Preparing Your Oven
Remove everything from inside the oven. Take out the oven racks so that you can easily reach the bottom. Also be sure to remove any other items you may keep in your oven, such as an oven thermometer or pizza stone. If your oven racks are also coated in burnt food remnants, you can use these same cleaning solutions to scour them. Simply remove them, clean the oven racks, and replace them once you’re done cleaning the oven. You can easily clean oven racks by soaking them in warm water with dish detergent mixed into it. After the oven racks soak for a few hours, use a scouring pad to remove any stuck on grime. Then dry them with a clean dish towel.
Wipe away any large chunks of food or fresh splashes. It’s best to remove easy-to-clean spills before working on the burnt areas. Use an old rag or some paper towels to clean up any food that’s easily removed from the bottom of your oven.
Lay newspapers or old towels on the floor in front of your oven. Some of the liquid cleaning agent could drip out of your oven while you’re cleaning. Having something on the ground to catch these drippings helps protect your kitchen floor and makes clean-up easier.
Run a self-cleaning cycle if your oven has one. This process causes your oven to heat up to a high temperature and bake any food remnants or spills to a crisp. This may help you more easily remove the grime. Depending on your oven, a self-cleaning cycle can take between 1.5 and 3 hours. If the bottom of your oven is completely covered in burned-on food, you may need to skip this step. Excessive amounts of burned food layers can end up smoking a lot, setting off your smoke alarm and releasing chemicals. Keep an eye on your oven while running the self-cleaning cycle. If you start to see smoke, it’s probably best to shut off the cycle and just clean everything by hand. Once the cycle is done and the oven has cooled, remove the light-colored, charred ash from the bottom of your oven by wiping it down with a damp cloth.
Applying a Cleaning Agent
Make a paste of baking soda and water for an easy solution. Combine ½ cup (260 g) of baking soda and 2–3 tablespoons (30–44 mL) of water in a small bowl. Wearing gloves, spread the paste onto the burnt areas. Let it sit overnight to loosen the grime. As you spread the paste around, try to rub it into the particularly bad burnt spots. The mixture should start to turn brown. Add vinegar to the cleaning paste to make it more effective. As an alternative, spray the vinegar onto the paste just before you scrub it off. The vinegar will react with the baking soda to create more cleaning power.
Bake lemons in your oven for a natural cleaning option. Cut 2 lemons in half and squeeze the juice into a small oven-safe bowl or baking dish. Add the peels and enough water to fill the bowl or dish ⅓ of the way. Put one of the racks in the center of the oven and place the bowl on the rack. Bake it for 30 minutes at 250 °F (121 °C). The vapors from the lemon juice will penetrate through the burned layers, making them easier to remove. It’s normal for the oven to smoke during this process. Provide ventilation by turning on your oven fan and opening a nearby window. Let the oven cool down and remove the rack before trying to wipe away the spills.
Use a store-bought cleaner if you don’t mind using harsh chemicals. These cleaners will probably work better than any other method, so if your oven is really dirty, you may want to try this option. However, these cleaners can be toxic, so you need to make sure they’re fully removed before you cook food in your oven again. Spray the cleaning agent on the burnt areas, and let it soak in for 20-30 minutes. Wear safety glasses and thick rubber gloves if you use heavy-duty cleaners to prevent the chemicals from splashing in your eyes or absorbing into your skin. Check the package directions to find out how to apply the cleaner and how long to let it soak.
Avoid getting any type of cleaner on the heating elements. Whether you’re using a natural or chemical cleaning product, do your best to keep the cleaner away from the heating elements. When you turn the oven back on, the heating elements can create fumes when burning off the cleaner, which could alter the taste of your food. For electric ovens, lift up the thick metal wire that forms the bake element and apply the cleaner underneath. If your oven is gas, try not to spray or get cleaner on the gas valve or igniter. If you accidentally get some of the cleaner on the heating element, wipe it away with a cloth dipped in clean water.
Removing the Cleaning Agent
Wipe off the cleaning agent and grime with a damp rag. Rinse and wring out your rag several times throughout this process. Make sure you’re getting the cleaner out of every nook and cranny. If you used a commercial cleaning product, read the label and follow the instructions for removal. If you used baking soda paste, put a bit of white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it on the paste before trying to wipe it away. The baking soda-vinegar mixture will foam up, making it easier to see. If you tried cleaning your oven with lemons, you can use some of the leftover lemon water to scrub away at the burnt areas. A plastic spatula might help to scrape off the burnt food.
Use a scouring pad to scrub off any bits that are stuck. Get your pad a bit damp and scrub at any grime that didn’t easily wipe away. A microfiber sponge or a piece of steel wool may also work.
Give your oven a final wash with a wet rag, then let it dry. Grab a clean cloth and wipe out the bottom of your oven one more time to make sure that all of the dirt, food particles, and cleaner is rinsed away. Let your oven air dry or dry it with a clean towel. If you used a heavy-duty cleaner, it may be a good idea to wash the bottom of your oven again with a bit of dish soap just to make sure that no toxic chemicals remain. If you notice any remaining bits of grime, spray vinegar onto them and continue wiping with your wet rag. The vinegar will help you remove the stubborn spots.
Clean up the surrounding area and replace your racks. Make sure to wipe down the sides and door of your oven if you happened to get any cleaner on them. Remove your newspaper or towels from the floor, and wipe up any bits of grime that may have leaked out of the oven. If you also need to clean the oven racks, thermometer, or any other items that you removed before cleaning the oven, do so before replacing them.
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