How to clean an oven: first, which oven is it?
The method depends on the inside of the oven, so find the manual or look the model up online.
Enamel is the plain, hard-wearing finish in most ovens, and it's what the steps below are for. Pyrolytic ovens heat themselves to burn residue to ash, so follow the manual and wipe out the ash once the oven's cold. Catalytic ovens have rough liners that break down grease on their own. Don't scrub those liners or spray them unless the manual says you can.
How to clean an enamel oven
Turn it off and let it go cold
Check the oven and the door are cool to the touch, and open a window or turn on the rangehood.
Take out the racks and trays
Lay an old towel in the laundry tub so they don't scratch it, then soak them in hot water with dishwashing liquid.
Spread the paste
Mix bicarb soda with a little water until it spreads. Coat the floor, sides, back and door, keeping it off the element, the fan and the door seal.
Leave it to work
The longer it sits, the less you'll scrub. Overnight is ideal for a grimy oven.
Lift it off
Use a plastic scraper and a damp cloth, then keep wiping with clean water until the white film is gone. A little white vinegar on the cloth helps with the last of it.
Finish the door glass
Paste, wait and wipe, the same as the inside. Some doors come apart so you can reach between the panes, but only do that if the manual shows how.
Scrub the racks and put it all back
Use a non-scratch pad, rinse, dry well, and check nothing is left on the element before you next turn it on.
If you use an oven cleaner spray
Better Health Channel lists oven cleaners among the household chemicals to watch out for. Read the label and follow it, wear the protective gear it recommends, such as gloves, goggles and a face mask, and work in a well ventilated area. Never spray cleaner into an oven that's still hot. Never mix it with bleach or other products, because chemicals can create a poisonous gas or liquid when mixed. For poisoning advice, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26. In an emergency, call 000.
When to add oven cleaning to a house clean
Moving out. Queensland's RTA lists the oven among the things tenants shouldn't forget, and it says grease isn't fair wear and tear. If the oven was clean when you moved in, plan to leave it that way. Your end of lease checklist has the rest of the kitchen, or use the bond clean checklist in Queensland.
A deep clean, or before a sale. It's often the one job that's been put off for years, and it sits right where buyers and guests look.
The oven add-on covers the inside of the oven and its racks and trays. A regular clean usually leaves it out, so tick it in the form. That way the business quotes the job the home really needs.
Oven cleaning to try yourself, and when to hand it over
Worth doing yourself
- A light clean with bicarb paste, with the oven cold.
- Soaking racks and trays overnight.
- Wiping up spills after each use, once the oven has cooled.
- Lining the tray under roasts so fat doesn't reach the floor.
Where a cleaning business earns its keep
- Years of baked-on, carbonised grease.
- An oven you need finished before a final inspection.
- Grills and rangehoods full of old fat.
- A home with little ones, when you'd rather not have strong products around.
Our advice on oven cleaning before you move out
Try the paste first. It's slow, but it's gentle on enamel and it gets you through a normal oven with no fumes. If you're moving out and the grease is years old, tick the oven as an add-on instead, and spend that evening on your boxes. Either way, take a photo of the clean oven before you hand back the keys.