At Crystal Carpet Cleaners, we understand that oven cleaning is one of the most dreaded household chores. However, a clean oven is essential for maintaining a healthy kitchen environment and ensuring your food tastes its best.
As experts in house cleaning, carpet cleaning, and end-of-tenancy cleaning, we’ve gathered our top tips to help you clean your oven quickly and effectively.
Whether you prefer natural solutions or need a deep clean, our comprehensive guide has you covered.
Switch off the oven and remove everything from the inside to ensure you can easily reach every corner and surface. Remove kitchen essentials such as baking sheets, pans, and each of the oven racks too.
Gather all necessary cleaning tools and supplies, including baking soda, water, a cleaning cloth, and a cleaning paste. Make sure you have a pair of gloves and a face mask to protect yourself from harsh chemicals.
Baking soda is a non-toxic, inexpensive, and effective way to clean oven grease. It neutralizes acids and breaks down grease, allowing for easy wiping. It’s a mild abrasive that removes dried, stuck-on foods.
Mix baking soda with water to create a thick paste, and apply it to the oven floor and surfaces. Leave the paste overnight, then wipe it away with a rubber spatula and warm, wet paper towels. Use vinegar and some elbow grease to help baking soda get the job done and remove any remaining baking soda.
Steam can be used to loosen grime and dirt in an oven. Vinegar and hot water can be used to create a steam cleaning solution.
Steam the oven with an oven-safe bowl of water and lemon juice to loosen grime. This method is effective in removing tough stains.
Traditional oven cleaner sprays are a great option for cleaning your oven, especially if you have a lot of cooked-on debris to clean out of it. The best oven cleaners today contain fewer toxic chemicals and are easier to apply, making it a less arduous task to soften grime and wipe it away in no time.
Check the ingredients and instructions of the oven cleaner to ensure it’s safe for your oven and health. Choose an oven cleaner that is effective for your level of oven grime.
Self-cleaning ovens use steam or extremely high heat to loosen burnt-on food residue, so you can easily wipe it away. Check your user manual to see if your oven has this handy function.
Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the self-cleaning function. Be prepared for the oven to get very hot and produce strong fumes.
Use a Magic Eraser to quickly clean the oven door. Follow the product instructions to use the Magic Eraser.
Clean oven racks in a bathtub. Soak the racks in hot water and let them sit for a few hours. This method is effective for cleaning oven racks.
To clean our oven shelves, we can start by soaking them for an hour in a sink filled with hot water mixed with 250g of soda crystals. After soaking, we scrub away any baked-on food using a ball of scrunched-up kitchen foil. Once clean, rinse and let them dry.
Another option is to check if our oven shelves fit in the dishwasher; referring to the manual can help. If they fit, we can place them in the dishwasher with a dishwasher tablet. Otherwise, we can soak the shelves in a large plastic box with biological washing detergent and warm water. Use a mild abrasive cleaner to remove tough food and grease.
When it’s time for a deep clean, we start by removing loose debris with a cloth. To tackle stubborn grease, a mixture of baking soda and vinegar works wonders. Rubber gloves are essential for protection. For residue, a scrub brush or toothbrush helps. Commercial oven cleaners like Easy-Off are effective, but check the manufacturer’s advice first, especially on glass doors or stainless steel. A spray bottle with a cleaning solution of white vinegar or lemon can also be used for stains. Let the solution sit, then scrub with a sponge. Finally, wipe everything down with a paper towel or a damp dish cloth.
To clean the door, we start by removing any cooked-on food using a plastic spatula or ceramic hob scraper. For lighter residue on the glass, we can apply a paste made from bicarbonate of soda and water. We then leave this mixture for 15-20 minutes, longer for tougher stains, and scrub it off using a damp microfibre cloth. Remember, some effort is needed for stubborn burnt-on residue.
Tip: Place an old towel under the oven door to catch any drips while cleaning.
For stainless steel knobs, a gentle cleaner works best. It will ensure they remain shiny without damage.
Like most kitchen appliances, how often you should clean your oven depends on how often you use it. The general rule of thumb is that you should be looking to deep-clean your oven once a month if you use it more than a couple of times a week.
Use reusable surface liners to prevent a build-up of further grime on the bottom beneath the oven racks. Don’t use aluminum foil to protect the oven floor, as it reflects and blocks heat in gas and electric ovens. Clean up small messes as they happen to prevent the buildup of grime and make the cleaning process easier.
Let's keep our ovens sparkling together! Use these tips:
Oven liners are worth considering to keep our ovens cleaner. Products like Lakeland’s Magic Non-Stick Oven Liner are helpful because they can be cut to fit any size and are dishwasher safe. If our oven has exposed heating elements, we can use a Magic Non-Stick Oven Shelf Liner. Alternatively, a baking tray on the lowest shelf works to catch spills.
It's important to check our liners regularly and wash them as needed. Avoid using aluminium foil at the bottom of the oven. According to Whirlpool, aluminium foil can negatively affect oven performance and may even melt, causing damage. Let’s use oven liners to keep our ovens in good condition without risking harm to the appliance.
Roasting bags, like Sealapack Roasting Bags, are great for cooking meat, fish, or vegetables. They keep our ovens clean by preventing spills and splatters.
As soon as we finish using the oven, we should place a heat-resistant bowl filled with water inside and heat it at a high temperature for 20 minutes. This makes the dirt and grease easier to remove. Once it cools down, we can wipe the interior surfaces to remove grime.
Tip: It's helpful to wipe away any immediate spills after the oven cools. Doing this after every use can make deep cleaning much simpler. Keeping up with this routine will save us time in the long run.
If we don't want to deal with all the grease and mess, a professional oven cleaning service can save us time and effort. It is a convenient choice and makes our lives easier.
When choosing an oven cleaning service, it helps to go with recognised national franchises. Companies like Ovenu, Ovenclean, and OvenKing often have insurance and employ trained professionals. If you prefer a local service, ask friends or family for recommendations, or look up top-rated companies on Checkatrade.
It’s also wise to see if your oven's manufacturer suggests a specific cleaning service. This can help ensure the cleaner uses the right products and methods for your appliance.
Here are some useful oven cleaning tools and supplies:
What is the quickest way to clean an oven's inside?
We can quickly clean the oven's interior by removing the racks and soaking them in warm, soapy water. Then, we wipe the inside with a damp cloth. For stubborn stains, a paste of baking soda and water can be applied.
How do we easily clean a very dirty oven?
To tackle a very dirty oven, we can first loosen up the grime by heating it at a low temperature for a few minutes. After it cools, we can apply a baking soda paste and let it sit overnight. In the morning, we can wipe it clean with a damp cloth.
Is there a way to clean our oven efficiently in less than 30 minutes?
Yes, a fast way is to use a commercial oven cleaner. We spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe it off. This method is usually quicker than homemade solutions.
What are the top homemade mixtures for cleaning ovens?
Several homemade mixtures work well for cleaning ovens. Some of our top recommendations include:
Is it safe to clean our oven with baking soda?
Yes, baking soda is safe for cleaning ovens. It is non-toxic and effective at removing grease and stains. We use it by making a paste with water and spreading it on dirty areas.
What methods can we use to clean ovens without chemicals?
We can clean ovens without chemicals by using natural ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice. Another method is to use steam; we fill a heatproof dish with water and lemon slices, then heat the oven, allowing the steam to loosen the grime.
