You’d be forgiven for looking the other way every time you open the oven. Through everyday use, the sticky grime and food stains that build up over time are notoriously tricky to clean.
We asked the experts the best ways and products to get your oven looking like new again. Rather than expensive and harsh cleaners, much of what they recommended might already be sitting at home. Dishwasher tablets, bicarbonate of soda, washing up liquid – these are the power cleaners that can fight grime. Here’s how.
Dishwasher tablet
The experts agreed the most on one thing: how useful dishwasher tablets are for cleaning ovens. As they’re designed to cut through food and grease, dishwasher tablets — specifically powder ones for their scrubbing quality — are good at targeting stains that accumulate in ovens.
If you have a dishwasher tablet to hand, all you’ll need is washing up gloves and warm water. Begin removing all that baked-on grime by dipping the tablet in warm water and gently rubbing it directly onto the glass of your oven door.
Catherine Green, a cleaning expert at smol, said their dishwasher tablets “really are the easiest way I have found to tackle this type of residue”.
As per Catherine’s instructions, keep dipping the tablet in warm water as you go, as this helps activate the tablet’s cleaning agents just as if it were in a dishwasher.
Liam Spencer, owner of Northallerton Glass noted: “After you can no longer feel the tablet catching onto any stains, wipe away residue with warm water and kitchen roll.
Their abrasive texture, Liam said, also helps break down stubborn stains without scratching the glass of your oven door.
Explaining the method, Catherine added: “The tablet works brilliantly because it contains cleaning components that are specifically designed to tackle baked-on food muck.
“You should find the tablet enzymes start breaking down the grease and baked on residue so that all you need to do is wipe across with a clean, damp cloth to remove what you have dislodged. The results can be spectacular!”
Bicarbonate of soda
One natural yet effective oven cleaner is bicarbonate of soda. Like dishwasher tablets, it cuts through food stains without harming oven glass.
“Bicarbonate of soda is one of those amazing household products that often works better than specialised cleaners,” said Catherine, smol’s cleaning expert.
“It’s particularly effective because it combines a gentle abrasive action with natural grease-cutting properties and also gives a deodorising effect. For an even more powerful clean, try mixing it with a small squirt of washing up liquid — this creates a super-effective cleaning paste that cuts through grease while being completely safe for your oven glass.”
Covering oven stain overnight with a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water can “help draw out deeply set grime”, said Olivia Young, a Product Development Scientist with Astonish. The next morning, simply wipe the stain and residue away with warm soapy water.
If you’re short on time, Tap Warehouse says 20 minutes is enough time for it to work deep into the dirt.
What to do with stubborn stains that won’t come out
For the remaining stains, the experts at Miele, Smol, Tap Warehouse and Northallerton Glass suggested using a glass scraper to gently lift them away.
“For the most stubborn stains, you can try to scrape these away using a plastic scraper,” Liam of Northallerton Glass.
Olivia from Astonish cautioned against the use of steel wool: “Avoid any temptation to use steel wool or wire brushes, they may work quickly, but they’ll likely damage your oven in the long run.”
Self cleaning ovens
Those with self-cleaning ovens can be more hands off. As Miele GB’s Product Training Manager, Sophie Lane, pointed out: “An oven with a pyrolytic ‘self-cleaning’ function will do this job for you. Ovens with pyrolytic technology can reach high temperatures of around 500C, turning baked-on grime to ash to make clean-up quick and simple.”
“If you have an oven with a Pyrolytic self-cleaning programme you can afford to go a bit longer between doing a full clean as the heat of this programme will remove pretty much anything from the inner cavity without the need for elbow-grease.
“For the average household, a Pyrolytic programme once every couple of months should be sufficient. Our steam combination ovens also come with the HydroClean feature, which uses steam to help break down food residue, meaning less elbow grease for the user.”
For a sparkling finish: vinegar
The pros at Smol, Tap Warehouse and Belling all recommended vinegar for a sparkling finish.
“For an additional bit of sparkle when you’re finishing up, spray some white vinegar over any remaining bicarbonate of soda,” said Catherine from smol. “The resulting fizzy reaction helps lift away the final bits of dirt, leaving your oven door sparkling clean without any harsher chemicals needed.”
As Belling noted, a clean oven isn’t just nice to look at — it can help save energy. “Regular cleaning of your oven door maintains a pristine appearance and also minimises the need for unnecessary door openings, preventing heat loss and conserving energy during cooking.”