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How to Clean an Oven

How to clean an oven - Ask Anna

After a long holiday season I’m sure your oven could use a little cleaning, or a major detailing, I know mine does!  So today I’m going to show you how to clean an oven.  In fact, we will be cleaning every part of the oven.

How to clean an oven - Ask Anna
To thoroughly clean our ovens we will work our way from the inside out.  If you have a self cleaning cycle on your oven I recommend using that because it’s the easiest way to tackle the tough drips on the bottom of the oven.  However I know that many of you don’t have a self cleaning cycle so here is what you need:
How to clean an oven - Ask Anna
Pour about 3/4 cup of baking soda into a dish and slowly add water to it until it becomes a thin paste.  You don’t want it to be too thick because you want the mixture to be easy to spread, but you also don’t want it to be too runny, about the thickness of pancake batter is perfect.
Spread the mixture all over the bottom of you oven, and if you have splatters on the sides, then coat them as well.
Wait 15-20 minutes and then wipe the oven clean.  Most of the drips will come right up but for the tough drips, that want to put up a good fight, I recommend using Arm & Hammer toothpaste and a toothbrush to scrub off the drips.  Arm & Hammer toothpaste, and a little scrubbing action, will work wonders for cleaning the tough spots in your oven!
Use the same baking soda mixture to also clean the glass on the oven door.
How to clean an oven - Ask Anna
Now that the inside of the oven is clean let’s move on up to the burners.
There are a lot of stove top cleaners on the market but all of them have the same awful, chemical, smell to them.  I have found that the best way to clean my cook top is using Arm & Hammer toothpaste and a toothbrush.  Spread the toothpaste onto the toothbrush and then use the toothbrush to cover the burn spots on your cook top with the toothpaste.  There’s no need to scrub, you could even apply the toothpaste with your fingers if you don’t have an extra toothbrush.
Wait 10-15 minutes.  When the timer has expired wipe the surface clean using a damp cloth.
How to clean a cook top - Ask Anna

The stove top will be sparkly clean {and it will smell good too}!

We are almost done!  There’s just one more thing to clean and it’s something that is usually overlooked when you think about cleaning the oven.  Know what it is?
The knobs!  Don’t just wipe them clean, actually pull them off and see what’s lurking under there.
How to clean a cook top - Ask Anna
Pretty gross.  But don’t worry, it’s an easy fix.  For this simple task you will need a spray bottle filled with white vinegar (or a white vinegar/water mix if you prefer), a sponge and a clean bowl.Here’s what to do:1. Place all the knobs in the bowl and fill it with white vinegar.  Leave them to sit while you clean the oven.2. Next spray the oven with white vinegar and let it set for about 30 seconds.  Some of it will drip to the stove top but that’s okay.

3. Take the sponge and wipe down the stove making sure to get all the grime that is stuck to the surface.  If your stove has decades of grime crusted to it and the grease isn’t completely coming off with the white vinegar then sprinkle a little baking soda onto your sponge.  The baking soda will cut through the grease and it will wipe right off.

4. Next drain the vinegar that the knobs are soaking in and scrub them clean too.  I like to let my knobs dry for at least a few hours because I’m paranoid that a little water might mess up the stove.  Once they are dry place them back on the oven.

We’re finished!  Our ovens are sparkly clean and ready for a break after the big holiday baking season!  The best part about cleaning the oven this way–no harsh chemicals.  It’s amazing what you can clean with a little baking soda, Arm & Hammer toothpaste and some vinegar!  One last note: If you used the Self Cleaning Cycle to clean the inside of your oven, check out this great tip for how to get your oven racks to slide easily again.
If you are looking for more of my post about cleaning your oven, check these out:

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About Anna

"Hi, I'm Anna! Wife, mother, child of God, and the founder of Ask Anna. I have always enjoyed cleaning, organizing, decorating and helping people, so I've put that all together on the pages of this blog. I truly hope my tips help you in your home and make sure to contact me if you have a question!"

Comments

  1. Jo says

    Thank you for your article Anna, the baking soda really works well, without those harsh chemicals.

    One tip I found, being not too tall, reaching all the way to the back of the oven is quite hard. I found that the door can be taken off for cleaning making it a lot easier. This video on you tube showed me how to do it http://youtu.be/iyw-57ExLDQ

    With the door off it was much easier to reach inside and clean the bottom at the back.

  3. Ange says

    Is there a way to clean in between the 2 pieces of glass in the oven door? I have “stuff” that drips down in between there and have never been able to clean it! Any suggestions?

  5. MJVC says

    Hi, I just wanted to post a comment on here saying thank you for this tip. I was totally shocked that my oven came clean with no scrubbing. I stuck the stuff on there and let it soak for awhile. Came back and wiped it off and it came clean, even the window on the door. So thank you thank you thank you!

    • Ginger Wilkins says

      I can’t believe I’m saying this…but I am looking forward to cleaning the Oven tommorrow! 🙂 Thank you for the great tip!

  8. Mel says

    American baking soda must have different properties than Australain baking soda. Following these instructions didn’t do anything for my oven, especially the glass on the door. Rather disappointing as I really wanted to get away from the nasty smelling chemical cleaner.

  9. Kaitlyn says

    Do you have any recommendations on how to clean in between the glass of the door? I have some drip stains that were there when we bought the house and have no idea how to clean them!

  10. lisalynn says

    Hello,

    I pull off the stove knobs once a week & put them in the tray in my dishwasher..
    works like a charm & NO elbow grease needed ..
    my kind of clean..
    Love your cleaning tips ..
    lisa

  11. Brianna says

    Maybe my oven is beyond needing a cleaning cuz the baking soda did NOTHING for it 🙁 Super sad when I had to wipe all that off and the junk was still there … I even let it sit for a couple of hours, could that be the reason it didn’t work?

  12. Steph says

    This does not work AT ALL. I followed the instructions exactly and it did nothing to the gunk in the oven (which wasn’t that much to begin with). Not only did I waste 3/4 cup of baking soda, but I had to spend 10 minutes to scoop the baking soda chunks out of the oven. It took me less time to actually clean the oven with a Brillo pad.

  13. Cara says

    How do you clean between the vents right behind the door handle on the oven? Mine are all greasy!

  14. Vicki I. says

    This may be a silly question, but does any toothpaste work or does it need to be Arm & Hammer because of the baking soda?

  15. Kierra says

    I love this post! I was just wondering if you had a tip on the easiest way to clean the oven racks? Thanks!

    • Anna says

      I clean my oven racks in the self cleaning cycle on my oven. I know you can also clean them with ammonia though. Place your oven racks in a trash bag, pour some ammonia in and then seal the bag. Leave them in for 30 min and then take them out and wash them off in the sink.

    • n s says

      Just remove the racks, bring them outside, spray them with oven cleaner and let them sit for a while. Then just hose them off. If they are not really really dirty, the grime will hose right off. You might need to use a steel wool pad (SOS/Brillo) to remove some of the build up that has accumulated on them.

  16. sue branham says

    Glad I saw this share from another friend. Will definitely use the info on cleaning my stove. Thanks for the tips.

    • Mary B says

      Use the glass top cleaner and a soft buffer rag such as chamis that should remove the superficial scratches. Maybe an appliance company would know more about it, but it like buffing a car with superficial paint scratches it should help.

  18. n s says

    I have a self cleaning oven and it makes more of a mess than not using it at all. The house gets really really hot — you have to turn the oven on 500 degrees or so, which really heats up the house. And the smell is horrific. The smoke is even worse. I’m sorry I even paid the money to have a self cleaning oven. You don’t want to watch your electric meter outside your house when you are using the self cleaning cycle. It sucks up electricity like crazy. But the smoke and smell and heat are almost unbearable. If you MUST use commercial oven cleaners, made especially for self cleaning ovens (there are some out there) — be sure to completely wrap your baking and broiling coils before spraying your oven — the chemicals in the cleaner will damage/destroy these coils and then you have the expense of replacing them. I’m going to try this baking soda method.

  19. Pam says

    Anna, thanks so much for sharing these great tips! I will look for an opening underneath the door to clean drips on the glass on my microwave. Your tip to use baking soda toothpaste to clean glass stovetop is fantastic also!! Again, your excellent tips are greatly appreciated!!

  20. Angi says

    Just came here through pinterest and i am so grateful for the cleaning tips! My oven is a little difficult when it comes to cleaning and i will try this first time tomorrow!

    Thank you so much! 🙂

  21. Jessica J. says

    Great tips! I am in Spring Clean mode today and stumbled across your site on Pinterest. I wanted to add that in addition to doing all of the mentioned, if you can, pull out your stove and clean underneath. Also clean the sides of your cabinets and the sides of the stove. I didn’t realize the nastiness that was breeding under there!

  22. Stacy says

    oh my!!! I’m 4 hours in on a rental property…. i may have to find some bigger guns!!!! Holy LORD!!! people have 0 respect!!! Thansk so much for your tutorials though – I am applying them to my own home as well…..day 2!! 🙂

  23. Summaya Wu says

    Can you tell me what kind of cooktop is that? I have a glass cooktop. Is that ok to use toothpaste and brush too?

  24. Sharon says

    Thanks Anna for the cleaning tips using vinegar and baking soda! A great natural cleaning solution!

  27. Marilyn Brewer says

    Put oven racks inside large garbage bags. Spray with low odor oven cleaner. Close bags up. Leave for a couple of hours. Rinse off in bath tub. Nice and Clean!!

  28. Lorena Harrison says

    Really nice article, Ana, thank you! I’m also trying to stay away from all these harmful chemicals. I use “green” products. I use baking soda to remove the limescale, and the bad smell of shoes. My husband use toothpaste to restore the former glory of automobile’s headlights. Thank you, Ana, I wish you good luck!

  29. Nikki says

    What about the area behind the handle of the oven. I never thought about using a toothbrush on the stove but would you suggest using it there.

  30. Vicki says

    Hi Anna, I just love you cleaning hints, just fantastic. Even though some of product names are not here in Aussie I have compromised and yeh they work.
    Enjoy the day and I will keep following you.
    cheers vicki

  31. PAULA KOPP says

    I hope this works as well when I am done trying these methods. I have a daughter getting married in July and they will be using our house for gift opening. I don’t want to try and keep people out of my kitchen just because of the nasty glass in my oven door. My stove is only about three years old and is black. I don’t want anything to scratch the top under the heavy burners. Baking soda should work fine for that! Thanks for all of your help!

  32. Elaine Casazza says

    Dear Anna,
    I had cooked Honey Chicken in a glass pan. Well what a mess if you could imagine. I used the baking soda and apple cider vinegar just because it was there. (Not because it worked better) Well, it worked amazing!!! Thanks Elaine