Skip to content Skip to footer

The Ultimate Guide To Cleaning Your Oven

If there’s one thing at home that most homeowners don’t like to clean, it’s the oven. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or the entire family, there will come a time when food particles, dripping sauce, and the like gets stuck at the bottom of your oven.

You may feel discouraged when you see the mess you left in the oven the last time you cooked a meal. You may try to avoid it for some time. But when you do it without cleaning it, you’ll end up with food that smells horrible. Who wants to eat a meal that smells of old burnt food?

What you can do instead is clean the oven. Although you have the option to hire an oven cleaner, it’s still worth knowing how to take care of this kitchen appliance.

Brits Hate Cleaning The Oven

Did you know that Brits don’t like cleaning the oven? As a matter of fact, it’s the most hated chore, much more than cleaning the bathroom.

A survey conducted by Braun CareStyle in 2016 revealed that 30% of the respondents hated oven cleaning. Meanwhile, only 18% of the respondents consider cleaning the loo the worst chore.

If you’re one of those homeowners who detest cleaning the oven, you can always hire the pros from Fast Oven Cleaning. Our team of expert cleaners are always ready to help.

But, if you’d like to give it a go, you can refer to our ultimate oven cleaning guide.

Our guide to immaculate oven cleaning

Clean the Hob

You should develop the habit of cleaning the hob every time you cook. But this may not be one of your priorities if you’re busy juggling your work and personal life.

Food splatters and spills can dry easily and quickly on the kitchen hob, which becomes harder to clean. You need to have the right equipment if you want to properly clean this part of your oven. Don’t worry, these tools won’t cost you a fortune.

The things you need to clean the hob are as follows:
Oven Hob Cleaning

Here are the steps to follow:

Apply the specialist cream cleaner using a damp cloth on the hob to remove food spills.

You can use an ordinary cleaning cloth or a microfiber cloth. You may also use a coarser cloth to get rid of food deposits. A smoother cloth helps you polish the hob to a shine.

✔️If you’re having a hard time getting rid of burnt-on food, you can use a hob scraper. It’s an effective tool in lifting even the toughest food deposit, especially on a ceramic hob, without the risk of damaging the surface.

✔️Traditional gas hobs have awkward spaces. You can remove the cooking grime from tough spots by dipping the old toothbrush in an all-purpose surface cleaner and scrubbing away the dirt.

✔️If you’re into eco-friendly cleaning, you can use a kitchen staple, which is white vinegar. Pour some white vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray the solution to the stainless steel hob and let it sit for a few minutes. Use a sponge to wipe the gunk away.

✔️If you spill an egg, milk, or other protein-based food, you can place a kitchen towel or cloth soaked in biological laundry on top of it. Remove the cloth and loosen up the deposits using a sponge. Repeat the process if needed.

Remove Burn Marks From The Hob

Aside from spills, grime, and grease, burn marks make your hob look unappealing. Your oven can easily get burn marks but getting rid of them is significantly easier than it looks.

Get rid of spills, splatters, dirt and grime before proceeding with a deep oven clean.

Apply a hob cleaning product, or a solution made up of vinegar and baking soda to the surface. Let it sit for a few minutes.

Use a clean cloth to wipe away the hob cleaning product or the eco-friendly solution. Scrub any visible dirt or flakes that may have been left on the surface.

Use a microfiber cloth to give the hob a polished finish.

Clean The Oven’s Interior

Your oven’s interior is one of the hardest areas to clean. It’s smelly, dirty, and has a lot of spots that are hard to reach. You have different options when cleaning the oven’s interior. You can use the self-cleaning feature, use commercial cleaning products, or make eco-friendly oven cleaning solutions yourself.

✔️Self-cleaning feature

Modern ovens come with a self-cleaning function. It’s a time-saving and convenient feature, which involves heating up the inside of the oven up to 880 degrees Fahrenheit until the food particles left within are incinerated. Once the self-cleaning cycle is finished, you’ll be left with a small amount of ash, which you can easily wipe away using a damp cloth.

It’s a simple and easy method to clean your oven. It’s an option you may consider if you don’t want to use commercial or homemade oven cleaning solutions.

The only downside to this option is that your oven will be unusable for up to five hours. Also, it produces an unpleasant smell and it could heat up significantly, which isn’t ideal during the hot summer season.

You may also have to put in some elbow grease if there are tough stains and grease that are difficult to remove.

✔️Commercial oven cleaner

You also have the option to clean the oven using commercial oven cleaning products. The first thing you need to do is remove any loose food. Next, spray the cleaning solution onto the oven’s interior and leave it to do its magic for at least half an hour.

An effective oven cleaning solution will let you easily lift off the grime and grease. Don’t forget to wear a face mask and gloves, and don’t forget to open the windows, too, because the chemicals used in the commercial cleaning solutions may be too potent.

✔️Homemade oven cleaner

If you would rather use environmentally-friendly oven cleaner than commercial cleaning products, then you should make your own cleaning solution and still get awesome results.

Mix water and baking soda. Water will soften and loosen baked-on stains and food particles while baking soda acts as an abrasive that helps remove grime, grease, and stubborn spills.

Add a small amount of vinegar to the water and baking soda solution on the spills or baked food. Let it sit for 20 minutes before scrubbing the surface using a non-abrasive pad.
Home Made Oven Cleaner

Clean The Racks

Your oven will have racks regardless of the type. Cleaning the racks is an essential part of oven cleaning. You have to remove them from the oven and soak them in a solution that’s made of boiling water and dishwater detergent. You may soak the racks in the bathtub for at least two hours. Then, scrub the racks carefully, rinse, and dry. Don’t forget to clean the tub afterwards.

Another alternative to boiling water is baking soda, vinegar, and water. Soak the oven racks long enough for the stubborn stains and food particles to come off. Doing so will minimize the need to scrub the racks.

If you choose to clean your oven racks using commercial cleaners, be sure to do so outside the house so you don’t put your health at risk. The cleaning agents may emit fumes that could put you and your family at risk. Also, follow the instructions to the tee.

Clean The Glass Oven Doors

You can also use eco-friendly solutions when cleaning your glass oven doors. A mixture of water and baking soda is a much gentler approach, which minimizes the risk of scratching the glass.

✔️ All you need to do is create a thick paste and spread a generous amount of the glass. Leave it for at least 20 minutes before removing the paste using a microfiber cloth.

✔️Another option is to spray the soapy water, diluted vinegar, or a standard glass cleaner on the oven door. Then wipe it up with a soft cloth for extra polish.

How often you clean the glass oven door will depend on what you cook and how often you cook. It’s ideal to clean the door’s interior surface every 3 to 6 months and once a week for the exterior.

There could be dirt, dust, and grime trapped in between the double layers of the oven door. You need to clean that area at least once a year. By regularly cleaning the oven door, you’ll cut down the time you need to spend scrubbing.

Cleaning Oven Racks

Clean Oven Buttons And Knobs

Cleaning the oven buttons and knobs is as important as cleaning the oven’s interior. These spots are often touched by dirty hands while cooking.

Remove the oven knobs and soak them in a container filled with white vinegar. Clean the knobs thoroughly and let them dry before returning them to their proper places.

If you can’t pull them off, you can spring the white vinegar on them, instead. Leave it for at least 30 seconds before wiping it down with a clean cloth.

Clean Hidden Areas

In most cases, the oven’s glass doors have two pieces of glass. Dust, grease, and food crumbs may accumulate on this spot over time. This hidden area can be cleaned easily but you’ll have to take a few extra steps.

You have to unscrew the top of the oven door so you can access the in-between layers of the two glasses. Use a vacuum hose and attach a small nozzle to remove the crumbs and dust.

Things To Avoid When Cleaning Your Oven

We’ve already discussed what you can use to clean your oven. Now, it’s time for you to learn what you shouldn’t use and what you shouldn’t do.

Don’t Use Bleach

Professional oven cleaners discourage the use of bleach when cleaning the oven. Bleach is used to lighten stains and disinfect surfaces. But it’s not made to get rid of grease and baked-on food.

It will cause discolouration to the coat in your oven’s interior. It’s not a food-safe product and it may cause your food to smell like bleach.

Don’t Wait Too Long

Homeowners make the mistake of waiting too long before cleaning their oven. As a result, drips, spills, and messes become tougher to remove.

Don’t let them get baked onto the oven’s interior walls. What you can do instead is clean the spills and splatters right away once they cool enough.

Don’t Mix Chemicals

Don’t be tempted to use different products all at once because you can’t get rid of the stubborn mess inside the oven.

Doing so can lead to the emission of toxic fumes and a mixture of corrosive solutions that may damage your oven. You must also avoid mixing an oven cleaner with products that contain bleach.
Oven Cleaning Chemicals

Don’t Forget To Keep Safe

Now, you know that you should avoid using harsh chemicals or mixing them all together. You also need to read the instructions of the commercial cleaning product that you plan to use and practice safety precautions.

There should be proper ventilation in the kitchen, wear goggles and gloves, and keep your children and pets away until you’re done cleaning the oven.

Don’t Think That All Oven Parts Can Be Cleaned

Refer to your oven manual to determine which oven parts can and can’t be cleaned to avoid malfunction. Generally speaking, you should not touch the heating elements located on the roof and floor of the oven.

You should also avoid degrading the oven seal which keeps the heat from coming out of the oven.

Don’t Clean A Warm Oven

Some say that it’s better to clean a warm oven. That’s not true. Professional oven cleaners advise against it because doing so may scratch an essential element in the oven or worse, spark a flame.

It may be less arduous to clean a warm oven but your efforts may lead to a chemical reaction and trigger the emission of toxic vapours. What you can do instead is wait for a couple of hours for the oven to cool down before you start cleaning.

How Often Should You Clean The Oven?

Professional oven cleaners recommend cleaning the oven every three months if you use the appliance regularly. But, you should clean any excess food that may have fallen inside your oven as soon as possible after it has cooled down. Doing so will help avoid burning the food particles the next time you cook.

If you think that you’ve been cooking more often or preparing messier meals, then you can use your judgement if you need to clean it right away to avoid grime and grease build-up.
Oven Cleaning

How To Keep Oven Clean Longer?

After cleaning the oven, you might promise yourself not to use it for a while because it’s all neat and tidy. But that’s not possible especially if you love to cook food.

  • Use the correct dish size and avoid overfilling. You should also place the dish on a second bigger baking tray that would catch spills.
  • Use a roasting bag to avoid splatter of fat and grease while retaining your roast’s moisture content.
  • Use a lid to cover the food if necessary to avoid fat and grease from splattering onto the surface of the oven’s interior.
  • Wipe the mess as soon as it cools down.
  • Use natural cleaning products to get rid of stains and grease.

Hire Fast Oven Cleaning’s Professional Oven Cleaners

If you don’t have the time or just don’t want to clean your oven, you can always hire professional oven cleaners from Fast Oven Cleaning.

Our team of experienced cleaners will leave your hob sparkling and your oven’s interior look and smell like it’s brand new. Our oven cleaners can also get rid of the dirt and grime that have accumulated in the exterior fan and hood.

Fast Oven Cleaning can also take care of your other cleaning needs. We offer deep cleaning of your kitchen, carpet cleaning, and more.

Hopefully, you find this ultimate oven cleaning guide helpful. You are not alone when it comes to this household chore. You have the option to do it yourself or you can always hire an expert. Be sure to do your research well so you can make an informed decision.

We’d love to hear from you. How do you clean your oven? Do you prefer the DIY route or would you rather hire a professional? Do you use commercial cleaning products or eco-friendly cleaning solutions? Do you use any special cleaning techniques? Please feel free to comment down below.

© Fast Oven Cleaning

Leave a comment

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2023 Fast Oven Cleaning London  | Website by FOME.