Oven Cleaning Tips 

Woman cleaning oven interior with sponge.

A holiday pie or cheesy lasagna meltdown can turn your oven into a smoky, burnt-on, ooze-encrusted mess. Plus, the gunk becomes an immediate fire hazard. The solution?

These oven cleaning tips can help remove the unsightly mess. Here's how to clean your oven safely, removing any remnants of dinners past.

Oven Cleaning Tips for Removing Spills

These oven cleaning tips can help remove even the toughest burnt-on blights.

The key to removing melted-on, dripped-on, and other greasy oven messes without too much effort is tackling them as soon as possible after they happen.

Try this easy trick to clean an oven the next time you have an oven meltdown: Sprinkle the spill with a thick layer of salt as soon as it drops on the oven floor, while the goop is still hot and soft.  Continue cooking.

When the oven cools, the spills will harden and can be easily lifted away with a plastic spatula.

Old scorched-food blights can be removed by rubbing with a small pumice cleaning stone. This technique will leave a sandy residue that is easily brushed away. Just wipe clean with a sponge.

Cleaning Oven Racks

To clean oven racks, start by opening the (cool) oven and removing the racks. Scrape off any burned-on stains with a dull knife held at a 30-degree angle. 

Use an oven cleaner for manually cleaning ovens; if you have a self-cleaning oven, turn it on and let the appliance clean itself.  Don't use oven cleaners on a self-cleaning or continuous cleaning oven; however, it may damage the surface.

To eliminate the need for frequent deep cleanings in the future, sponge away oven spills before they dry or are burned to a crisp.

Cleaning the Oven Exterior

After you've obliterated the baked-on messes in the oven, it's time to clean your oven exterior. To prevent streak marks when cleaning large vertical surface areas, start at the bottom and work up, overlapping regions with a circular motion.

Clean glass, ceramic, and porcelain enamel by spritzing a glass cleaner directly on the surface. Buff clean and dry with paper towels or a lint-free cloth.


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