How to clean an oven?
7 Feb

How to clean an oven?

Whether you’re moving house, prepping for a feast, or simply spring-cleaning, oven cleaning is likely a big, unpleasant chore on the list. All ovens are likely to build up grease and burnt food eventually. This can clog up your visibility of the glass door, be unhygienic, affect the taste of your food, and even be a fire hazard if it starts smoking. While hot water and a scrubbing brush can usually take you quite far, ovens are a great way to waste a lot of time and pristine cloths if you aren’t well-equipped. Ideally, they will be cleaned once every 3-6 months for the average residential home, according to GE Appliances. Although, this should be much more for commercial ovens.


When do you need to clean your oven?

  • If you can see build-up or dirt, and you can’t see through the glass door.
  • If you can smell the grease before you’ve even cooked anything.
  • If you see or smell smoke.

Oven cleaner, such as the fan favourite Oven Pride or Easy-Off, is a great tool for this job. However, an oven cleaner should not be used on AGAs, self-cleaning ovens, or stainless steel ovens, so ensure you research your oven before tackling it with chemicals! Additionally, be careful not to mix harmful chemicals to create your own solution. While alternative natural remedies such as ‘baking soda’ are non-toxic, it’s not as effective at removing germs.


Safety considerations when dealing with oven cleaners:

  1. Turn oven off
  2. Room ventilation
  3. Face mask
  4. Rubber gloves
  5. Safety glasses
  6. Newspaper or cloth to protect your floor

The inside walls

For recent spills or messes, after the oven has been used, you can heat an oven-safe bowl of water in the oven for about 20 minutes to loosen any grease build up. Then simply wipe it away once the oven is cool.

If you opt to use a self-clean setting, this is only ideal for ovens that don’t have much debris. Typically, the process takes about 2 hours and requires a user to be at home the whole time as there is a potential fire risk. Once completed, you will need to dispose of ash at the bottom of the oven with a damp cloth once the oven has cooled. This method will generate a lot of heat, a strong smell, and leave your oven out of use for up-to 5 hours. Though even self-cleaning ovens may require some elbow grease for tough grime.

Or simply apply the oven cleaner, which you can usually let sit for about 20-30 minutes depending on the product specifications. For an electric oven, don’t spray the heating elements, and avoid the entrance for gas on a gas powered oven. With a damp cloth, you can then wipe down the surfaces and scrub away any stubborn residue.

The shelves

For any oven cleaning venture, the first step is to remove the shelves and any additional accessories such as a thermometer. You can wash your shelves in the dishwasher or the sink, but for more stubborn grime, we recommend soaking them in a bin bag of a solution.

While the parameters of this will likely be based on the oven cleaner you use, generally, you can soak in warm water and scrub after the suggested time. An abrasive sponge such as a scourer may be bad for your nails, but will be useful for this task. For a particularly easy clean, you can also soak the shelves overnight in hot water and washing up liquid. Make sure they’re rinsed and dry before going back into the oven.

The door

First, scrape off the clumped up grease and food with a stainless steel hob scraper or a metal spatula. You can then apply soapy water, a spray, or gel oven cleaner to soak before wiping off with a damp microfibre cloth. For a nice finish, a final clean with glass cleaner is recommended for a nice shine!

If your oven has two layers of glass, this can be unscrewed to access the space in between that can collect crumbs and grease. Once accessed, this can be quickly cleaned with a vacuum and hot soapy water.

Finally, don’t forget to give the outside a wipe! Greasy fingerprints, food residue and oven cleaner spillages can make a clean oven appear dirty, so don’t waste all of your hard work! To avoid damage, spray a cloth then clean around the knobs or controls.

Cleaning your oven, even at the best of times is a messy, long, arduous task. Some people tolerate it while others hate it, but we don’t judge! At UKWindowClean, we work with residential and commercial ovens on a one-off and regular basis. We specialise in many ovens, so you can ensure great results every time. To book for our fixed price oven cleaning or find out more, get in touch today!