9 Steps to Cleaning Your Oven with Baking Soda and White Vinegar

Many people want to have a clean oven, but this task is often left to the last minute, and there are different ways to carry out the cleaning. Running a self-cleaning function on your oven just before you cook is often not a great solution, it can take a long time, and it generates a lot of unpleasant fumes in your home. Another option is to use chemical oven cleaners, these can be effective, but they can be hazardous to use and are not very family friendly. Here we will demonstrate an alternative method using baking soda, white vinegar, and a little elbow grease. You may already have most of the things you need in your cupboards to effectively clean your oven in a natural and safe way.

Image of an open oven

1. Gather Your Supplies

You will need some regular baking soda and white vinegar to create your cleaning solution. For application purposes, a spray bottle is required, and you will need to wear rubber gloves. Finally, a damp cloth and a plastic or silicone spatula may be needed for cleaning and removing debris.

2. Make Sure the Oven is Empty

Before you get started, make sure that the oven is empty of items, such as a pizza stone, oven racks, and thermometers. Set them aside in a safe place and you’re ready to start cleaning.

3. Make a Cleaning Paste

Get a small bowl and mix few tablespoons of water with a ½ cup of baking soda. The aim here is to create a cleaning paste that can be spread over the interior surface of your oven. This may require some adjustment to get the ideal consistency.

4. Spread the Cleaning Paste

Coat the internal surface of your oven with your homemade baking soda cleaning paste. Don’t put any paste on or near the heating elements in your oven and wear some rubber gloves. Make sure that every nook and cranny is covered and you will notice that the cleaning paste turns brown as you rub it in. Pay particular attention to the area where there is a buildup of grease and cover every surface to the best of your ability.

5. Give the Paste Time to Work

For the best cleaning results, you will need to let the mixture sit on the oven surface for at least 12 hours. This period is a great time to clean your oven racks with some detergent and a non abrasive scrubbing brush.

6. Remove the Dried Baking Soda Paste

The baking soda paste will have dried out, and now it’s time to remove as much of this material as possible. Use the spatula and/or the damp cloth to clean away the debris and prepare them for some final cleaning.

7. Spray the Oven with White Vinegar

Put a little white vinegar in your spray bottle and sprits every surface where you can still see any deposits of dried baking soda. You will notice that the vinegar reacts with the baking soda and some gentle foaming will occur.

8. Wipe Down the Oven Interior

Now it’s time for a final wipe down using the damp cloth to remove any pieces of foamy baking soda. Repeat this process until all the baking soda has been removed and add more clean water or white vinegar as required. Keep wiping and polishing until the oven surfaces are dry. Hopefully, you will now notice how clean and shiny your oven surface is.

9. Get the Oven Ready for Use

The oven is now clean and ready for use, place your oven rack and other items that you use in your oven.

Reliable Oven Repair Services

Without a properly functioning oven, the modern kitchen is not complete. While there are some common issues that you may be able to correct yourself, for the best repair results you may need assistance from a professional home appliance repair service.

For further help or advice with your oven repair needs, ensure that you speak to a certified appliance repair specialist.