Oven Cleaning Guide 101

When it is time to do the housework, one of the most dreaded tasks is cleaning the oven. Usually, these appliances are covered in baked grease and food splatters that are so tough to remove you would think they have melded with the oven walls.

We understand how tedious and frustrating this process can be, so we have created an oven cleaning guide to make this horrible task easier. With these oven cleaning tips, you’ll be able to complete the job faster and spend less time covered in old oven grease.

Professional methods

One of the fastest ways of cleaning an oven by yourself is to emulate the professionals. Their experience and knowledge have naturally taught them one of the most effective oven cleaning methods. Follow the professional oven cleaning guide below and your oven will be clean and shiny in no time.

Before you tackle the oven and declare yourself the oven cleaning champion, you will need some supplies.

What you will need:

Steps-by-step oven cleaning process:

1. Remove all of the shelves from inside the oven.
2. Place each of the shelves in separate plastic bags.
3. Pour approximately half of the oven cleaner into the bag, seal it and let the shelves soak while cleaning the rest of the oven. If you have more than one oven shelf, you may need an extra bottle of oven cleaner. Alternatively, pour less into the plastic bags.
4. Pour the rest of the oven cleaner directly onto the oven floor and door.
5. Using a sponge, work the cleaning fluid into all of the dirt.
6. Let the oven cleaner soak for 24 hours if you can but, if not, four to five hours should suffice.
7. Use a clean sponge and warm, soapy water to wash away the cleaning fluid, dirt and grease from the inside of the oven and the door. This soaking method is also one of the best ways to clean an oven glass door without scratching it.
8. Take the shelves out of the plastic bags.
9. Wipe them with a sponge and warm, soapy water. After soaking for so long, the oven cleaner and any food or grease will be easy to remove.
10. You’re almost finished. Wipe the inside of the oven and the door with a clean cloth to remove any residue. Place the shelves back in the oven and you’re done.

These steps may require a lot of time at first but, if you clean the oven regularly, then it will steadily become easier and faster to finish.

Natural oven cleaning methods

There is an untold number of natural oven cleaning guides online, but through countless hours of research and personal testing, we were able to identify two of the most reliable natural methods. Unsurprisingly, both methods make use one of nature’s most versatile chemical – baking soda.

The baking soda and white vinegar method

For this homemade cleaning remedy, you will need the following:

How to clean the oven with baking soda and vinegar:

1. Just like before, the first step is removing the shelves. Once removed, set the shelves aside for now.
2. Mix the baking soda with three or four tablespoons of water in a bowl, then mix them together to form a paste.
3. Put on your rubber gloves and spread that paste around the inside of your oven.
4. Leave the paste to sit for at least twelve hours. This will allow the baking soda to soften the charred dirt and food.
5. While waiting for the baking soda paste, clean the shelves in warm, soapy water with a scouring pad or a metal wire brush.
6. When the twelve hours have passed, wipe the inside of the oven with a damp cloth to remove as much of the dry baking soda paste as you can.
7. Next, spray the inside of the oven with white vinegar, paying particular attention to areas still covered in baking soda. Don’t be alarmed when the baking soda starts to fizz, this is perfectly natural.
8. Wipe the inside of the oven once again with the damp cloth to remove the remaining fizzy baking soda, dirt, and grease.
9. Put the shelves back and you’re good to go.

The second method which utilises the power of baking soda is a good solution if your oven produces a lot of smoke while cooking. Plus, it’s much simpler than the previous method.

Smokey ovens are caused by a build-up of charred food remains. This is not only dangerous and unhygienic, but it can also alter the taste of the food being prepared. To easily resolve this, you just need to sprinkle baking soda inside the oven and let it sit overnight. The baking soda softens the charcoal-like food remnants, making it easy to remove with a cloth or a plastic spatula.

As these two methods are natural and do not make use of harsh chemicals, they are easily mistaken as chemical-free solutions. However, that is not entirely true. These natural methods merely rely on much gentler chemical reactions. While they do provide a way of quickly cleaning your oven, you can achieve much better results with commercial products.

If you are not fond of the idea of using harsh chemicals, you can also consider using potassium hydroxide. After leaving it in your oven for 24 hours, all of the gunk and grease can be easily wiped away.

How to clean oven baking trays

1. Wipe and clean away any grease and remnants of burnt-on food.
2. Soak the trays in a solution of dishwashing liquid and hot water or for even better results use Enzyme Laundry Detergent. Read the label for guidelines.
3. Leave to soak for a few hours or overnight.

A few words on self-cleaning ovens

Many ovens, including some older models, have a self-cleaning mode. This option is not truly cleaning the appliance, though. The oven simply heats up to such a degree that grease and pieces of food are burnt into nothingness. While the self-cleaning mode may be useful in maintaining a basic level of oven cleanliness, it should not be used if there is a treasure trove of burnt food and grease that has built up.

The high temperatures can cause enough smoke to set off smoke detectors and, in cases of extreme grease build-ups, it may even cause a fire.

How to maintain a clean oven

Once your oven is clean, it is not very difficult to keep it that way. All that is needed is for you to clean it on a regular basis using a mixture of tips in this oven cleaning guide. The great thing is that the more often you clean your oven, the less time it will take to do so next time. This leaves you with more time to enjoy a fresh meal prepared in a clean oven, or a rewardingly-large glass of wine.

So, there we have it, your guide to cleaning ovens like a professional. With this article, you will no longer have to feel soul-shaking dread when you remember to clean the oven. All you need to do is clean your oven properly once, and follow this up with regular cleaning to make your oven a shiny centrepiece instead of a grimy kitchen lurker.

Did we miss anything? Do you have any tips for cleaning ovens? Let us know in the comments below or give us a shout on social media!

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