How To Clean an Oven With Baking Soda and Vinegar

Here’s a completely safe, natural, and effective method to get the job done.

June 3, 2020

Ovens are one of those kitchen appliances that have the distinct ability to turn into a cleaning nightmare. From gooey cheese that’s now burnt to steak drippings that’s settled at the bottom of the oven. Also there is the sticky film of grease on the glass that prevents you from being able to see inside the oven.

When it comes to cleaning such an oven, most of us are not sure where to begin or how to do it.

But, with the right knowledge and basic tools, oven cleaning needn’t be an overwhelming chore – mentally, or in reality.

How often should I clean my oven?

Just follow these telltale signs in order to determine how often you need to clean your oven.

General appearance: Is there crust or residue on the bottom? Is the door coated or splattered in slick, sticky grease or grime? It’s time to clean.
Odor: Does your oven give out a stinky whiff when you fire it up? Weird smell before you cook anything in it signifies that there is a buildup of dirt or food inside and requires cleaning.
Smoke: An oven should not smolder, if it does, that generally means there is buildup inside that’s burning.

Why is Cleaning my Oven Important?

It might not be a task that you can look forward to but – regularly cleaning your oven improves the quality of the food you cook in it.

The aromas of any stuck-on grease or dirt could influence the dish you’re cooking.

Can I Use the Self-cleaning Function?

The self-clean cycle is a time-saving convenience feature. During the cleaning cycle, the oven is heated to about 880 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, food inside the oven incinerates, leaving behind a small amount of ash. The leftover ash wipes out easily with a damp cloth.

But if you have a large amount of buildup on the bottom, it can backfire and smoke up—and in some cases, start a fire.

The other drawback is that your oven locks up for three to five hours and lets off some serious heat, which isn’t ideal in the warmer months. It can also produce an unpleasant odor, and you should keep pets and yourself out of the kitchen during the process.

What Materials Do I Need To Clean My Oven?

Reuseable Cleaning Gloves

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How To Clean The Oven

Step 1: Make a paste

Stir together 3/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup warm water, noting that a large oven may require more paste. You can also add any essential oils of your choice here.

Step 2: Empty the oven

Remove your oven racks, pizza stone, oven thermometer, and anything else you have inside the oven. Set aside. Lay out newspapers or paper towels on the floor beneath your oven.

Step 3: Apply the paste

Put on the gloves and use a paintbrush or your hand, spread the paste throughout the oven’s interior, avoiding bare metal surfaces and the oven door. To get into tight corners and tough spots, you can use an old toothbrush.

Spread the paste around the inside of your oven, covering the back, sides, bottom, top, corners and crevices. If you have an electric oven, don’t put paste on the heating elements.

The baking soda will turn a brownish color as you rub it in; it also might be chunkier in some places than others, which is fine.

Allow paste to sit for 10 – 12 hours, or overnight.

Step 4: Clean the Racks

The best way to clean the metal racks is to remove them from the oven entirely and soak them in boiling water with a little dishwasher detergent,

The bathtub is a suitable place to soak oven racks, though you may want to clean the tub afterwards. After soaking for two hours in dishwashing liquid , scrub the racks with a stiff brush, rinse, and dry before returning them to the oven.

Instead of boiling water, you can also use the baking soda and water mixture with vinegar spray. The key is letting it set long enough for the ingredients to work their magic so that scrubbing is minimal.

Step 5: Wipe out the oven

After 12 hours or overnight, take a damp dish cloth and wipe out as much of the dried baking soda paste as you can. Use a plastic or silicone spatula to help scrape off the paste as needed. The damp cloth should be enough, but a spatula might come in handy in those hard-to-reach places.

Step 6: Spray a little vinegar

If there are chunks of paste that won’t come off easily, put some vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it on the chunks. The vinegar will react with the baking soda and foam.

Step 7: Wipe again with damp cloth

Take your damp cloth again and wipe off all the foam. Repeat until all the baking soda residue is gone. Add more water or vinegar as needed while wiping.

Step 8: Replace racks

Dry and replace racks and anything else you keep in your oven, and you’re done.

Also Read

How To Clean Tile Floors; Ceramic, Stone, Linoleum & More

How To Clean Oven Knobs

Spraying the oven knobs directly with a household cleaner could be dangerous as the liquid could get behind the knobs and switches and short out the control panel.

Instead, spray a rag with liquid cleaner and then rub the controls to effectively clean the knobs.

How To Clean Glass Oven Doors

To clean your oven door glass without scratching it, mix baking soda and water for a thick paste. Spread the paste generously on the glass and let it sit for 20 or more minutes.

After, gently wipe up the paste with a microfiber cloth, rinse thoroughly with water, and wipe it dry.