Oven Cleaning Hacks: How To Quickly Deep Clean Your Oven

Oven cleaning is a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it! Learn how to remove burnt-on food and grease with these simple products for a deep clean that lasts!

Let’s be honest for a moment, when was the last time you cleaned your oven? Chances are, like many of us, it’s been awhile. We know all of the excuses too, but what if we told you that there’s a quick and easy way to clean your oven? And better yet, you don't have to use harsh, toxic chemicals or the self clean function, because this DIY oven cleaner solution is natural and safe!

First, however, let’s talk about why it’s important to clean your oven often.

Why You Should Clean Your Oven

There are many reasons you should keep up with your oven cleaning. Here are some:

• Stuck-on food remnants, and oils, sauces, and grease can accumulate which can create unpleasant odors and also burn when the oven is being used, creating smoke.
• A dirty oven can affect how efficiently your oven heats up, meaning it could be using more electricity.
• Despite high temperatures being able to kill bacteria, it is possible for bacteria to still harbour if you have stuck on food in your oven.
• A dirty oven can affect the taste and quality of the food you cook.
  
  

How Often Should You Clean Your Oven

How often you should clean your oven really depends on how often you are using it. If you are using it a moderate amount, then once a month is good to aim for. However, the more you use your oven the more often you should be cleaning it. 

When You Should Clean Your Oven

There will be some telltale signs that your oven needs to be cleaned. Here are some:

• There is evident stuck-on food, spills, or burnt remains left on the bottom of your oven, stuck to the rack or splattered on the walls.
• Your oven is taking longer to heat up or is less efficient in reaching hotter temperatures.
• There is the smell of food burning when your oven is heating up or when something is cooking in your oven (that is not being overcooked). This could indicate that there are food remnants inside your oven that are burning. 
• Your oven creates smoke when heating up or has a strong odour. 

You can also test to see if your oven needs to be cleaned by taking a slightly damp cloth and wiping the wall or the rack of your oven. If there is grease, debris, oil, or remnants on the cloth, then there’s a high chance that your oven could use some loving! You’ll want to keep up with cleaning your oven, because any buildup of grease, food, or oils can affect the taste, quality and safety of the food you are cooking. 

That’s why we’re going to show you how quick and simple it can be to clean your oven without any harsh chemicals or having to use the dreaded self cleaning option.

What You’ll Need to Clean Your Oven

Cleaning your oven without harsh chemicals is easy and simple. You more than likely already have all of the things you need to clean your oven in your home already. Here’s what you’ll need to clean your oven quickly and safely:

• White vinegar
• Non-toxic dish soap
• Baking soda
• Water
• Reusable spray bottle
• Scour pad
• Cloth

Before you start cleaning your oven, you’re going to need to make a homemade oven cleaner. Here’s how to make it:

1. Fill a reusable spray bottle ¾ of the way with white vinegar.
2. Add a generous squeeze of your choice of non-toxic dish soap.
3. Fill the rest of the bottle with water.
4. Place and tighten the lid onto the bottle and shake so that the solution can mix. 

To prep your oven for cleaning, inspect your oven first. If you see any evident gunk or food, try your best to scrape it off or remove it. Make sure you do this gently, so you do not cause any scratches. If there is stuck-on food that is too hard to remove, do not worry. The homemade oven cleaner will help to remove it. 

Now that you have your oven cleaner ready and your oven prepped, you are ready to tackle the task of deep cleaning your oven! 

How to Deep Clean the Inside of an Oven 

The inside of your oven can contain a variety of things, from stuck-on, burnt food to grease, oil, stains, spills. It can also harbour bacteria and awful odors as well. Here’s how to give the inside of your oven a deep clean:

1. Grab the spray bottle that contains the homemade oven cleaner and spray the 3 walls of the oven, as well as the top and the bottom. 
2. Take baking soda and sprinkle it on the walls, as well as the top and the bottom. 
3. Let the solution and the baking soda sit on the surfaces for about 5-10 minutes. You should hear a bubbling sound. That is the vinegar mixing with the baking soda and indicates that it is working.
4. Once it is done sitting, take your scour scrub and scrub the surfaces of your oven.
5. You should notice that stuck-on food and gunk lifting off easily. If they are not, spray more solution and leave it to sit for a bit longer. 
6. Once every surface is scrubbed, take your cloth and wipe each area clean. 

The inside of your oven should be clean and free from any stains, gunk, or debris. Let your oven fully dry before using it again.

How to Clean Oven Racks

Don’t forget to clean the oven racks when you are deep cleaning your oven! Here’s the easiest way to clean the oven racks, without having to wash them in your bathtub:

1. Pour some of the homemade oven cleaner and baking soda into a bowl and mix it together.
2. Place one of the oven racks over your kitchen sink. Using your spray bottle, spray down both sides of the rack.
3. Take a scour scrub and dunk it into the oven cleaner/baking soda mixture. Scrub the rack with the scour scrub, lifting any debris. Do the same on the other side of the rack.
4. Rinse the rack with warm water.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the second rack. 

Leave both racks out to dry before placing them back in your oven.

How to Clean the Oven Door

Ah the oven door, the window to our stomachs! Cleaning your oven door can seem like a daunting task, especially if it's looking a bit stained and foggy, but we promise you it’s not hard to get your oven door looking brand new! Here’s how to effectively and safely clean and remove stains from your oven door:

For the inside of the oven door:

1. Open the door the whole way, so it is at a 90 degree angle.
2. Spray the inside of the door with the homemade oven cleaner.
3. Cover the inside of the door in a layer of baking soda. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes (You may want to wait longer depending on how stained and dirty it is).
4. Once it is done sitting, use your scour scrub to gently scrub the inside of the door.
5. Continue to spray more of the homemade oven cleaner and scrub. You may need to do this a few times.
6. Once done scrubbing, wipe clean with a cloth.

For the outside of the oven door:

To clean the outside of the oven and leave the glass window looking sparkling clean, you can clean it with a non-toxic glass cleaner or multi-purpose cleaner. Spray the outside of the oven door with the cleaner and wipe with a cloth.