Oven Cleaning Hacks That Really Work

Is your oven filled with caked-on grease, food splatters, and burnt spills that seem impossible to remove? Don’t reach for harsh chemicals just yet! Many household items can transform your oven from grimy to sparkling. We tested some wild oven cleaning hacks that have gone viral online to see if they really work. The results amazed us. Keep reading to discover 10 crazy (but effective) oven cleaning hacks you need to try.

1. The Lemon Steam Clean

This oven hack promised to use citrus power to loosen baked-on gunk without scrubbing or chemicals. We sliced lemons and arranged them in a baking dish with water. After heating at 300°F for 30 minutes, we wiped down the oven.

• What you’ll need:
  1. 3 lemons
  2. Bowl or baking dish
  3. Water
  4. Cloth or sponge
• Steps:
  1. Slice 3 lemons and place them in a baking dish with 1 cup water
  2. Heat the oven to 300°F and place the dish inside
  3. Bake for 30 minutes, allowing steam to loosen dirt
  4. Carefully remove dish and wipe down the oven’s interior

The results astonished us! The steam softened layers of burnt food that we could easily wipe away. Any remaining spots came off with a little elbow grease. This natural citrus cleaner made the oven look brand new!

Pros:

• All-natural
• No harsh fumes
• Low effort
• Removes stubborn grime

Cons:

• Takes 30-60 minutes
• May need extra scrubbing

2. The Epic Baking Soda and Vinegar Eruption

This explosive combo promises to blast away stubborn grease and carbonized spills. We combined baking soda and vinegar in a baking dish before quickly placing it in the oven. After 5 minutes we opened the door to a fizzy eruption of foam overflowing from the pan.

• What you’ll need:
  1. 1 cup baking soda
  2. 2 cups white vinegar
  3. Heat-safe baking dish or pan
• Steps:
  1. Pour 1 cup baking soda into a baking dish/pan
  2. Slowly stir in 2 cups vinegar until foamy
  3. Place dish in cold oven as fast as possible
  4. Close oven door and let chemical reaction occur for 5+ minutes
  5. Carefully open oven door
  6. Allow foam to subside before removing dish
  7. Wipe away residue with cloth

We won’t lie, we felt like mad scientists conducting this vinegar and baking soda explosion! The oven filled with foam that lifted layers of burnt grease as it overflowed. Just look at the before and after photos below! This hack seriously works but can get messy.

Pros:

• Super powerful grease-cutting results
• Little physical effort
• Inexpensive ingredients

Cons:

• Very messy clean-up
• Potential to overflow from oven
• Strong vinegar odor

3. The Steam Machine

For this oven steam cleaning method, water is heated to produce moisture that softens dirt so you can wipe it away. All you need is 40 minutes and 2 cups of water!

• What you’ll need:
  1. 2 cups water
  2. Oven-safe heat-resistant container
  3. Cloth, sponge, cleaning brush
• Steps:
  1. Pour 2 cups water into a metal or ceramic baking dish/pan
  2. Place dish on bottom oven rack and close door
  3. Heat oven to 350°F for 30-40 minutes
  4. Carefully remove hot container
  5. Use cloth/brush to wipe away grime and food residue
  6. Scrub any remaining stuck-on bits

In just 40 minutes, this hot steam bath transformed our oven! Burnt food wiped off easily and the racks look new. Without any elbow grease or cleaners, steam cleaning removed layers of baked-on grease and carbonized drips.

Pros:

• Only needs water
• No harsh fumes/chemicals
• Low effort scrubbing
• Loosens stubborn grime

Cons:

• Longer than other methods
• Oven gets very hot/steamy
• Need heat protection when removing dish

4. The Baking Soda and Salt Oven Scrubber

For a gentle scrubbing hack, all you need is baking soda, salt, water, and a little muscle work. The abrasive texture lifts residue without damaging surfaces.

• What you’ll need:
  1. 1⁄2 cup baking soda
  2. 1⁄2 cup salt
  3. Water to form paste
  4. Small bowl and spoon
  5. Cloth, sponge, or scrub brush
• Steps:
  1. Mix baking soda and salt with enough water to form a spreadable paste
  2. Apply paste to oven walls, door, racks with cloth or brush
  3. Let it set for 5-10 minutes
  4. Scrub gently using brush, sponge, or paper towels
  5. Rinse oven and wipe clean

The baking soda and salt paste effectively removed grease and carbon build-up that other methods struggled with. A little elbow work with the scrub brush had the oven looking like new! This is a great hack for tackling neglected ovens with heavy grime accumulation.

Pros:

• Super affordable ingredients
• Naturally abrasive texture
• Removes stubborn build-up
• Safe for oven surfaces

Cons:

• Requires physical scrubbing
• Can leave salt residue if unrinsed
• Not as powerful on glass surfaces

5. The Commercial Oven Cleaning Spray

When dealing with seriously neglected ovens, sometimes you need the power of commercial cleaning products. Store-bought oven cleaners contain strong grease-fighting ingredients tailored for baked-on grime.

We tested some of the top oven cleaning sprays to see if they live up to their claims at blasting away burnt-on food, grease splatters, and carbonized drips.

Our Top Oven Cleaner Picks

Brand	Key Features	Rating
Easy-Off Professional Fume Free Max Oven Cleaner	Foaming spray, no harsh fumes, industrial strength grease cutting power	★★★★★
Mr Muscle Oven and Grill Cleaner Spray	Cling gel formula, cuts through multiple layers of grime	★★★★1⁄2
Oven Mate Oven and Grill Cleaning Spray	Helps loosen burnt food and grease after minimum wait time	★★★★

We tested each of these sprays over different trials in very dirty ovens. All three commercial cleaners impressively removed heavy grease and stubborn carbon stains with minimal effort. The Easy-Off spray produced amazing results after an overnight application. For seriously neglected ovens, a good commercial cleaning spray can save tons of elbow grease!

Pros:

• Cuts through extreme build-up
• Requires minimal physical effort
• Speeds cleaning of neglected ovens

Cons:

• Can produce strong fumes
• Needs thorough rinsing
• Not as natural or green

6. The Self-Cleaning Oven Cycle

If you’re lucky enough to have this feature, the self-cleaning setting uses extremely high temperatures to incinerate food residue and grease into ash that you can wipe away. It leaves a spotless oven interior without chemicals or scrubbing!

• What you’ll need:
  1. Oven with self-clean feature
  2. Heat protection gloves
  3. Cloth, soft brush for wiping
• Steps:
  1. Remove oven racks and foil or debris
  2. Select desired self-cleaning cycle (2-4 hours)
  3. Keep kitchen ventilated to exterior during cycle
  4. Allow oven to completely cool when cycle ends
  5. Wipe out ash residue with brush or cloth

The high heat completely incineratedLayers of baked-on grease and burnt food transformed into ash that easily wiped away. In just 1 self cleaning cycle the oven looks freshly installed! No effort, no harsh chemicals.

For ovens with heavy build-up, repeat cycle up to 2-3 times. Make sure to thoroughly ventilate your kitchen since the oven may produce some odor or smoke.

Pros:

• Incinerates all residue
• No chemicals/fumes
• Leaves professional-grade clean results

Cons:

• Requires special oven feature
• Home smoke alarms may activate
• Potential for bad smells

7. The Dish Soap Dissolver

For this shockingly simple cleaner, just water, dish soap, and time do all the tough work dissolving grime build-up! The soap helps lift grease so water can penetrate and loosen it from surfaces.

• What you’ll need:
  1. Dishwashing soap
  2. Water
  3. Large oven-safe container
  4. Cloth, soft brush, non-scratch scrub pad
• Steps
  1. Fill baking dish or roasting pan with hot water from tap or kettle
  2. Stir in several big squirts of dish soap
  3. Place container in oven and carefully close door
  4. Let mixture work for minimum 4 hours up to overnight
  5. Remove container and wipe away lifted grease

This gentle grease-cutter allowed burnt bits to easily wipe away after an 8 hour soak. With almost no effort, layers of oil splatters and drips lifted off. Dish soap dissolved gunk without harsh scrubbing or chemicals. Any remaining specks came clean with a quick wipe using a soft brush.

Pros:

• Super affordable ingredients
• Low effort method
• No gloves/mask needed
• Safe for all oven surfaces

Cons:

• Very lengthy soaking time
• Doesn’t tackle extreme build-up
• Water can spill if container leaks

8. The Hydrogen Peroxide Power Paste

For a stain-fighting paste, hydrogen peroxide boosts baking soda into a bubbling cleaning dynamo! Peroxide bubbles help lift grime so the abrasive soda scrapes it away.

• What you’ll need:
  1. Baking soda
  2. Hydrogen peroxide
  3. Small bowl and spoon
  4. Non-scratch scrub pad or brush
• Steps:
  1. Make a paste by mixing baking soda with hydrogen peroxide
  2. Apply paste to problem areas with cloth or brush
  3. Allow to bubble for 5-10 minutes
  4. Gently scrub stained or dirty areas
  5. Rinse clean with damp cloth

This peroxide-infused paste made scrubbing burnt spots simple! The chemical reaction produces tiny bubbles that help lift carbon and grease so the baking soda can scour it away. With some elbow grease, even the toughest burnt bits came clean!

Pros:

• Multiplies baking soda cleaning power
• Low cost for high impact
• Naturallywhitening results

Cons:

• Requires safe handling of peroxide
• Can leave soda residue if unrinsed
• Needs physical effort to scour

9. The Controversial Ammonia Fume Attack

(Note: This method is controversial and not generally recommended due to the hazardous nature of ammonia inhalation. It is provided for informational purposes only.)

The internet contains many tutorials showing people placing bowls of ammonia inside ovens to gas-off residue with harsh fumes. However, experts strongly advise against this dangerous hack!

When heated, ammonia releases vapors that can damage lungs and mucous membranes. The CDC warns to never mix cleaners containing ammonia with bleach or other chemicals.

While ammonia fumes may loosen grime, this method poses serious health hazards. Instead, try safer hacks like lemon steam, commercial sprays, or vinegar and baking soda. Save your lungs and stick to non-toxic grease cutters!

10. The Oven Cleaning Service

When you’re dealing with a disastrously dirty oven, calling in the pros may be your best and safest bet. Professional oven cleaning services use commercial-grade products and powerful equipment to scrub away extreme build-up.

Specialty oven cleaning companies employ experienced techs with industrial steam jets, high-heat tools, and commercial degreasers to scour away every trace of grime. They take care of the tough scrubbing so you don’t have to!

Most professional oven cleaners offer free quotes based on your model and how dirty it is. An average basic electric or gas oven normally costs $150-300 to have spotless clean. For serious grease-coated ovens, it may run higher.

Pros:

• Removes extreme build-up
• No physical labor needed
• Uses professional cleaning products

Cons:

• More expensive than DIY methods
• Scheduling can be inconvenient
• Potential for grease splatters during cleaning

Choose the Best Oven Cleaning Method For Your Needs

We hope these 10 outrageous, but effective, oven cleaning hacks have inspired you! From natural steamers to chemical warriors, you’re bound to find the perfect grease-fighting method.

Match your cleaner to the level of grime. Gentler oven hacks work great for basic upkeep. But neglected ovens may need heavy-duty commercial sprays or professional cleaning services.

Whatever you choose, say goodbye to scrubbing burnt bits and welcome back a sparkling oven interior! Let us know your favorite oven cleaning tricks. We can all use a few new weapons against baked-on grease monsters!