How to Clean the Oven

I do realize that this may very well be the most boring post you’ll ever read. Or maybe even something you already know. Or maybe your self cleaning oven feature works much better than mine. BUT, at my age I really just figured out how to clean an oven in a way that returns it to like new condition. Ha!

I preface this by saying that I am very careful in my oven not to spill or let things bubble over so it wasn’t until something did spill all in the bottom that I set to work on cleaning it.

I don’t have a great before picture but it was dirty. Enough said.

Step 1: Remove the Racks

The directions on my oven say to remove the racks as self clean does not properly clean them and can, in fact, damage them.

Step 2: Clean the Glass

I remembered that the last time I used the self clean feature, the glass remained pretty much untouched. It was disappointing. So, this time I made a paste of baking soda and water and it removed all of the build up of grease and who knows what. I did take some time, soaking and elbow grease but I was determined. Afterwards, I cleaned it well with glass cleaner.

Step 3: Set the Self Clean

Follow the manufacturer directions for your oven. I did this during the day with the kitchen and den doors wide open while I was home.

Step 4: Clean the Racks

I am almost too disgusted to show you these, but I will. I didn’t realize just how badly the oven needed cleaning until I started REALLY looking at it. To clean the racks, I soaked them in a giant plastic tub with HOT water and powdered laundry detergent. I let them sit almost all day on one side and then took a scrub brush to them. Since my tub wasn’t big enough, I flipped them over and let the other side soak overnight. Then I scrubbed that side clean the next morning. Afterwards, I brought them to the sink to wash and dry.

Now, it would have been MUCH easier to lay an old towel down in the tub, fill it up and soak them all in one go. But, I learned for the first time in 10 years that my guest room tub has no stopper. And I wasn’t about to put these things in my new tub. :-)

Step 5: Sit Back and Admire Your Sparkling Clean Oven

When the self clean finished, I put on an oven mitt and used a damp sponge to wipe out the dust left behind. I put the clean oven racks in and was done.

I am really pretty proud. Can you tell? Haha! We’ve been knocking out all sorts of tedious jobs around here. Pressure washing, oven cleaning. What’s next?!

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13 thoughts on “How to Clean the Oven

  1. So my cleaning lady cleans our oven every other week. She sprays with easy off. Let’s sit while she does the whole house. Then when she gets to the oven she wipes it down. I can’t deal with the self cleaning smell at all. It gives me a headache. I’ve learned from her now, if you stay on top of it monthly….your oven really never is dirty. It was never in my thought process to clean it when I cleaned the kitchen. :) Yours looks brand new!

  2. I’ve always had a self-cleaning oven, but have never used the feature. I’ve always just used EasyOff. I can’t believe how nice your oven looks! I’ll have to finally try my self-cleaning feature! xo

  3. I dropped a plastic bread bag from the naan I was heating up onto the inside of the hot oven door about two weeks after our brand new appliance was installed this past November. I wanted to cry. I tried several different methods to remove the baked on plastic, but never thought to use baking soda. I read your post and headed straight to my oven. It took lots of elbow grease, but it finally came off! Thank you!!!

  4. Wow learned something new. My self cleaning ovens in the past came with a warning to never use oven cleaner. I need to pull out my new oven booklet and see what it says. I hate that smell and would love an option.

    Amanda…years ago I read and tried this. Soak your oven racks in a garbage bag that you add some sudsy ammonia to. Close the bag tightly, The next day you should be able to spray with water. Be careful of the fumes. I leave my racks in the self clean cycle.
    Works great.

  5. Your oven looks fantastic! I have done absolutely everything to get my oven door glass clean and so far nothing has worked. I’m trying your method tomorrow!

  6. I put my oven racks in a large plastic garbage bag and spray them liberally with Easy Off on both sides. Close up the garbage bags tightly and leave overnight. Next day (or about 8 hours later), open bags and rinse off. Might need minor scrub, but works great. I used to do the ammonia soak, but this works better and is actually a little less stinky.

  7. Thanks for sharing Amanda! I routinely do the self clean feature on my oven but look yours, it never seems 100% clean. Thanks for the other tips. I may have missed it but what product did you use to help soak your oven racks? Was it just water or did you add something?

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