How to Clean an Oven

Cleaning the oven is a task that we all avoid as much as we can, over time it can get really dirty, food and grease burns into the walls and is very hard to remove. But the time comes when it needs to be cleaned, the residue built will burn and smoke when you use a very dirty oven.

There are many techniques to clean the oven, I have tried several, most of them require to leave the oven soaking for hours and in my work that is just not an option, plus results are not very good. The method I use is fast and results are amazing

1- Heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and turn it off

2- Apply an oven cleaner in spray, like Easy-Off

3- Let sit for 5 minutes and scrub

4- Wipe off residue

Here is the step by step with pictures:

Picture of dirty oven ready to be cleaned

1- Remove racks and heat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Protect the floor under the oven door with paper towels or newspaper, this is very important, the oven cleaner can stain permanently your floor. Once the temperature is reached turn it off

2- Spray oven cleaner all over the walls, I recommend Easy-Off but any brand you have will work. Wear gloves, avoid inhaling the spray, wear a face mask if you have one handy. After spraying close the door and let it soak for 5 minutes, if the oven is too dirty soak for 10 minutes

Picture of oven being cleaned with a scouring pad

3- Remove oven cleaner with a non-scratching scouring pad. At this point all residue should come off very easily, scrub the spots that still have grime stuck. Rinse the scouring pad constantly, once you have removed most of the grime, wipe completely all the remaining residue with a damp microfiber cloth

4- Remove remaining grime with a scraper blade. If you still notice grime stuck at the bottom of the oven after wiping, remove it using a scraper blade, the oven must still be wet to avoid scratches. Be gentle, at this point grime should be soft and easy to remove, when done, wipe with a damp cloth and dry completely with a dry microfiber cloth

Picture of oven after being cleaned

Enjoy the fantastic results! Your oven will look as good as new! As a professional cleaner this is the job that gives me the most compliments from my clients, it takes less than 30 minutes to do it and is very satisfying.

Here are some tips to keep it looking this good

  • Clean it often, depending on how much you use it, don’t let it get too bad, use the self cleaning option in your oven if it has it
  • For light cleaning you don’t need to use Easy-Off, use a powder cleaner like Ajax or a paste made with baking soda and vinegar
  • Never use this method to clean the oven door, click here to see my recommendation on how to clean an oven door