How to Clean Your Oven

Having a clean oven will help with the taste of your food.  That’s why it’s important to keep your oven clean.  Learn how to clean your oven with these simple cleaning tips.

It doesn’t seem to matter if I cover items being put into my oven or not, somehow my oven gets full of things. I am happy to say that there are a few different ways that you can easily clean your oven. Believe me, it is much easier than it seems.

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When is it Time to Clean Your Oven?

The first clue that it would be a good idea to clean your oven would be if there is any visible grease or baked-on food inside your oven. Your next clue would be if when you turn it on there is a funky smell to it. Lastly, if you let your oven go a bit too long between cleanings you may see a bit of smoke.

Natural Ways to Clean Your Oven

Baking Soda

Making a thin paste out of baking soda and warm water is a great way to clean your oven. Just apply the paste to the walls and bottom of the oven with some sort of abrasive sponge. Let the paste sit for 12 hours. Use a warm damp cloth to wipe it away.

For more stubborn spots you can apply a second round of baking soda paste and let sit for up to 24 hours.

Vinegar

If there are any stubborn spots still left on the walls or bottom of the oven, sprinkle some baking soda over the area (or apply a paste if it is on the walls). Then, spray some full strength vinegar on the spots and let the chemical reaction take care of it.

Steam

Steam works best for ovens that are only moderately dirty. Fill an oven safe baking dish or pot with water and place in the oven. Set your oven to 450 degrees and set a timer for 1 hour. Once the timer goes off, let your oven cool. After the oven is at a safe temperature wipe it out with a washcloth or a paper towel. If there are any stubborn spots that won’t easily wipe off you can use the baking soda and or vinegar options from above.

Self Cleaning Function

Many ovens have a self-cleaning feature. This is probably my least favorite way to clean my oven because the smell can sometimes be overpowering. If you are using the self-cleaning option to your oven, it’s best done when you are home and windows can be opened if needed.

Before you start the self-cleaning on your oven, remove the racks so you can wash those separately.

Once you set your oven to self-clean, it will heat up to somewhere between 400 and 900 degrees. It will remain at this temperature for anywhere between 2 ½ hours to 4 hours. Once your oven has cooled down you just wipe the ash left on the bottom away and your oven should be clean.

It should be noted the best time to use the self-cleaning feature of your oven is if it is only mildly dirty. If there are a lot of areas of built-up grease and grime, there is a possibility it will cause a fire when trying to burn it off.

Commercial Cleaner

Any form of commercial cleaner will be a bit pricey but, worth it if you have some really stubborn spots. I do want to point out that some commercial cleaners can be corrosive to the inside of your oven.

Fume Free

Commercial oven cleaners come with very strong fume smells but, thankfully there are a few brands that have come out with fume-free cleaners.

It is easy to forget to clean your oven but, it is just as easy to clean it. Using any or a combination of all of these methods are sure to leave the inside of your oven sparkling clean. Do you have any other favorite go-to ways to clean your oven?