Blog>How-To Guides>How to clean an oven
Last updated: 10 February 2025
How to clean an oven
Cleaning your oven requires a lot of elbow grease. However, it doesn’t have to be impossible. We'll give you the lowdown on how to clean an over below.
Ovens are one of the toughest appliances in the home to clean. Grease and dirt build up quickly and within the blink of an eye, they can become almost impossible to tackle.
Don’t fear as we have put together a simple step-by-step guide on how to clean your oven in the best way possible.
Tools required for the job:
Oven cleaning solution
Baking soda
Water
Non-scratch sponge
White wine vinegar
Spray bottle
Rubber cloves
Lemon
Old toothbrush
Microfibre cloth
What's the best way to clean an oven?
Step 1: Remove oven accessories
Before the hard work starts, remove any oven accessories such as oven racks, doors and knobs.
This makes it easier to get to all of the areas of the oven, even the hard-to-reach ones!
Step 2: Make or prepare your oven cleaner
Whether you want to use a pre-bought oven cleaner or make your own, it’s time to prepare it.
Pop on your rubber gloves and make your own homemade oven cleaner by mixing baking soda and water to form a hardy paste.
Step 3: Apply the cleaner
Apply your oven cleaner with a non-scratch sponge in circular motions to all areas of your oven.
Scrub to remove any obvious dirt or grease.
Step 4: Leave it for as long as possible
Ideally, you want to leave your oven cleaner to work its magic overnight, if not at least a couple of hours. Meanwhile...
Step 5: Clean glass and oven racks
This is a good opportunity to tackle your oven racks and clean your glass oven door.
We'll go on to cover the best way of cleaning both below, so stay with us.
Step 6: Use white wine vinegar
Any particularly stubborn marks that haven’t been removed by the baking soda or oven cleaner can be tackled by white wine vinegar in a spray bottle.
Step 7: Scrub!
Use your non-scratch sponge to scrub the final bits of dirt away.
Step 8: Reassemble and wipe down the oven
Put your oven racks, door and knobs back on. Do a final wipe down of your oven with a microfibre cloth and voila, your oven should be as good as new.
Oven cleaning tips from the experts
Start by using a vacuum cleaner to hoover up any loose food.
An old toothbrush is a great tool for getting in those pesky nooks and crannies.
Don’t underestimate the power of lemon! Use a mix of lemon and baking soda to make your oven door sparkling clean.
Dishwasher detergent tablets are very effective when it comes to cleaning your oven and will get rid of any stubborn dirt.
Remember that you can remove your oven door to make it easier to clean!
How to clean oven racks
The thought of cleaning oven racks can often be the thing that puts you off cleaning your oven yourself.
Begin by removing the racks and getting rid of any loose food or dirt.
Place the racks in either a sink or a bathtub - a bath can make it a lot easier as there’s more room to submerge them completely.
Sprinkle over some baking soda then douse them with white wine vinegar.
Once the foaming comes to an end, add hot water to either your sink or bath and leave to soak overnight.
How to clean oven glass
Cleaning the glass on your oven door can be a stubborn job.
Begin by removing your oven door so it’s a bit easier to work with.
Remove any obvious bits of dirt or debris and wipe clean.
Sprinkle baking soda over the door.
Squeeze a lemon on top of the baking soda so it fizzes and forms a paste.
Use a non-scratch sponge to scrub away any dirt or marks.
Wipe clean with warm water and use a microfibre cloth to dry.
Put your sparkling clean oven door back on!
How to self clean an oven
If your oven has a self-cleaning mode, it’s a very handy setting that’ll save you a lot of time and effort.
Your self-cleaning oven works by using high temperatures to burn off any bits of dirt or food debris. Depending on the model of your oven, a self-cleaning cycle can take anywhere between one to several hours.
Before running your self-clean cycle, remove any loose items and wipe down the inside of your oven.
Make sure the door is closed and start your self-cleaning cycle. Every oven will require a different process, so check your oven's instruction manual beforehand.
Let the cycle fully finish and cool down before opening the oven door.
Remove any ash with a damp cloth and use a mix of baking soda and white wine vinegar to get rid of any stubborn dirt that hasn’t been tackled by the self-cleaning cycle.
Find a professional to clean your oven
If you don't have the time to clean your own oven, or you simply want to save yourself the trouble, why not enlist the help of a professional?
Not only will a professional cleaner be experienced in cleaning ovens, but they'll have lots of tips and tricks up their sleeve to ensure you get the best finish possible. Professional oven cleaning prices come to around £50 for a standard oven, so if you're short on time, it'll be well worth the money.
Checkatrade makes it quick and easy to find a professional cleaner near you that you can trust. Every tradesperson has passed up to 12 checks to be in our directory, so you know you're getting a service you can rely on.
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
More How-To Guides
More Oven Cleaning Articles
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job