Cleaning the oven literally stinks! It’s time consuming and commercial oven cleaners are toxic. I also don’t want to scrub away stubborn stains and build-ups for a long time with a crappy detergent. When I switched from regular to natural detergents, figuring out how to clean my oven was at the top of my list.
I don’t have a self-cleaning oven (which can be a good thing), so I had to find an easy, non-toxic way to clean it. Here’s how to clean your oven from top to bottom using a DIY cleaner. Cleaning tips for those who want faster and easier cleaning!
How to Clean Your Oven Naturally
If you’re like me, your oven sometimes (or in my case, often) burns the food inside it. Then there are splatters on the sides, stubborn stains, and grease on the oven door glass.
My oven does not have a self-cleaning feature like some ovens do. Having to stick half your body into dirty kitchen appliances and spend an hour scrubbing the oven with old-fashioned elbow grease didn’t sound appealing either.
A self-cleaning option is one way to solve this problem, but I’ve read that the high heat self-cleaning feature can cause parts to wear out more quickly. Ovens reach approximately 900 degrees Fahrenheit during their self-cleaning cycle, and the higher temperatures can cause other problems. When the oven self-cleans, it releases deadly carbon monoxide gas, but the amount is unclear. This is enough for experts to recommend ventilating the room or leaving the house while you’re at it!
Another option is to steam clean with warm water. The idea is that hot water will soften the dirt so it can be wiped away. This works for small messes, but requires a lot of time scraping and cleaning.
So now my oven cleans itself…
Natural Oven Cleaners: How to Attack
It’s easy to ignore a dirty oven. Just close the oven door and pretend it’s not there. (Unlike a sink full of dirty dishes…ahem). After all, anything baked into your food leads to a smoker oven! I looked at the store’s heavy-duty oven cleaning products and was not impressed. They promised easy disruption, but at the expense of waste-burning toxins. There is nothing I want in my oven or around my food!
Fortunately, there are several ways to clean your oven without using harsh chemicals or a lot of scrubbing. I tried a few natural options before finding baking soda, which is a great oven cleaner!
How to Clean Your Oven
Cleaning your oven is very easy if you use the right cleaner. There are several steps to performing a thorough cleaning session from top to bottom. Here’s how!
cleaning oven racks
While cleaning your oven, don’t forget your oven racks. If it’s not that bad, spray it with cleaning solution and wipe it down with a damp cloth (more on my favorite cleaners below!). For an extra mess, soak them overnight in warm water and dish soap in the bathtub. After soaking, use a homemade scrub brush and dishwashing detergent to clean.
exterior door cleaning
Grease and food accumulate on the inside of the oven door as they bake, but the outside also becomes dirty. It is important not to use harsh cleaners, scrubs, steel wool or other abrasive materials on the exterior. This may damage the surface, causing nicks or scratches.
Soapy water and a damp cloth work well. If your oven is stainless steel, we recommend using a non-toxic stainless steel cleaner or diluted vinegar. Homemade glass cleaner also works well on the exterior of most ovens.
Cooktop Cleaning
Next to the oven, it might be my least favorite surface to clean. First, make sure the cooktop surface is cool. It can also be helpful to clean up any messes or spills with vinegar immediately after they occur. There are a million things to juggle with young children, and sometimes it can be hard!
- If you are using a flat glass electric cooktop, special handling is required. Gentle methods, such as soaking a little dish soap in warm water, can also work. For stuck messes, use a plastic scraper (an old credit card will work too). Try soaking a cloth in diluted vinegar and placing it on the stuck food for a few hours. This will soften the mess and make it easier to wipe away. Some sources recommend cleaning glass cooktops by making a paste of water and baking soda on a soft cloth.
- For gas ranges, first soak the burners and grates in soapy water in the sink. If you have an uncoated cast iron grid don’t do it Soak it because it rusts. If you have an older style electric stove, remove and soak the drip pan underneath the burner coils.
- Next, clean the cooktop top thoroughly with soapy water or an all-purpose cleaner. If you use soap, clean with vinegar to remove any soap residue. If the pieces are stuck, try the damp cloth method mentioned above.
- Clean the coated grates in the sink with baking soda or soapy water.
How to Clean the Inside of an Oven
First, remove any cooking utensils or racks from the oven. I found two cleaners that work really well for the inside of the oven.
How to Clean Your Oven with Baking Soda
It may seem like a simple solution, but baking soda paste is a quick and easy way to remove grime from your oven. Baking soda can make the difficult task of cleaning your oven a little easier. Here’s what you need (really!):
supplies
- spray bottle with water
- baking soda
All I have to do to get a shiny oven is spray the oven with a bottle of water to keep it moist. Then, we’ll sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda on the bottom of the oven. You can also make a paste of baking soda and water and then use a soft brush or cloth to coat the bottom and sides of the oven. Be careful not to touch the heating element.
The step-by-step process is as follows:
guideline
- Spray the inside of the oven with water to make sure it is evenly wet. Pour about 1/4 inch of baking soda into the bottom of the oven. If you see any dry spots, spray them with a water bottle until it looks like a paste.
- Alternatively, mix baking soda and water in a bowl to make a thin paste. Coat the bottom and sides of the oven with this mixture.
- Leave the paste on for a few hours. It is recommended to do this overnight. If you don’t want to see amateur special effects, turn off the oven… Not recommended!
- Wipe off the paste with a cloth or old towel. All the dirt will come with it!
- For actual burns, several applications may be required.
NOTE: It is important to ensure that all residue is completely removed before using the oven. If leftover baking soda touches the heating element, it can cause smoke!
Some people suggest spraying the oven with white vinegar or lemon juice as a final step to make cleaning the oven easier. But I don’t generally think this is necessary.
Option 2: Branch Basics
The baking soda method was one of the first natural cleaning methods I discovered, but I’ve since found another method that I like even more!
It’s called Branch Basics and be warned… If I became addicted to their products, a blowout would follow. I tried this cleanser after hearing about it for a long time (I’m skeptical). I love a thrifty homemade vacuum cleaner, but I doubted it could be as good as everyone else said it was. Branch Basics is a cleaning concentrate that can be used for almost any application.
In the end, it’s not quite as good… but it’s better! I feel foolish for waiting so long to try it.
The story goes like this:
oven explosion
It all started when I had to cook for a large group and there were too many potatoes in the oven. In my haste, I forgot to stab it with a fork and several of the potatoes exploded. Of course, all the sweet potatoes ended up dropping gooey goop all over the oven shelves and floor.
It was a smoky, horrible mess. This was bad because it was right before company came over for Thanksgiving and we needed a fully functioning oven as quickly as possible. The baking soda method doesn’t work because it takes several hours, if not overnight, to work.
I decided to test out the new Branch Basics…I figured if they could clean an oven, they could do anything!
Big reveal…
I mixed the Branch Basic concentrate to make a concentrate and sprayed it in the oven. I watched in amazement as the cooked waste melted from the sides and bottom. After a quick wipe with a brush and microfiber cloth, it looked like a new oven! It definitely beats the baking soda method.
DIY diva gives up…
After that, you better believe I bought a 5 gallon jug of concentrate that will last for years.
If you’re like me and want to try products that make cleaning a little easier and more enjoyable, Branch Basics has a discount for Wellness Mama readers. Use code WELLNESSMAMA at this link to get 15% off the starter kit for first time customers.
I’ll admit that I don’t pull out my DIY cleaner anymore because I now have a pre-made natural cleaner that works. Who doesn’t need a shortcut sometimes? Plus, Branch Basics was started by a mom who needed a natural and safe cleaning solution. (Sounds familiar!) Hear the story on the Wellness Mama podcast.
How do I clean my oven without harsh chemicals? Have you found the natural oven cleaner that’s right for you? Share your tips below!
