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.


You might like these:

  • These study room ideas can help you create a functional, efficient space for your child's homework efforts, whether that is in the kitchen, or elsewhere in your home.

    Kitchen Study Room Ideas

    These study room ideas can help you create a functional, efficient space for your child's homework efforts, whether that is in the kitchen, or elsewhere in your home.

  • Hey! You're not the only one chowing down in here. How can you and the pets peacefully coexisit in the kitchen? Create a kitchen pet feeding center.

    A Kitchen Pet Feeding Center

    Hey! You're not the only one chowing down in here. How can you and the pets peacefully coexisit in the kitchen? Create a kitchen pet feeding center.

  • Since the kitchen is where memories and meals are made, it needs to be organized. These easy kitchen clutter solutions can help.

    Kitchen Clutter Solutions

    Since the kitchen is where memories and meals are made, it needs to be organized. These easy kitchen clutter solutions can help.

  • Contaminated food is the worst. These kitchen food safety tips can help ensure your family is safe at mealtime,

    Kitchen Food Safety Tips

    Contaminated food is the worst. These kitchen food safety tips can help ensure your family is safe at mealtime,

  • Kitchens are a potluck of dirt, grease, and germs. This 7-step method to a clean kitchen begins with decluttering, and ends with mopping your way out the door.

    A Clean Kitchen in 7 Easy Steps

    Kitchens are a potluck of dirt, grease, and germs. This 7-step method to a clean kitchen begins with decluttering, and ends with mopping your way out the door.

  • Whether your hardwood floors are oak, maple, ash, or beech, cleaning them is as safe and simple as it gets. Here's how to keep floors clean and scratch-free.

    How to Clean Hardwood Floors

    Whether your hardwood floors are oak, maple, ash, or beech, cleaning them is as safe and simple as it gets. Here's how to keep floors clean and scratch-free.

  • The kitchen is the room where everyone congregates. That's one of the reasons it's the messiest rooms in the house. Here's how to get it organized.

    Kitchen Organizing and Cleaning Tips

    The kitchen is the room where everyone congregates. That's one of the reasons it's the messiest rooms in the house. Here's how to get it organized.

  • Keep germs and bacteria in check - and out of your food - with these kitchen safety tips. When it comes to your family's health, you can never be too careful.

    Kitchen Safety Tips for Cooking Dinner

    Keep germs and bacteria in check - and out of your food - with these kitchen safety tips. When it comes to your family's health, you can never be too careful.



Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.