How to Clean Your Oven Using Baking Soda

No one looks forward to cleaning their oven. Of all our household chores, oven cleaning is one of the dirtiest, most tedious, and time-consuming. What’s more, commercial oven cleaners are often unpleasant to work with, containing a laundry list of chemicals which can cause burns or irritation of any exposed tissue, whether that is the mouth, skin, eyes, or airway. If you are understandably concerned about using these chemicals around your family and pets or in the appliance in which you cook your food, make a DIY oven cleaner using baking soda instead!

Baking soda is non-toxic, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and remarkably effective at cleaning oven grease. Baking soda, which is alkaline, works by neutralizing acids and breaking down the grease, allowing you to wipe it up without a lot of scrubbing or effort. It’s also a mild abrasive, so it works well at removing dried, stuck-on foods. Plus, in most cases, baking soda works its magic in just 15 minutes and you can use it immediately after cleaning!

To get started, combine ½ cup baking soda and 3 tablespoons of water to make a paste roughly the consistency of pancake batter. Next, remove the racks from the oven. Using a rubber spatula or a gloved hand, smear the paste over the dirty parts, making sure to avoid the heating elements. Let the paste sit for 15-20 minutes before wiping up the paste and loosened dirt and grease with wet paper towels. Finally, wipe the oven’s interior with a wet paper towel, using water or a 3:1 mixture of water and distilled vinegar. Repeat if necessary for tougher stains!

Without harsh fumes that can make you dizzy, caustic chemicals, or unpleasant odors, you can have a clean oven in as little as 15 minutes. Let baking soda break down your food stains for you, and all you must do is wipe it away!