Out of all the chores to get done in the home, oven cleaning is arguably the worst. Caked with spatter and coated in grime, it’s the ultimate time and budget buster for busy homeowners who would rather be doing something else — including you.
While looking the other way might work for a while, there will come a time when the dirt in your cooking area is simply too much to ignore. But with so many other things on your to-do list, cleaning up can feel like a Herculean undertaking.
Follow along as we explore the best way to clean an oven inside and out, followed by tips, tricks, and how Jim’s Cleaning can help.
What you need for oven cleaning
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s gather our products first.
You’ll need:
- A pair of rubber gloves — You’ll want a pair that covers your elbows completely, which keeps grime off your arms and grease off your sleeves.
- Baking soda — Just a cup or so will do!
- Vinegar — White vinegar works best, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
- A little water — You’ll only want a few tablespoons for this recipe.
- A spray bottle —This will be for your vinegar.
- A toothbrush, spatula, scrubber or damp cloth — Whatever suits your fancy is fine, or you can even use all four.
How to clean an oven inside and out
Oven cleaning isn’t your average household chore. Unlike sweeping or dusting, ovens take hours and multiple ingredients to clean — not a great scenario for those short on time.
The good news? It can still be done in a day or less.
Here’s how to clean an oven easily, both inside and out.
How to clean the inside of an oven
The interior of your oven will be the toughest part to clean.
Start by wiping down the inside as much as possible. This isn’t really to clean the space but to prepare the oven for your cleaning mixture.
Now it’s time to create your paste. Combine the baking soda with a few tablespoons of water to make a thick scrub, then apply it to the walls of your oven using a rag or sponge. The scrub may turn brown on contact — this is normal!
You’ll want to wait twelve hours or more for the paste to dry completely. Let the mixture sit overnight while your oven racks soak in hot water. In the morning, you can wipe down both the racks and the oven with a damp cloth. Use your toothbrush and other utensils to remove caked-on food.
With most of the scrub mixture gone, your final step is to detail clean. Use your spray bottle of vinegar to spritz the oven’s sides, floor and ceiling, wiping up the foam with your damp cloth. Buff until clean and dry.
The inside of your oven should look leagues better than before!
How to clean the outside of an oven
Even if the inside of your oven looks spotless, the door and glass pane may not. Thankfully, the process of getting it clean is much faster than you’d think.
There are just three steps:
- Unscrew the oven door from its hinges and lay it on a padded surface (i.e. your counters surrounded by towels).
- Wrap a washcloth to the end of a yardstick and secure it with rubber bands. Dip the stick into warm soapy water, then scrub firmly between the panes of glass. Continue until the grime is gone.
- Reattach the door to its hinges. If any food remains in cracks and crevices, use your cloth, toothbrush and soapy water to spot clean as necessary.
That’s it! Your oven door should look good as new.
Oven cleaning tips for a five-minute pass
With so many moving parts, you may not have time to complete a full oven cleaning on your own. Luckily, you can still make a difference with a five-minute pass-through.
These easy oven cleaning hacks do a lot with just a little:
- Use your oven’s self-cleaning cycle at least once per week. It won’t be as spotless as a personalised cleaning, but it will keep the area sanitary and prevent unwanted buildup.
- Wipe down your oven at least once per week. You can bake two lemons in a bowl of water to freshen the walls, then use baking soda and vinegar to buff out spots.
- Get a pad of steel wool and a bottle of dish detergent to remove baked-on food as soon as it happens. Remember to wait for the oven to cool first!
Quick cleans are a great place to start with oven cleaning — but they definitely aren’t where you should stop. While regular five-minute passes can slow the dirtying process, they can’t and won’t take the place of a serious clean-up (which not all of us have time to do).
What if you could clean the oven without the hassle of home remedies? What if you could cook without the cleaning that comes after? Better yet, what if the mess could disappear without you lifting a finger?
With Jim’s Cleaning, all of this is possible and more.
Get easy oven cleaning with Jim’s Cleaning
Never lift a finger to get your oven clean again. With Jim’s Cleaning, we’ll have your appliances sparkling in just a single visit — no gloves, dangerous products, or hours of crouching required. Backed by outstanding talent and a Jim’s Work Guarantee, we promise you’ll love what you see (or your money back)!
Start loving your kitchen again without the dread of what comes after. Delegate your oven cleaning to the award-winning crew at Jim’s Cleaning today. Give us a ring at 131 546 or request a free quote online. We look forward to chatting with you soon!
