth and wipe down any remaining stains. The boiling water and lemons will have helped to neutralize any odors and loosened any stubborn food stains that didn’t scrub off the first time.

Tip #6- Keep it Simple When it Comes to Stove Knobs

Even though the knobs are usually the most touched surface of a stove or oven, you have to be careful about how you clean them. You don’t want to use too much liquid as it can cause electrical issues and leave residue build-up.

Instead, use a microfiber cloth to wipe down these highly touched surfaces and they will stay shiny without having any damage done during the cleaning process.

Tip #7- Use Natural Ingredients For Oven Cleaning

Stocking up on baking soda and vinegar is helpful for many reasons in your home, including cleaning your oven. You can make a baking soda paste for the racks and inside of the oven to sit overnight. This will help loosen any leftover food that is stuck. Vinegar is great to use for the glass door and will help kill any bacteria that is leftover as well.

Tip #8- Soak the Racks

When it is time to deep clean the oven, take the racks all the way out and soak them. Most sinks are too small to hold both racks, so your bathtub is an ideal place to let the racks soak overnight.

The oven racks tend to hold on to extra food over time, so it is helpful to let them soak overnight with either dish soap or a baking soda paste. After the racks have soaked, take the time to scrub off any extra food that got stuck along the way.

Tip #9- Don’t Ignore Your Stovetop

Whether you have a gas or electric stovetop, both need to be cleaned regularly. If your stove burners are removable, you clean them the same way you would clean the oven racks inside the oven and let them soak.

Remove the burners and soak them in either dish soap or a baking soda paste and give them a good scrubbing. If you have an electric burner, vinegar is the way to go. It kills bacteria and helps remove any grime left behind from food.

Tip #10- Use Chemistry to Your Advantage

If your stovetop needs a good soaking from all of the food that has built up over time, try a simple chemical reaction to help remove the stains. Mixing hydrogen peroxide and baking soda helps form a reaction that breaks down food particles. If you let the mixture sit for a while and then wipe it away with a paper towel, your stove will be both sparkling and free of germs.

The good news about cleaning your oven is that it doesn’t take a long time or a lot of money. Using household items like vinegar and baking soda are effective ways to remove the grease and food that get stuck in the oven.

Take a few minutes each time you clean your kitchen, to spot-clean the oven with a sponge and some dish soap. And when you have more time, take out the racks and burners for a deeper clean and good soak. Then, next time you are ready to make some delicious home-cooked food, you will have a sparkling surface to work on.