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Clean your oven in less than five minutes
It's probably the most neglected part of the kitchen. - by
One of the most despised chores has to be cleaning the oven. It’s super-easy to ignore – simply close the door – but it has a terrible roll-on effect. Months can go by before the full horror of the situation is fully realised – and by then you’re faced with layers of hard-baked grease and grime.
It’s very tempting to reach for one of those all-in-one oven cleaners that you leave in overnight, but the warnings about chemical fumes can be off-putting. There's a more natural way to get the job done. Just follow our 8-step guide and in five minutes (plus soaking time) you'll have a sparkling appliance once more, ready for action.
1. Make sure your oven is switched off and cooled down
Before you start scrubbing the dirt and excess food away, start by cleaning the oven racks.
2. Mix your own cleaning solution with baking soda and water
A great oven cleaning hack is to use a simple homemade solution made from baking soda and water.
For the whole method, you’ll only need baking soda, water, white vinegar, a damp dish cloth, rubber gloves and a spray bottle.
Ammonia can also be used as a great alternative to baking soda.
In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 a cup of baking soda with a few tablespoons of water until you have a paste-like substance.
3. Cover the oven in the cleaning paste
Spread your homemade paste all over the interior of your oven. Use your rubber gloves for this if your oven is particularly grimy. If the paste turns a brownish colour, this is normal.
Make sure to cover every part of the oven in the past - including the glass door.
4. Let it sit overnight
Let the baking soda solution to rest on the oven for 12 hours (or overnight). Meanwhile, it might be a good idea to spend this time thoroughly cleaning the racks.
5. Wipe down the oven
After your oven has spent 12 hours (or overnight) soaking in the baking soda solution, take a damp dish cloth and wipe down the interior as much as you can. A spatula can be used to scrape any of the tough, tried-out baking soda in hard-to-reach places.
6. Spray it with vinegar
Put some white vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz it all over the interior of the oven to ensure a sparkling, thorough clean. When vinegar reacts with the baking soda solution, it will start to foam - this is normal!
7. Wipe down the oven one last time
Take a damp cloth and do a final wipe-down, cleaning every nook and cranny to make sure any remaining bits of baking soda residue is gone. Spray extra vinegar to make sure it is 100 per cent clean.
8. Replace the oven racks
Once the interior of your oven is fully cleaned and dry, wipe down the oven racks and put them back inside. Then, hey presto! Your oven will be sparkling clean and ready to be used again.
Other oven cleaning tips
If you are running out of time or don’t have the ingredients to make your own homemade paste, there are a few other options available at grocery stores such as Woolworths, Coles or Bunnings.
Oven cleaning brands such as Mr Muscles, OzKleen, Jif, Easy-Off or Selleys work very well.
How much does it cost to have your oven professionally cleaned?
A professional oven cleaner can cost an average of between $50-100 on sites such as Airtasker or through cleaning services.
Be honest: how long has it been since you last cleaned your oven? According to Hammonds, cleaning the oven is one of the UK's most hated chores. Unfortunately, the longer you leave it, the trickier it gets.
After a century of testing cleaning methods and products, we feel that we're equipped to let you know how you can get your oven clean without sacrificing your whole afternoon. Here's our quick and easy four-step guide.
How to clean your oven
The inside and shelves
Soak your oven shelves for an hour in a sink-full of hot water in which 250g of soda crystals have been dissolved. Scrub away baked-on food with a scrunched-up ball of foil, rinse and allow to dry.
If more drastic action is needed, use a specialised oven cleaner, such as Oven Pride. Follow the instructions and remember that an oven cleaner cannot be used on stainless steel ovens or AGAs. Always wear rubber gloves and make sure the room is well ventilated.
You can also wash your shelves in the dishwasher if they’ll fit. Otherwise, you can soak them in a large plastic storage box in a solution of biological washing detergent and warm water. Use a mild abrasive cleaner to clean off any stubborn food and grease.
Oven cleaning equipment
Oven Pride Cleaning System, 500ml
Oven Pride tesco.com
£3.00
Kitchen Craft Ceramic Hob Scraper
KitchenCraft robertdyas.co.uk
£7.99
Sealapack Roasting bags, 24 bags
Sealapack amazon.co.uk
£3.99
Dri Pak Bicarbonate of Soda, x6
Stardrops 16 X Pink Stuff Paste 500 grams
Stardrops amazon.co.uk
£28.70
Oven Mate Cleaning Gel Kit
Oven Mate lakeland.co.uk
£8.99
Magic Non-Stick Oven Liner
Lakeland lakeland.co.uk
£11.99
Plenty Original Kitchen Rolls
Plenty amazon.co.uk
£10.98
The door
Remove any cooked-on food with a metal spatula or ceramic hob scraper, then use a gel or spray-on oven cleaner.
If you don’t have these, tackle the oven door by rubbing a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water on to the glass. Leave for 15-20 minutes then wipe off with a damp microfibre cloth.
Kinga KrzeminskaGetty Images
How to keep your oven clean
Once you’ve got your oven sparkling, it’s another struggle keeping it that way! Follow these hacks to keep it cleaner for longer...
Use oven liners
Before you use the oven, line the base either with a piece of foil or one of those brilliant easy-clean oven sheets that you can buy in most kitchen shops.
These non-stick sheets come in different sizes to suit all ovens and mean you’ll never have to clean the oven floor ever again!
Buy roasting bags
Use roasting bags for meat, fish or even veg, to ensure there are no spills or splatters during cooking.
We like the Sealapack Roasting bags to help keep splatters from roasting meat, fish or veg at bay.
Remove grease instantly
If checking the progress of your cooking halfway through, remove the tray, rather than prodding about inside the oven and dripping grease on to it.
Always remove trays with an oven glove and be careful that your skin doesn't make contact with the tray to avoid burning yourself.
Clean immediately after use
As soon as you’ve finished using the oven, put a heat-resistant bowl of water inside and heat at a high temperature for 20 minutes. This will help loosen dirt and grease.
When it’s cool enough, wipe the interior surfaces to remove grime.
10'000 HoursGetty Images
Find an oven cleaning service
Can’t be bothered with all the grease and faff? If you can afford it, using a professional oven cleaning service is convenient, time-saving and a lot less hassle.
How to choose...
- Look for professionals that are part of a national franchise such as Ovenu, Ovenclean and OvenKing. They’re more likely to have insurance and use trained professionals.
- Using a local service? Ask friends and family for recommendations.
- Check if your oven manufacturer recommends a particular cleaning service.
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Forged Aluminium 3-Piece Pan Set
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£119.99
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Momentum Hard Anodized Pan Set
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