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Why is Cleaning Your Oven Important?
As with all utensils related to cooking, you don’t want to use them if they are dirty and stinky, do you? Your oven is a key part of your kitchen and so keeping it clean makes sure that your investment in it was worthwhile.
Oven cleaning certain parts of the house can be quite bothersome, and we all hate it. Especially when it comes to things like bbq and oven cleaning, it can be quite the hassle.
With time, dust and dirt, along with food grease and leftover crumbs may all get stuck in your oven, making it unhygienic to use. Furthermore, this build-up can cause the oven to malfunction and may even add an unpleasant odor and taste to your food.
Cleaning may take up a lot of your time and effort but since maintaining proper hygiene throughout your kitchen is of utmost priority to leading a healthy lifestyle, falling short is not an option.
Now, let’s move on to how you can clean your oven to keep it sparkling from the inside and outside.
How to Maintain a Fresh and Gleaming Oven?
Following are the top tips to get a clean and shiny oven in no time.
Why Avoid Harsh Scrubbing Pads?
Steel wool and abrasive pads can scratch oven surfaces, trapping more grime and making cleaning harder over time.
1. Baking Soda and Vinegar
The first on the list is a natural solution for cleaning your oven without needing any other type of commercial cleaner. Use a combination of water and baking soda mixed to form a paste to clean your oven.
Apply this paste all over the oven floor, walls, and door. Be careful, however, to avoid the heating compartments. After applying the paste, leave it for about two hours, and then use a spray bottle with a mixture of white vinegar and water to spray all over the paste.
This will make the acid in the vinegar react with the baking soda, creating a foam. Afterward, leave it for another half an hour before using a rag to remove the mixture. Seeing such great results from such a simple process will undoubtedly leave you speechless!
Why Choose a Microfiber Cloth?
Microfiber cloths are gentle yet powerful, making them perfect for oven cleaning.
- Safe on surfaces: No scratches, keeps finishes shiny.
- Traps dirt: Picks up grease, crumbs, and particles instead of spreading them.
- Hygienic: Removes most bacteria with just water.
- Eco-friendly: Washable and reusable, cutting down on paper towel waste.
Next time you face oven smudges or grease, grab a microfiber cloth for sparkling results.
2. Try Using Salt
One unexpected item that you would never consider for cleaning your oven but is recommended by experts is salt. This is a quick and cheap solution for keeping your oven clean and safe.
When using the oven for heating food or baking, there are times when there will be spills on the surface of the oven. These spills can be very persistent and hard to remove if they are left to harden. To avoid such an issue, salt is the hero you need.
Simply pause the oven the moment you notice these spills and open the oven door. Then, grab some salt and sprinkle it all over the spills. This will make it much easier to clean these stains than you would without salt.
3. Use Steam
Another unique method to clean your oven is to steam clean it with vinegar. This will help you soften up the grime, making it much easier to clean it off with a piece of cloth.
To do this, first, we need to boil some water and mix some vinegar into it when it starts boiling. The next step is to put the pot inside the oven and then close it. Keep it this way for about an hour, so that the steam gets into the dirt properly.
After a while, you’ll see that the grime is now much easier to get rid of. This is why steam cleaning is a proven method of cleaning, not just ovens but other parts of the house such as carpets as well.
4. Mix Water and Lemon
If you don’t have vinegar lying around your house, then don’t worry since lemons are also a great option for cleaning your oven. For this process, all you need is a pan filled with water and some lemons.
Put the lemons inside the pan and then put the pan in the oven. Turn it on and wait for the water to boil. Afterward, take it out and use a damp cloth to clean up all the grime and grease stuck inside.
It is important to note that you should wait for the oven to cool down before you start cleaning. Otherwise, there are chances of getting burnt.
5. Use a Toothbrush
Using a toothbrush is perhaps one of the oldest tricks in the book and rightfully so since it has proved to be one of the best cleaning tools time and again. Why? Well, the answer to that question is very simple and practical.
Simply using rags or other things to clean may not always be effective. This may be due to the small and tight areas that are hard to reach and clean properly. A toothbrush can reach every speck of dust and dirt stuck in every nook and cranny, making it the perfect cleaning tool for cleaning those hard-to-reach spaces.
Keep Paper Towels Handy
Paper towels make it easy to tackle oven spills the moment they happen. They quickly absorb grease and liquids, then go straight in the bin—no extra mess, no pushing grime around.
A quick wipe after drips or splatters prevents stubborn stains and makes deep cleaning much easier later.
6. Use Your Bathtub for Cleaning the Racks
Cleaning your oven racks can be quite frustrating due to their awkward size and shape. This is probably why they are often overlooked when cleaning. We have a better solution to this problem – why not just dump them in the bathtub?
That’s right! Experts recommend taking your oven racks to the bathtub to clean them efficiently. To get started, first use some towels and line them up with the tub so that your oven racks don’t end up putting scratches on the surface of the tub.
Next, fill the tub with water and drop a dishwashing tablet once it is full. These tablets do a great job at cleaning the racks, just as much as they do with cleaning dishes. Now, put the racks in and make sure that they are fully submerged in the water.
Lastly, all that’s left for you to do is scrub off all the dirty parts that have been loosened by the dishwashing agent. You can use a scrubber or an old toothbrush to finish off the job and enjoy the amazing results of a shiny and clean oven.
What’s an Oven Rack Cleaning Kit—and How Do You Use One?
An oven rack cleaning kit makes it easier to tackle grease and baked-on grime without scrubbing in the tub.
How it works:
- Place racks in the provided heavy-duty bag.
- Add the cleaning solution.
- Seal and let soak—usually overnight.
- Rinse and lightly scrub in the morning.
It’s a simple, mess-free way to get shiny, clean oven racks with minimal effort.
7. Vacuuming is the First Step
Regardless of the cleaning method you choose, the first step is always to clean out the dirt, dust, and food crumbs with a vacuum cleaner.
Try out using the vacuum hose but if that feels a little too powerful, then you can try attaching a crevice. There are various kinds of vacuum cleaners as well; some are made small specifically for cleaning up small spaces like your oven.
Lastly, it is also recommended that you use the vacuum cleaner after you are done cleaning.
8. Don’t Disregard the Stovetop
The stovetop is also another important part of your oven and you have to clean it properly regardless of whether the burner is electric or gas-powered.
If the burners are removable, then you should clean them along with the oven racks – let them soak in the bathtub and then scrub the dirt off.
Alternatively, if you have an electric burner, then you should try using vinegar so that all the bacteria are removed and your oven is hygienic.
Take Advantage of the Self-Cleaning Feature
Many ovens have a self-cleaning cycle that burns off grease and food residue.
How to use it:
- Remove racks, trays, and loose debris first.
- Start the cycle and let the oven heat to a high temperature.
- Ventilate the kitchen, as it may get warm or smoky.
- Once cooled, wipe away leftover ash with a damp cloth.
⚠️ Never leave racks or non-oven-safe items inside during the cycle.
Why No Chemical Cleansers?
You may have noticed by now that all the cleaning solutions that we brought to you do not consist of using any sort of chemical cleanser. This is mainly because these could damage the oven.
Furthermore, the compounds contained in these cleaners could be toxic and give off toxic fumes that would give your food a foul odor and could be harmful to your health.
Instead, we rely on simple, effective methods using everyday items you probably already have at home. For example, making a paste from baking soda and water is an easy way to tackle stubborn stains without resorting to harsh chemicals. Just mix a few tablespoons of water with baking soda, spread the paste on oven racks, and allow it to sit for 15 minutes before scrubbing off. A drop or two of dishwashing liquid can give it extra cleaning power.
Lemons are another natural powerhouse—combine equal parts lemon juice and water in a spray bottle, spritz it on grimy surfaces, and let the natural acids do the work. Not only does this lift stains and disinfect, but it also leaves your oven smelling fresh (bonus points if you’re a fan of citrus).
And if you’re in a hurry, even a dishwasher tablet dissolved in water makes a surprisingly effective cleaner. Mix it into a paste, slather it on, wait a bit, then wipe away grease and grime. For especially tough messes, a pinch of baking soda can boost cleaning strength.
By sticking to these natural solutions, you can keep your oven sparkling, protect your appliance, and avoid introducing unwanted chemicals into your hom
Conclusion
Regardless of what method you use, it is important to use the above tips to keep your oven shiny and clean regularly. No matter how stubborn the spills and stains can be, there are effective ways to get rid of the dirt and odor in your oven.
With consistent cleaning, you can prevent the extensive build-up of dirt in your oven. We hope that this article has helped you to learn how to clean your oven and keep it nice and clean!
