Ovens are an essential part of any kitchen, as they help you prepare delicious, healthy meals. There is a wide variety of models on the market designed to suit your every need when it comes to space, features, and style. The only downside? Cleaning them, which takes time and energy that you would rather spend doing something else. Luckily, there are a few simple tips and tricks to help you clean a heavily soiled oven, even in just 5 minutes. The first tip? Don’t let spills and baked-on food particles harden and build up. Regular light cleaning is far better than letting grime build up and having to tackle a deep clean that takes much more effort.
Remember: routine cleaning isn’t just about hygiene, but also helps keep your oven in tip-top condition.
Oven cleaning: what tools to use
If your home oven doesn’t come with a self-cleaning feature, you'll have to use elbow grease. To start, make sure you’ve got the right tools on hand:
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a sponge for baked-on food
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a spatula to remove residue
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a microfiber cloth to rinse and dry the oven cavity
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a cloth for the oven door
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oven-safe cleaners and degreasers: there are many to choose from, both for a light clean and to tackle stubborn baked-on food
Self-cleaning ovens
The only way to avoid cleaning the oven yourself is to invest in a new-generation self-cleaning model. There are different types available:
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pyrolytic ovens, which incinerate food residue and grease
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hydrolytic ovens, which soften baked-on grime so it falls off the oven walls
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ovens with steam cleaning, which loosen burnt-on food particles so you can easily wipe them away with a cloth
Oven cleaning: getting started
Before you start cleaning your oven, it helps to:
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soften any spills and baked-on food to make them easier to remove. You can do this by boiling a pot of water, adding a cup of vinegar, and placing it in the oven. Leave it in the oven for 30 minutes - the steam will loosen the greasy residue on the walls and racks, making it easy to wipe away.
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remove unpleasant odours by leaving the oven door open for about 30 minutes, then wiping it with a soft cloth soaked in a vinegar or lemon juice solution (two tried-and-tested natural remedies in the kitchen!)
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use bicarbonate of soda: 2 or 3 tablespoons mixed into half a litre of water should be enough to dampen a sponge and start removing the baked-on debris
How to clean burnt-on grease and grime from inside an oven
If the oven is very dirty, you’ll need to give it a deep clean. For burnt-on grease and hardened grime, it’s best to:
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make a mixture of 3 parts bicarbonate of soda and 1 part water
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remove the racks
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scrub the walls with a non-scratch scrub sponge
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use the same sponge to clean the racks and the fixed oven rack guides
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dampen a cloth with lukewarm water and wipe the oven seals
How to clean oven glass
Keeping the oven glass clean isn’t just hygienic, it also helps keep your kitchen looking its best. For best results, use a non-scratch scrubbing sponge along with one of the following cleaning products:
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a specially formulated glass cleaner
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vinegar or lemon mixed with water
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bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, salt, and lukewarm water
When you're done, make sure to dry all surfaces thoroughly to avoid marks and streaks.
How to clean an oven: final thoughts
Cleaning the oven is easy, it can even take just 5 minutes, as long as you don’t let grime build up or wait too long to tackle it. There are natural alternatives to commercial oven cleaners that cut through grease and grime, and you probably already have them in your pantry. Wipe down your oven regularly to keep it looking good, clean, and running efficiently!
