Learn how to clean an oven with a simple baking soda paste in this helpful guide. There are just a few simple steps involved in cleaning the oven the natural way… and in the end it will feel great to have a clean kitchen for home cooking… Let’s go!
Scroll on for step by step oven cleaning instructions, or check out my video tutorial below…
Video steps
In this video, I’m showing how to clean a double wall GE oven.
Supplies to help
Before diving into the task, gather your cleaning supplies. Most of the things you need to clean your oven by hand are probably available in your own pantry!
Here are the basic tools to clean your oven:
- Baking soda
- Water
- Dishwashing detergent
- Vinegar
- Spray bottle
- Sponge and/or scrub pad
- Microfiber kitchen cloth
- Bowls for making the paste and holding water
Before and after photos
Even if your oven is as dirty as mine is… there is hope!
Oven cleaning prep
- Remove oven racks. You will clean them separately if needed.
- Remove crumbs and large pieces of food debris.
- Decide if you’re going to choose the self-cleaning oven feature (if so, follow the manufacturer’s instructions).
- If you’re going to clean the oven by hand, by choice or because you have a non-self-cleaning oven, keep reading to make your cleaning paste.
Make a baking soda paste
In a bowl, mix together a thick paste (about the consistency of toothpaste) with:
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp dishwashing detergent
How to use oven cleaning paste
- Put on gloves and spread the baking soda paste in a thin layer all over the interior walls of the oven.
- Let it sit 1-2 hours up to overnight (the longer the better, just like when you marinade a steak recipe).
- Once done sitting, put on gloves and get a bowl ready with water to help you scrub.
- At this time I like to use a scrub pad and a little bit of water from a bowl or spray bottle to help scrub off dirt from the oven in a circular motion.
- Vinegar can help, too… if your oven is very dirty, consider adding vinegar to the water to help break down the grease.
- Finish cleaning by using a sponge and/or microfiber kitchen cloth for the final cleaning to rinse the oven walls with clean water and wipe them dry.
I like to also spray and wipe down the outside of the oven and warn my family that the oven is clean and they need to be super careful to keep it that way!! Because the next cleaning job is on THEM! Ha!
Also consider the self-clean option
If your oven is being super stubborn and not responding well, and you do have the self clean option, give it a try.
I find if there is a ton of baked on food in the oven, it’s nice to take off as much dirt from the inside of the oven before running self-cleaning with the steps above, but utilizing the self-cleaning function can really finish off the job and make a beautiful, sparkly clean oven.
Get on a cleaning schedule
I find sticking on a monthly schedule of running the self-cleaning option helps my oven stay clean…
It’s also a good habit to wipe up any spills in the oven as soon as they occur, when it’s safe.
Another good way to prevent a dirty oven is to place a baking sheet under certain dishes that may overflow or be difficult to get out of the oven without splattering.
Also see how to clean a flat black glass stove top…
Helpful products
Here’s what I used in the demonstration video:
- Baking soda
- Water
- Dishwashing detergent
- Vinegar
- Spray bottle
- Sponge and/or scrub pad
- Microfiber kitchen cloth
- Bowls for making the paste and holding water
This past year, I really started cooking a ton more of healthy comfort food meals, like roast chicken and so naturally, my oven was used quite a bit and I went on this journey of learning how to clean an oven that is super dirty.
Hope you found it useful!
Want to get better at home life?
Although you can see how dirty an oven gets from home cooking recipes everyday, it’s still one of my favorite things to do! I hope you find this info useful and enjoy the recipe for making the cleaning paste!
I’m also here to help you put together delicious meals, and learn other things to make home life easier. If you have any questions, drop them in the comments.
Chat soon!
– Jenna
Next, browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection…
Nancy F Lambert says
Thank you.