Let’s face it, our kitchens can get really dirty, really fast. One of the most difficult areas in the kitchen to clean though is, without a doubt, the oven. Our ovens can become a culinary crime scene and learning how to clean oven glass is an art:)
Crumbs, grease, stray fries that have been burnt to a crisp, you name it, our ovens need routine cleaning to stay fresh and sanitary. Cleaning that brown stained oven door glass and an oven interior can be a little tricky though and perhaps you find yourself wondering how to get started.
Well, here is a step by step easy off oven cleaner guide on how clean and maintain your kitchen oven.
1) How Often To Clean…. Easy Off Oven Cleaner Instructions
Experts recommend cleaning your oven once every 3 to 6 months. Keep in mind that the more often you clean your oven, the less effort you will ultimately have to put into cleaning it.
Ignoring your oven for a long period of time can cause all of the grime and inside to cake on and harden, making it very tough to scrape off and clean, so implementing a proper cleaning schedule ( read regular) is important. This is probably the most important tip in our easy off oven cleaner instructions! DON’T let the buildup happen.
So, whilst the experts say every 3 to 6 months, we recommend every 5 to 7 weeks for cleaning that brown stained oven door glass. After all, it’s nice to see how well that chocolate cake is rising, or if the baked potatoes the kids want for dinner are nearly baked.
2) Prep For Cleaning And Removing Baked On Grease From Ovens
The first thing you want to do on getting started on how to clean oven glass is to prep the inside of the oven for cleaning.
You want to get all of the baking sheets and pans that you may have stored inside of there and take them out.
You also want to get the big bits and crumbs out of it as well. You will more than likely find old bits of food at the bottom or even laying on your oven rack. Remove all of these bits and dispose of them.
Many ovens have a self-cleaning setting on them. If your oven has this, go and run the self-cleaning cycle on your oven. When it is finished, let the oven cool before moving onto the next step.
3) Oven Cleaners For Removing Baked On Grease From Ovens
A lot of what is inside our ovens is caked on grease, food splatters and general muck and grime that has been baked on, over and over and over again.
This greasy grime can be very tough to clean so soaking it will help loosen that grime. This is step 2.
First, you want to take the racks out of the oven and set them aside. Then take your oven cleaner and spray a good amount onto every wall and corner of the inside of your oven.
Whether you are using a store-bought cleaner or a homemade cleaner, the potency of the cleaner is going to be pretty strong.
Make sure to keep a window open and maybe even wear a facemask while you’re spraying and cleaning. This is especially important if you have purchased a very strong oven cleaner, they can let off toxic fumes!
The fumes could make you feel ill and nauseous if you inhale too much and although it is doing wonders for your oven, it isn’t doing anything good for your lungs.
It is important to create some air movement and make sure the area is well ventilated. Make sure you thoroughly wash off any chemical cleaning products otherwise your kitchen might be filled with choking toxic smoke, setting of the smoke alarm, prompting a call for the smoke alarm service to attend…. We’ve heard some sad and sorry tales!!
4) How To Clean Oven Racks
What you want to do next is tackle the oven racks. Such a fun job cleaning oven racks isn’t it, not my fave part of the process either!! While the oven itself is soaking in the cleaner, you can take the racks to the sink, or even the bathtub, and soak them in very hot water and some dish detergent.
Using hot water is definitely the best way on how to clean oven racks more easily. As the hot water works into the muck, you can use an abrasive scrubber and a lot of elbow grease to start scrubbing them clean. It’s actually a rewarding job seeing the gleam of stainless steel start peeking through…
If you soak the oven racks in the bathtub it is important to clean your bath tub thoroughly afterwards. You should let the racks soak in the hot water for at least an hour to loosen layered on gunk.
If you are wondering how to clean oven racks without harsh chemicals, then hot water, elbow grease, detergent and a good dollop of patience is the best way to clean greasy oven racks naturally.
After you get your racks soaking, you can come take a tiny bit of a break. Read a book, catch an episode of your favorite TV show, or have a nice snack. After about twenty minutes or so, you can return to the oven and get to cleaning some more.
If you’ve figured out an easier way on how to clean your oven racks, I’d be delighted to know!
5) Scrub, Scrub, Scrub
The next step is to scrub, scrub, scrub. You want to take an abrasive scrubber and clean the inside of your oven.
After its soak, most of the grime should be nicely loosened up and ready to clean. Scrub and wipe away the encrusted debris, grease and grime until your oven looks fresh and clean inside.
If there are still areas with stuck on gunk that won’t come off, spray the area again with a little more cleaner, and then let it soak once more before trying to scrub it again.
If it is really well stuck on, we suggest using one of those window scrapers to get paint off. The sharp blade is angled to prevent scratching and works a treat to remove the tougher muck.
6) How To Clean Oven Glass – The Glass Door
Once the inside of your oven is nice and clean, you can clean the glass door area of your oven. You are going to want to be gentler with this part of the oven, unlike the other areas. Learning the tricks to how to clean oven glass so it’s nice and clean are easy once you keep a few things in mind….
In cleaning that brown stained oven door glass, you may be tempted to take the easy route and use an abrasive scrubber. DON’T! Over time the glass will get scratched and be even harder to clean as muck settles into the scratched glass.
Ditch any abrasive scrubbers you might have and use a gentle wash cloth or a soft sponge. You want to then mix together baking soda and water to create a thick paste.
Spread the paste onto the glass, covering the inside and the outside of it, thoroughly. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes.
The paste will loosen the gunk on the glass and make it easier to clean. Then you want to make sure to wipe the glass parts off with a soft cloth.
Using any kind of abrasive scrubber can scratch the glass, so it is important to be gentle with that area. You can even spray the already cleaned and wiped down glass areas with a little glass cleaner.
You don’t need much, just a small spray. Gently wipe it clean and it will give the glass door a little extra shine.
7) How To Clean Oven Trays – Tackling The Trays
Lastly, you will want to tackle the oven trays that you’ve let soak and using an abrasive scrubber, you’re gonna want to scrub and clean them until they are clean and free of grime and gunk.
My tip on how to clean oven trays more easily… I like to pour hot soapy water into the trays and let them soak while I am cleaning the rest of the oven. Water is such a powerful cleaning agent when you let things soak for a period of time.
If the gunk is stubborn and you are struggling to really get it clean, you can add boiling water from the kettle to the soak and let the racks sit in the water for a little longer.
You can also use an oven cleaner on the oven trays as well, to help loosen the grease. Once they are clean, you should rinse them off thoroughly, dry them off, and then place them back into the oven.
Ideally, line them with foil to reduce the buildup of gunk.
If your oven has broken down and not heating, it’s best not to do a DIY oven repair for many reasons! The main one being self repair jobs can cost you a lot of money in the long run. Here’s 4 advantages of hiring oven repair professionals to fix your oven, often the same day, over DIY repairs!
Conclusion Of Our How To Clean Oven Glass So You Can See Your Cake Rising Article:)
Ta-da, your oven is now clean. Easy peasy. Best of luck to you on your kitchen endeavors and may your oven sparkle now you’ve learned how to clean oven glass and the inside in a few easy steps! Next time, don’t leave it so long!