Here is a guide on how to clean an oven with baking soda and ingredients that are common in most kitchen pantries, such as white vinegar and without using harsh chemicals. The satisfaction of cooking in a clean oven might just make you change your tune about cleaning being a necessary evil.
How to Clean an Oven With Baking Soda
Things You Need:
- baking soda and vinegar
- Water
- Rubber gloves
- Spray bottle
- Cleaning rag
Remove the oven racks and place them on old newspapers or towels to prevent transferring grime onto your kitchen floor. In addition, take out any other items in the oven that could get in the way, such as thermometers or pans.
In order to create your own oven cleaner, mix baking soda and water in equal parts until spreadable paste forms. If you need more than half a cup of the mixture, simply double the recipe. You will be covering the whole interior of your oven with this paste, so make as much as you need to fully coat the surface.
Sprinkle baking soda paste to all of the interior surfaces of your oven (it may be a good idea to wear rubber gloves so that you don’t get the grime under your fingernails). Be careful not to touch or disturb the heating elements as you’re doing this. Cover any extra greasy spots, but if some areas have more paste than others, don’t worry about it. The paste will start turning brown when it comes into contact with the grease.
Cleaning oven racks can be a pain, but this method is easy and effective. First, cover the inside of your oven with baking soda paste and let it sit for at least 12 hours. Then, place your oven racks in hot water for at least two hours. (You can use this time to clean your stovetop.) If your oven racks are extra grimy, add a quarter cup of unscented Dr. Bronner’s pure castile soap to the mix. The bathtub works great for this step–just put some old towels on the bottom of the tub first so that dirt doesn’t transfer onto it while they soak. Once time is up, any residue should come off pretty easily with a scrub brush before you rinse them off.
After 12 hours have elapsed, Take a damp cloth and wipe away the baking soda paste as well as any oven residue from the inside of your oven. In some cases, you may need to use a spatula or scraper if simple elbow grease isn’t enough to remove stubborn areas of buildup. Gently loosen the residue so you don’t scratch the surface in doing so. Additionally, avoid using scouring pads as they can damage your oven’s interior finish.
For an extra deep clean, mix white vinegar and water in a generic plastic spray bottle. The high acidity of vinegar breaks down hardened grime and icky grease stains. Plus, the foaming bubbly action coming from the chemical reaction is pretty satisfying to watch.
Your oven’s cleanliness will go unnoticed if the oven glass door is covered in grease. To clean the window, make another batch of baking soda paste and spread it all over the surface. Let sit for about 30 minutes before wiping off the paste, baking soda residue with a damp rag or paper towel.
For the final step in cleaning your oven, wipe down the exterior of the oven door with a natural vinegar cleaner. To make this mixture, use equal parts water and white vinegar. Spray it onto a rag before wiping down the outside of your oven (if you spray it directly on knobs and panels, there is a risk of getting cleaner into control panel which could cause it to short-circuit). Buff until all spots and streaks have disappeared. If you have a stainless steel oven , then use a microfiber cloth for best results.
How Often Should I Clean My Oven?
The more frequently you use the oven, the more splatters you’ll accrue. An avid baker should aim to give the oven a deep clean once every three months; however, for those with a less-of-a-baking habit, cleaning every six months–or even once a year–can work just as well.
In order to keep your oven clean, wipe it down with a cloth soaked in hot water and dish soap at least once a month. If you ever notice residue or something dripping while the oven is on, make sure to clean the tray as soon as possible so that the mess doesn’t have time to bake (and smoke) into the walls of the oven.