How to clean an oven: A definitive guide

If you asked a random person on the street what their least favourite cleaning task was, odds are they would say cleaning their oven. Which is no wonder really, as cleaning your oven can be laborious, a little icky and sometimes require intense, fume-y chemicals. While it may be tempting to put it off, an unmaintained oven will quickly develop hard-to-shift grime inside, an opaque, greasy door and unpleasant smells and smoke that will flood out when you open it. So, however long you’ve left it, the best time to clean your oven is right now.

Whatever your oven situation, we’ve got clear instructions and handy tips that should care of things neatly, whether you want to blitz your oven with a dedicated cleaner, get it squeaky clean with only natural products or polish up the door so you can see your roast in HD. As well as step-by-step instructions, our guide also features commentary from Georgina Shepherd, cleaning expert at Housekeep.

Check out our full guide below, which features separate sections detailing how to use oven cleaner, our favourite natural remedies and expert advice on keeping your oven clean in the long run.

How often should you clean your oven?

As we note in our section dealing with tips for keeping your oven clean, some good advice is to keep your oven tidy by cleaning a little and often, aiming to tackle spills and stains as they appear. Beyond that, general cleaning wisdom from Georgina is that “every three months is a good rule of thumb, but it really depends on how often you use it. If you cook a lot of greasy foods, you might need to clean it more frequently.” Even if it hasn’t been that long, telltale signs that a clue is due include unpleasant smells upon heating up your oven, smoke wafting out when you open the door and noticeable grime or baked-on stains.

How to clean an oven with oven cleaner

If you’re dealing with tough stains and prefer dedicated cleaners over home remedies, then you can pick up a full oven cleaning kit like the ones provided by brands like Oven Pride and Oven Mate, or a spray oven cleaner from the likes of Mr. Muscle.

1. Prepare your space

Whatever kind of cleaner you’re using, you’ll want to prepare for dealing with the harsh chemicals in oven cleaners by putting on long nitrite gloves, making sure your cooking space is well-ventilated and setting down something to catch potential drips. Old towels, tin foil or specially designed oven sheets, which come with some kits, are good options for keeping your floor from getting messy or damaged. If it’s hard to ventilate your kitchen properly, you may want to consider also opting for a breathing mask or switching to a cleaning method that will produce fewer fumes.

2. Make sure your oven is off and cooled

A straightforward tip but an important one, Georgina reminds us to “make sure the oven is completely cool and turned off before you start cleaning.” To ensure no power is coming through, check your oven is turned off at the wall and that all power or indicator lights signal that it is no longer powered on.

3. Remove and clean oven racks

If you’re using an oven cleaning kit, it will usually instruct you to carefully place the racks in a separate cleaning bag and add cleaning solution before leaving them to sit overnight. If you’re using a spray cleaner, you can remove your racks and place them on a safe, stable surface outside and spray them with oven cleaner before leaving them to sit overnight or for however long the manufacturer recommends. Unless the instructions state otherwise, you should finish by scrubbing your racks with a brush or non-abrasive sponge, which should easily lift off any remaining dirt or grease, before rinsing with warm water and returning them to your oven once you have finished cleaning the main unit.

4. Clean the main chamber of your oven

Apply your cleaning solution to the inside of your oven with a sponge or cloth, or by spraying if you’re using a spray oven cleaner. Take care to avoid getting oven cleaner on your oven’s trim, pilot light or heating element, while also checking beforehand that it is also suitable for your oven’s glass door before you apply it. Allow your cleaning solution to sit for the specified amount of time, then wipe down with a cloth or non-abrasive sponge to remove dirt, grease and stains. Unless the instructions specify otherwise, you should then rinse your oven with water to remove any residue from the cleaning products you’ve used.

5. Remove excess cleaner via heat

If you’re worried about cleaning residue affecting your cooking once you’ve returned your oven to its regular state, you can run it for around 15-20 minutes on a high heat to burn off any remaining cleaning product.

READ NEXT: Best double oven

How to clean an oven with household cleaners and everyday items

If you’d prefer to avoid dealing with stronger chemicals, then follow the cleaning instructions listed below, for which you’ll need only mild household products that you’re already likely to have on hand. Georgina Shepherd, cleaning expert at Housekeep, favours these milder cleaning solutions, saying: “It’s best to steer clear of oven cleaners – these can be harsh, and damage other surfaces if accidentally spilled.”

1. Protect your floors and wear protective gear

While you won’t have to protect your kitchen floors from harsh chemicals, cleaning your oven with gentler products can result in spills and drips that will require their own clean-up. To save yourself the hassle, make sure to put some newspaper or old towels down in front of your oven before you begin cleaning. Once again, while the items you’ll be using here won’t be as potentially damaging to your skin as dedicated oven cleaners, it’s still a good idea to wear long rubber gloves.

2. Remove and soak your racks and trays

Before tackling the interior of your oven, you should remove any racks inside and begin the process of cleaning them. To clean the racks themselves, you should soak them in warm, soapy water for at least a few hours, though soaking overnight is ideal. If you don’t have a large enough sink to submerge your oven racks properly, then it might be worth your while getting a wide, flat plastic tub for this job. If your racks are especially stained or greasy, you can add a little white vinegar or bicarbonate of soda to the water to help things along.

Once your racks have finished soaking, take them out of the water and scrub off any remaining dirt and grim with a stiff-bristled brush or sponge. If the dirt isn’t budging, you can try using a more abrasive tool like steel wool.

3. Clean the inside of your oven

Begin by using a dry cloth to wipe out all the loose, solid debris in your oven, like crumbs and burnt bits of food. Next, fill a bowl or bucket with hot water and a few squirts of washing-up liquid, as Georgina says that “a mild solution of warm water and washing-up liquid should do the trick.” This is because dish soap is formulated to cut through grease and is really one of your best bets for cleaning out your oven without having to opt for the stronger stuff. Next, dip a non-abrasive sponge in your cleaning solution and give the interior of your oven a solid scrub all over, taking care to avoid your oven’s trim, pilot light or heating element as you scrub.

For tougher stains, you can combine dish soap and bicarbonate of soda in a ratio 1:3 to form a cleaning paste. Apply this paste to the areas of your oven with stubborn stains and allow it to sit for a few hours, or overnight if you have the time. After waiting for the allotted time, simply wipe it away with a damp sponge or microfibre cloth and the stains should lift off with it.

4. Rinse and reset

Finally, give the inside of your oven a quick wipedown with a damp cloth to remove any soap residue and return your racks to their original position.

READ NEXT: Cleaning tips to make your house sparkle

How clean your oven door

Take it from someone who has spent too much time squinting through a foggy oven door to check on a pizza or roast: having a clean and clear oven door makes life a lot easier. The methods and steps I suggest below require only everyday household products, as the dedicated oven cleaners covered in the section above will mostly be suitable for cleaning your door. Before we dive in, I would also advise against using the ‘dishwasher tablet hack’ for cleaning oven doors that has been popular on TikTok lately, as cleaning your oven this way can scratch the glass and cause unnecessary mess.

1. Create vinegar steam to loosen dirt and grease

If your oven door isn’t particularly dirty, you can probably skip this step, but if you’re dealing with tough grease and grime, it may be helpful to try softening up the dirt inside before beginning a proper clean. Start this step by adding water and 250ml of white vinegar to an oven-safe pot or deep metal tray, taking care not to fill it too close to the rim.

Remove the racks from your oven and place the tray on the floor of your oven. Set your oven 150°C and allow the water in the tray to generate steam. Continue for 30 minutes once the tray has begun to generate steam, then turn your oven off and allow it to cool for another 30 minutes before disposing of the liquid in the tray. The dirt and grease on your oven door, as well as any burnt-on bits on the walls of your oven, should be loosened and easier to remove after completing this step.

2. Check if your oven door has removable door parts

The first step proper when cleaning your oven door, after you’ve made sure your oven is off and cooled, is to check whether your door is removable. Some oven manufacturers have designed their models so that the oven door itself, or the glass panels inside it, are removable.

Taking your oven door off the main unit to clean it makes cleaning it less awkward and removes any chance of putting undue pressure on the hinges of your door when you’re cleaning it. Removing the door’s glass panels will also allow you to get at the dirt in between them, allowing you to fully clear it away and make the door properly transparent.

To check if your oven has removable door parts, consult the manufacturer’s guidelines and your oven’s instruction manual. If your oven does have a removable door or panel, make sure to follow the instructions for removal carefully and to place it on a soft, flat surface, like a bath towel, when cleaning it.

3. Try cleaning it with dish soap first

Georgina recommends cleaning your door with a straightforward combination of soap and scrubbing. As she puts it: “Fill an empty spray bottle with warm water and a little washing-up liquid, spray it onto the door, and then use a soft sponge to scrub in circular motions. Then, wipe everything down with clean water and a microfiber cloth to remove any suds and soapy residue.”

4. Wipe down with household acid or bicarbonate of soda paste

If you find the above method doesn’t shift your stains, you can try some slightly more intense cleaning solutions. For this step, mix equal parts water and a household acid like white vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl – once again, if you have an empty spray bottle handy, this can make applying it easier. Otherwise, apply the solution to your oven door using a microfibre cloth, wiping in a downward motion, and any dirt and grime should lift off after a few passes.

If the above method fails to shift the baked-on grease on your oven door, then you can try cleaning it with bicarbonate of soda. To clean your oven door with bicarbonate of soda, mix water, bicarb and a little washing-up liquid until it forms a spreadable paste. Apply this paste to the interior glass of your oven door in a thin layer and leave it to sit for 20 minutes. After the time has elapsed, remove the dried paste with a damp microfibre cloth or a soft-bristled brush. Once the paste has been removed, rinse the glass with a damp microfibre cloth then dry thoroughly.

5. Remove stubborn stains with a scraper

If you’ve exhausted the options above and are still left with some stubborn stains, then a scraper tool or razor blade is a solid last resort. This method is obviously a little trickier and more dangerous than scrubbing, so we’d advise that you be very careful when trying to scrape stains off so as not to damage your oven door’s glass. The best way to go at this is at an obtuse angle, trying to find a point where you can get the scraper’s edge between the surface of the glass and the gunk on top of it, pushing forward to try and lift the grime away.

READ NEXT: Best pizza ovens

How to keep your oven clean

If you want to prevent your new oven from getting grimy or have just faced a laborious clean and want to make things easier on yourself next time, then there are a few simple things you can do to keep your oven from ever getting too messy.

The first and most obvious thing you can do to keep your oven tidy is to clean it after each use. Cleaning expert Georgina says “A handy trick is to spot clean any spills as you go. It will keep your oven looking cleaner for longer, and make the deep cleaning process a whole lot easier.” Giving the oven floor, door and rack or trays a wipe down with a damp cloth after each use will prevent hard-to-shift grime from building up. Items like racks and trays often get overlooked and can benefit from a weekly cleaning in the sink with some soap, water and non-abrasive sponge.

To minimise spills and burnt-on bits, we also recommend lining your racks and trays with greaseproof paper where applicable and Georgina adds this tip: “when cooking any particularly greasy foods, like pizza, it’s a good idea to line the floor of your oven with an oven liner to catch any drips. You can then simply remove it and pop it in the bin after each use”. Other handy ways to reduce spatters and spills include using roasting bags for items like chickens and turkeys and oven-safe casserole dishes or other covered pots for cooking anything that is likely to bubble or drip.

Finally, if you’re thinking of upgrading your oven or are moving into a new home, it may also be worth your while to look at pyrolytic ovens and other self-cleaning models. A pyrolytic oven uses a high-heat process called pyrolysis to essentially burn-up burnt-on residue, allowing the oven to self-clean. Running a setting like this regularly can help prevent your oven from developing any serious stains or grime.