Short answer
Turn the oven off and let it cool completely. Take out the racks and soak them in hot water with dish soap. Mix baking soda with a little water into a paste and spread it inside, keeping it off the heating element and the gas ports. Leave it overnight, then wipe it off with a damp cloth and a plastic scraper until no white film is left.
Safety first
Start only with the oven off and fully cool. Keep the paste off the heating element and away from the gas burner ports. Do not combine oven cleaner with other products, and never add bleach or ammonia.
How to clean an oven with baking soda
1Oven off and cool, racks out
Never clean a warm oven. Slide out the racks and soak them in a tub or sink with hot water and dish soap.
Read all the steps
- Oven off and cool, racks out. Never clean a warm oven. Slide out the racks and soak them in a tub or sink with hot water and dish soap.
- Spread a baking soda paste. About half a cup of baking soda and a few spoons of water. With gloves on, spread it over the walls, the floor and the door glass.
- Leave it overnight. The paste softens baked-on grease while you sleep. No smoke and no strong fumes.
- Wipe and scrape it off. A damp cloth and a plastic scraper lift the paste and the grease. Rinse the cloth often and wipe until no white film is left.
- Scrub the racks and slide them back. Scrub the soaked racks with a brush, rinse and dry them. Wipe the oven once more with clean water and close the door.
- Still not fixed? Call a house cleaner Especially if: the grease is years deep and two rounds of paste barely touch it.
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What not to do
- Do not clean a hot oven, and do not spray cold water on hot door glass.
- Do not put paste on the heating element, the gas burner ports or the fan of a convection oven.
- Do not mix oven cleaner with other products, and never add bleach or ammonia.
- Do not line the oven floor with foil unless your manual says so: it can trap heat and damage the oven.
Should you use the self-clean cycle?
Self-clean heats the oven very high to burn food to ash. It works, but it makes smoke and strong smells, which are hard on pet birds and on people with asthma. Read the manual and take out the racks unless it says they can stay. Open a window, run the hood fan and stay home while it runs.
Keep it clean longer
Put a baking sheet on the rack below dishes that bubble over, and wipe spills once the oven cools. A quick wipe each week saves an overnight job later.
When to call a house cleaner
- The grease is years deep and two rounds of paste barely touch it.
- You want the oven, stovetop and range hood done as part of a deep or move-out cleaning.
- The oven smells of gas, sparks or stops heating after cleaning: call an appliance technician, or the gas company if you smell gas.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clean an oven with baking soda?
Mix baking soda with a little water into a spreadable paste, coat the inside of the cool oven and leave it overnight. Wipe it off with a damp cloth and a plastic scraper.
Is the self-cleaning cycle safe?
Usually, if you follow the manual. It makes smoke and fumes, so open a window, keep pet birds away from the kitchen and do not leave home while it runs.
How do I clean the glass on the oven door?
Spread the same baking soda paste on the inside of the glass, wait 20 to 30 minutes and wipe it off with a damp cloth. A plastic scraper helps with baked-on spots.
How do I clean oven racks?
Soak them in hot water with dish soap for a few hours, then scrub with a brush and rinse. Check the manual before you put them in the dishwasher or leave them in for self-clean.
How often should I clean my oven?
Every three to six months if you cook often, or sooner if it smokes when you preheat. Wiping spills once it cools stretches the time between deep cleans.
Why does my oven smoke when I turn it on?
Usually old grease and food burning off the floor and walls. Clean it, and if it still smokes or you smell gas, stop using it and call a technician.