Oven Cleaning 101- Tips and Tricks

I’ve been baking up a storm lately, and not all of it has stayed within the baking tray as it should. Subsequently, my oven looks as though something has exploded inside it and is now in need of a serious clean. I abhor harsh chemicals including those that require ventilation when cleaning your oven. Having children, I’d rather use something that is environmentally and family friendly.

There are a few ways that you can clean your oven without the fumes from those cans of oven cleaner.

Method 1: Bicarbonate of Soda and Water Paste

Our first oven tip comes from Miss Thrifty. It’s probably the easiest manual oven cleaning method you’ll find that is completely eco and family friendly. You’ll need a substantial supply of bicarbonate of soda so it’s best not to buy those tiny boxes in the baking section.  Take your bicarbonate of soda and slowly add water until it makes a thick paste. At this point I would grab some gloves. The gunk inside the oven is often very nasty and can leave your hands feeling less than ladylike. So once you’re gloved up take a cloth and grab a liberal amount of your bicarbonate paste. Proceed to coat the entire interior of your oven, not forgetting the racks and beneath the sides of your racks plus the door. Leave the paste to sit for 30 minutes. When you open your oven door you’re going to be met with something that looks like it should be out of a horror movie, never fear your oven will come out looking shiny and new! Take your wallpaper scraper and proceed to remove the paste, now brown/black. It’s safe to rinse the oven gunk down the sink. Once you’ve removed everything take a wet sponge/cloth and wipe down the inside of your oven. Voila, you’re oven looks like new!

Method 2: The Overnight Soak 

This method is quite similar to the one above, but definitely not as quick. Have a rainy weekend that gives you ample time to let your oven soak? Think stove top meals or takeaways! Begin much like you did with Miss Thrify’s method. Use an ample portion of bicarbonate of soda, mix it with water and make it into a paste. Use those all important gloves and a cloth to apply to the entire interior of your oven. Remove the racks and clean those outside the oven separately.

Here is where things get a bit different. Allow this paste to set overnight. Yes, apparently in this Newsner method it is essential to allow the bicarbonate of soda paste to sit at least 12 hours. In the morning apply a wet cloth to the interior of the oven, removing as much of the bicarbonate paste as you can. Take some white vinegar and fill a small spray bottle. On all the paste spots that weren’t removed by the wet cloth spray vinegar on them. The vinegar will loosen the remaining paste mixture allowing you to re-wipe these spots and remove the residue. Finally, put your clean racks back in the oven. Turn the oven on a low temperature and allow it to warm the inside of the oven for 15 – 20 minutes. This will dry the oven and leave it sparkling!

Not a fan of elbow grease or getting on your hands and knees to clean your oven. Let’s be real here, when’s the last time your seriously cleaned your oven? Not just wiped up a bit of what spilled? For me it’s been months. Don’t shake your head at me! I’m a busy lady. Anyway. If you do have a busy lifestyle like I do, I prefer to have an oven that cleans itself. Yes, these actually do exist and if you abhor cleaning or just don’t have the time one of these might be the perfect addition to your kitchen.

Smeg TR93 Range Cookers with Vapour Clean

No, these aren’t just some of the most spectacular looking range cookers, they also have this fabulous vapour clean function that makes cleaning your oven effortless. Smeg’s Vapour Clean function softens any of the nasty gunk that may accumulate inside the oven cavity. Simply add water to the bottom of the oven, cover the interior in detergent and water and set the function and let the oven do the work. At the end simply wipe down and your oven looks brand spanking new.

AEG Pyro Clean Programme

If you’re not a fan of range cookers and prefer something more built in, but want it to do all the dirty work for you AEG’s Pyrolytic Ovens are perfect for you. If your oven is looking worse for wear simply turn on the Pyro Clean function. The oven then heats up to an extreme temperature burning off any residue into a fine ash. After your oven cools down simply take a wet cloth and wipe away. Simple.

Stoves Easy Clean Enamel

A Stoves cooker is not only sleek and modern it also comes quipped with Easy Clean Enamel. This may not be the be all and end all of self cleaning but it will make your job of cleaning it so much simpler. Stoves cookers have a specially designed enamel lining that is spill and cooked on food resistant. Cleanup with Stoves is a cinch.

Barring any of these cleaning methods you could resort to the old fashioned spray oven cleaners with plenty of open windows and ventilation or you could just hire someone to clean your oven! Either way having a clean oven just in time for prime baking season is a must.