Skip to content
Cha ching queen living a big life on a little budget.
  • DIYExpand
    • Clean Quickly
    • Clever Hacks With Household Items
    • Crafts & Projects
    • Home Improvement
  • Money MattersExpand
    • Make More Money
    • Spend Less Money
    • Manage Money Better
    • Reviews & Recommendations
    • Get Free Stuff
  • Eat WellExpand
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Appetizers, Sides, & Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Food Talk
  • Live LifeExpand
    • Health & Beauty
    • Cloth Diapering
    • Family And Relationships
    • Holidays & Gifts
  • Travel TipsExpand
    • Destinations
    • Attractions
    • Travel Hacks
  • About
  • Subscribe
Cha ching queen living a big life on a little budget.
ByErin Updated onJuly 23, 2024 Reading Time: 8 minutes
Home » DIY » Green Cleaning » How to Clean Oven with Vinegar and Baking Soda (and salt!)

How to Clean Oven with Vinegar and Baking Soda (and salt!)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the disclosure.

Share with your friends!
67.7k
SHARES
Facebook67.7kPinterestMessengerWhatsAppEmailShareFlipboardRedditSMSX
how to clean oven with vinegar, baking soda, and salt

Our oven gets pretty dirty and stinky over time.  In order to clean without harsh chemicals, I found a way to clean my oven with vinegar, baking soda, and salt.

As a breast cancer survivor and mom of 2 kids, I try to be careful about using too many chemicals.  I want to make sure the house is clean, but I prefer to clean using natural, organic, and non-toxic ingredients.

We use our oven a lot, and it gets pretty messy from exploded baked potatoes, cookie dough, juices, sauces, and more. So I wanted to learn how to clean my oven without harsh chemicals and use a natural oven cleaner with non-toxic products.

Since I have been using vinegar and baking soda to clean other things around the house (such as our toilets)  I thought, why not try it in the oven? Indeed, the best oven cleaner isn’t harsh nor expensive.

Now you can follow these easy directions to use a homemade oven cleaner and the simple directions on how to clean oven with vinegar and baking soda.

how to clean your oven naturally with vinegar, baking soda, and salt
Natural Oven Ckeaning

Table of Contents

  • How To Clean Oven Without Harsh Chemicals Overview
  • How To Clean an Oven with Vinegar and Baking Soda (and Salt!)
  • Materials
  • Mix Baking Soda, Water, And Course Salt Into A Paste
  • How To Clean The Oven Door
  • How To Clean Oven Glass And Between The Glass Panes On An Oven Door
  • How To Clean Oven Racks With Vinegar And Baking Soda
  • Let Everything Sit Overnight, Then Spray With Vinegar and Wipe Down
  • Finish Up
  • How To Clean A Self-Cleaning Oven
  • FAQ’s of Clean Ovens And Oven Cleaning Tips
  • Can You Use Cleaning Products In A Self-Cleaning Oven?
  • What If I Don’t Like The Smell Of Vinegar?
  • How To Prevent Your Oven From Getting Messy
  • Here Are Some Pictures Of My Oven Cleaning Process

How To Clean Oven Without Harsh Chemicals Overview

You can clean your oven easily without harsh chemicals by using vinegar, salt, and baking soda to make a natural oven cleaner.

cropped-how-to-clean-your-oven-without-chemicals-vinegar-and-baking-soda-cleaning-tips-683x1024-1.jpg

How To Clean an Oven with Vinegar and Baking Soda (and Salt!)

Easy Oven Cleaning without Harmful Chemicals
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Baking Soda Rest Time 1 minute min
Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Equipment

  • 1 Dirty Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Spray Bottle
  • â…“ C Coarse Salt
  • â…“ C Baking Soda
  • â…“ C White VInegar Add to Spray Bottle
  • â…– C Water Add to Spray Bottle
  • Water To mix in paste Amount will vary
  • Paper Towels or Cleaning Rag
  • Rubber Gloves Optional

Instructions
 

  • Make sure your oven is off and cooled down
  • Mix baking soda, water, and course salt into a paste
  • Remove the oven racks
  • Cover the inside of oven with the cleaning paste
  • Clean the oven doors
  • Clean the racks with baking soda and vinegar
  • Submerge racks overnight in a sink with of vinegar and hot water
  • Spray everywhere you added paste with white vinegar and water mix
  • Wipe down the oven one last time
  • Replace the clean oven racks

Notes

If the smell of vinegar is too much, try adding lemon to the mixture to offset the smell.
  1. Make sure your oven is off and cooled down
  2. Mix baking soda, water, and course salt into a paste
  3. Remove the oven racks
  4. Cover the inside of oven with the cleaning paste
  5. Clean the oven doors
  6. Clean the racks with baking soda and vinegar
  7. Submerge racks overnight in a sink with of vinegar and hot water
  8. Spray everywhere you added paste with white vinegar and water mix
  9. Wipe down the oven one last time
  10. Replace the clean oven racks

Materials

  • spray bottle with a mixture of 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 water
  • coarse salt
  • baking soda
  • small bowl
  • paper towels
  • rubber gloves are optional

Mix Baking Soda, Water, And Course Salt Into A Paste

How much salt and baking soda to use to create your baking soda mixture depends on how much you want to coat your oven.  You will want to use enough salt and baking soda to cover the cleaning surface without any gaps.

In general I recommend starting with one cup of baking soda, 1/3 cup of water, and a 1/4 cup of course salt. You want the consistency to be that of a spreadable paste, not doughy.

Coat the inside of the oven with your baking soda paste. You can use a damp cloth, sponge, or paint brush. Be sure to coat the heating element, too if it’s an electric oven.

If it’s too runny, add more baking soda. Just sprinkle baking soda into the cleaning paste until it is the consistency of thick brownie batter.

Consider adding the salt optional to the baking soda mixture. The course salt acts somewhat like sandpaper and makes cleaning much easier.

The drawback is it’s messier to clean up and get all of the salt removed when you are finished because it doesn’t dissolve as quickly as the baking soda mix.

Just consider if you use salt you’ll use less elbow grease but will need a few more minutes to clean up salt.

How To Clean The Oven Door

how to clean the oven door

I have also been asked how to clean in between the double glass oven window.  For cleaning the glass oven door, you will want to be sure to spread the homemade oven cleaner of baking soda and vinegar on top of the oven glass.  If you have dirt between the glass, then that is a little more difficult.

How To Clean Oven Glass And Between The Glass Panes On An Oven Door

how to clean between the glass panes

I have not personally cleaned between the oven glass, but go to Today’s Homeowner to read how to do it.

To clean the oven glass, you can use a mixture of vinegar and water or a glass cleaner such as Windex..

How To Clean Oven Racks With Vinegar And Baking Soda

If you have very dirty oven racks, then you can clean your oven racks with vinegar and baking soda also.  First, remove the oven racks and sprinkle the baking soda on top of them.  Then, take your spray bottle and spray the oven racks with vinegar. 

Or for an easy way leave the white vinegar and baking soda covered oven racks to sit overnight.  In the morning, use an old towel or sponge to wipe off the racks.  Then, rinse with warm water. You can try dish soap instead of vinegar, but vinegar tends to work better than dishwashing liquid.

If your oven racks are very dirty and need something more heavy duty, than submerge them in vinegar and water in your sink. If they don’t fit consider your tub, but that is using a lot of vinegar and water! Leave the racks soaking overnight.

If they fit, you can also try to fit your racks in your dishwasher.

Let Everything Sit Overnight, Then Spray With Vinegar and Wipe Down

After the paste has sat overnight, you simply spray the dried paste with your spray bottle of vinegar and water. Watch the foaming magic happen and the grime melt away. Use a paper towel or a damp cloth to wipe away the foam and baking soda residue. There shouldn’t be much or any scrubbing or elbow grease.

Finish Up

Put the clean oven racks back in. Use a damp microfiber cloth or sponge to wipe down the control panel and knobs. Enjoy your sparkling clean oven.

How To Clean A Self-Cleaning Oven

how to clean a self cleaning oven

If you are wondering how to clean a self-cleaning oven, then here are things you need to know before starting.  The self-clean cycle works by using either very high temperatures or steam. It basically leaves you wish ash.

I prefer the vinegar, baking soda and water approach because it doesn’t leave ash nor such high heat.

If you want to clean a dirty oven with steam or a self-clean function using high temperatures, first, be sure to remove any large pieces and particles from the oven.  In addition, remove the racks to clean them later.

To clean a self-cleaning oven with high temperatures, be very careful that nothing is around the oven when it reaches the high temperatures.  Also, do not block the vent.

The time of year may also be a factor of when to use an oven’s self cleaning function. The temperature gets so hot it may not be worth heating your house that much more in the summer.

Alternatively the winter may be the perfect time of year to use an oven’s self cleaning function. Either way, we still prefer using the vinegar, baking soda, and salt mixture.

Since fumes can be strong, be sure to turn on fans and open windows when you are using the self-cleaning mode.  In addition, be mindful of any pets that will be in the house at the time and keep a close eye on them.

Make sure the oven cools before opening the door. Not only is it safer to let it cool but it also helps keep the smoke from puffing up into your face.

To clean with steam in the steam clean mode, distilled water is added to the oven and then the steam is used for cleaning.

FAQ’s of Clean Ovens And Oven Cleaning Tips

frequently asked questions

Can You Use Cleaning Products In A Self-Cleaning Oven?

It is not recommended to use cleaning products in a self-cleaning oven.

What If I Don’t Like The Smell Of Vinegar?

Depending on how sensitive you are the smell of lemons can help offset the vinegar smell. Try adding some lemon juice to the vinegar mixture.

How To Prevent Your Oven From Getting Messy

Now, to prevent the oven from getting super messy again, I’m going to buy one of these oven liners. You put the oven liners at the bottom of your oven and it collects all the spills. You can remove it, clean it with soap and water, and reuse it.

You can also put down a layer of aluminum foil at the bottom of your oven underneath the heating elements. Make sure the foil isn’t touching the heating elements.

Here Are Some Pictures Of My Oven Cleaning Process

vinegar, baking soda, salt inside an oven
oven with an open door
baking soda, vinegar, and salt
happy mama after oven cleaning

Share this image with friends on Pinterest!

Pinterest Pin - Easy Oven Cleaning

YouTube video

Trending Now

How Often Should You Clean Your House: Woman Cleaning Oven

How Often Should You Clean Your House? Room By Room Tips

Woman Doing Laundry Using Earth Breeze Laundry Sheets

Earth Breeze Review: Dehydrated Laundry Sheets

amazon prime box

My Secrets: How To Get Amazon Coupons, Discount Codes, Promo Codes, Free Stuff, and Deals

Text reads: "18 DIY Homemade Household Products you can easily make at home" in colorful handwritten-style font on a dark background.

18+ DIY Household Products You Can Make at Home

Amazon Gift Card

How To Save On Amazon Prime Membership + Prime Benefits

What To Teach Kids About Money

What To Teach Kids About Money: An Expert Weighs In

As Seen On
bloomberg logo
business insider logo
msn logo
usa today logo
family handy man logo
yahoo finance logo

  • Home
  • About
  • Press
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Disclosure and Terms of Service
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Web Stories
Email Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest

© 2025

ChaChingQueen does not provide individual or customized medical, legal, or financial advice. Since each individual's situation is unique, a qualified professional should be consulted about your specific situation before making financial and/or medical decisions.

Cha Ching Queen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

  • DIY
    • Clean Quickly
    • Clever Hacks With Household Items
    • Crafts & Projects
    • Home Improvement
  • Money Matters
    • Make More Money
    • Spend Less Money
    • Manage Money Better
    • Reviews & Recommendations
    • Get Free Stuff
  • Eat Well
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch & Dinner
    • Appetizers, Sides, & Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Food Talk
  • Live Life
    • Health & Beauty
    • Cloth Diapering
    • Family And Relationships
    • Holidays & Gifts
  • Travel Tips
    • Destinations
    • Attractions
    • Travel Hacks
  • About
  • Subscribe
Facebook X Instagram
Search
Share to
BufferCopyEmailFacebookFlipboardHacker NewsLineLinkedInMessengerMixPinterestPocketPrintRedditSMSSubscribeTelegramTumblrXVKWhatsAppXingYummly