How to clean an oven, self-clean or not

To clean an oven, take the racks out, coat the inside of the cold oven with a paste of baking soda and water, and leave it overnight. Wipe the paste out with a damp cloth, mist any white film with vinegar and water, and wipe again. Soak the racks in the tub, and use a razor scraper only on the door glass.

If your oven has a self-clean setting, that's the low-effort route, with a few cautions below.

What do you need to clean an oven?

• Baking soda and water
• White vinegar in a spray bottle, mixed half and half with water
• A plastic scraper or an old spatula
• A glass scraper with a fresh razor blade, for the door glass only
• Non-scratch scrub pads and a few microfiber cloths
• Rubber gloves
• Dish soap, and the bathtub for the racks
• An old towel

Skip steel wool on the enamel. Scratched enamel holds burnt-on food the next time.

How do you clean an oven with baking soda?

This works on any oven, self-cleaning or not. It's about 30 to 45 minutes of work across two days.

1. Start cold. Turn the oven off and let it cool all the way. Pull out the racks, the thermometer and anything sitting on the oven floor.
2. Scrape the loose stuff. Use the plastic scraper on burnt drips and crumbs, then wipe them out.
3. Make the paste. About half a cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water, until it spreads like frosting.
4. Coat the inside. Floor, walls and the inside of the door, with gloved hands or a soft brush. Go thick on the brown spots. Keep it off the heating elements, the fan cover and the gas outlet.
5. Leave it overnight. Ten to twelve hours gives the paste time to soften baked-on grease. It turns brown in places as the grease lifts.
6. Wipe it out. Plastic scraper on the thick patches, then a damp cloth, rinsed often.
7. Mist with vinegar. Spray any white haze left behind. It foams a little where it meets the baking soda. Wipe with clean water until no film is left.
8. Dry it and put the racks back. If you smell anything when you next preheat, run it empty at a low temperature for 15 minutes with the window open.

Should you use the self-clean setting?

The self-clean cycle heats the oven high enough to turn residue to ash. It works, but it isn't free of fuss.

• Take the racks out unless your manual says they're made to stay in. Standard racks can discolor and start to stick.
• Scrape out big spills first. A thick pool of grease smokes a lot.
• Open windows and run the hood fan. Expect a smell for the first hour.
• Move pet birds well away from the kitchen. Manufacturers warn that self-clean fumes can harm them.
• Stay home while it runs. The door locks for the cycle and for a while after.
• Wipe out the ash once it's fully cool, with a damp cloth.

Don't use heavy-duty spray oven cleaner inside a self-cleaning oven unless your manual allows it. It can damage the enamel lining.

Is self-clean a good idea in a trinity or rowhome?

Think twice. In a trinity or a narrow rowhome there's one stairwell, and the smoke and smell rise straight up it to every floor, bedrooms included, and can set off the smoke alarm on the landing. If you run it, pick a mild day when you can open the back door and a window upstairs, not the night before guests. If the oven is only lightly dirty, the baking soda method spares you a few hours of fumes.

How do you clean oven racks?

Lay an old towel in the bathtub so the racks don't scratch it, set the racks on top, and fill with hot water to cover them. Add a good squeeze of dish soap and leave them a few hours or overnight. Scrub with a non-scratch pad, paying attention to the corners where the wires meet, then rinse and dry.

How do you get the oven door glass clean?

Do the inside of the glass with the same baking soda paste. On stubborn brown film, once the paste is wiped off, hold the razor scraper at a low angle on wet glass and push gently in one direction. Never use the blade on enamel or painted surfaces.

How do you keep an oven cleaner for longer?

• Put a sheet pan on the lower rack under casseroles, pies and anything that might bubble over. Don't line the oven floor with foil; manufacturers warn it can block airflow and damage the finish.
• Wipe fresh drips once the oven cools, before they bake on again.
• Wipe the door seal gently with a damp cloth. Don't scrub or soak it.

A full clean every three to six months keeps it a short job. Before Thanksgiving is the obvious one.

Want it handed off?

Book Deep Cleaning online, and if you want the oven looked at, ask about it when you book and put it in your booking notes. For the stovetop on top of it, see how to clean a stovetop.

FAQ

How do you clean an oven with baking soda? Mix about half a cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water into a spreadable paste, coat the inside of the cold oven while keeping it off the heating elements, and leave it overnight. Wipe it out with a damp cloth, mist any white film with vinegar and water, and wipe again.

Is it safe to run the self-clean cycle? It's designed for it, but it gets very hot, smokes and smells. Take the racks out unless your manual says otherwise, scrape out big spills first, open windows, keep pet birds well away from the kitchen, and stay home while it runs.

How do you clean oven racks? Lay an old towel in the bathtub, set the racks on it, cover them with hot water and a good squeeze of dish soap, and leave them a few hours or overnight. Scrub with a non-scratch pad, rinse and dry.

How often should you clean your oven? Wipe up drips once the oven has cooled, and give it a full clean every three to six months, or sooner if it smokes when you preheat. Before a big holiday meal is a good time.

Book a cleaning

Our service area: every Philadelphia neighborhood, plus the Pennsylvania suburbs within about 30 miles of Center City, in Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester counties. Book online at phillyscleanteam.com/book-now, or call or text (215) 798-7576, 9 AM to 9 PM, every day.