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 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 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.
Video for Green Cleaning
Here’s a quick preview of what you will learn while reading this post.
Now you can follow these easy directions to use a natural oven cleaner and the simple directions on how to clean oven with vinegar and baking soda.
First, we will talk about the different types and oven and then you’ll learn how to clean yours based on the type you have.
- Jump to different types of ovens.
- Jump to cleaning standard ovens.
- Jump to how to clean self-cleaning ovens.
Different Types of Ovens
Before we get started, let’s talk about the different types of ovens and in which cases you should not use this cleaning method for your oven.
Here are the 4 categories of ovens.
- electric ovens
- gas ovens
- convection ovens
- fancy ovens
Electric ovens have heating elements attached to the walls of the oven. Although these types of ovens cost more than other kids, they are the easiest to use and easiest to clean. In addition, they can be convection or conventional ovens.
Although gas ovens are cheaper than electric ovens, you will need a gas hook-up. If you do not already have a gas hook up, then this will be an additional cost to factor. The problem with gas ovens is that they tend to cook unevenly and brown baking items.
Convection ovens cook food more evenly and faster than other ovens. These types of ovens use fans to circulate the air and usually require a lower temperature for cooking.
Fancy ovens have more or all of the bells and whistles. Not only are there self-cleaning ovens, now there are ovens that steam, warm, and have programmable options. If you have a self-cleaning oven, you need to take extra caution when using any types of cleaners in your oven. Please read your oven manuals before you use any type of oven cleaner.
How to Your Clean Oven with Baking Soda and Vinegar
You can clean your oven easily without chemicals by using vinegar, salt, and baking soda to make a natural oven cleaner.
Or, you can also buy green cleaning products.
Here’s a step-by-step video on how to clean with baking soda and vinegar.
How to clean oven with vinegar, baking soda, and salt step-by-step instructions
Materials
- spray bottle with a mixture of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 water
- coarse salt
- baking soda
For natural, green cleaning, follow these steps to clean an oven with vinegar, baking soda, and salt.
- 2 cups vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup coarse salt
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 spray bottle
- 1 towel or rag
-
Remove the oven racks.
-
Generously spray the whole oven including the inside of the door with the vinegar/water mixture.
-
Sprinkle baking soda everywhere putting more on any caked on food particles.
-
Sprinkle a thick layer of course salt over the baking soda.
-
Spray again with the vinegar/water. You'll hear a nice bubbling sound from the reaction of the vinegar and baking soda.
-
Leave it to sit overnight.
-
With the coarse side of the sponge scrub the oven. You'll see how easily everything comes up. This was amazing to me!
-
Spray again with vinegar/water to help remove everything.
-
Wipe the oven with old towels or paper towels.
That’s it! After following these directions you will have a nice shiny oven and a happy mama. At least I know I was a happy mama. Yea!
Then, use oven liners and baking mats to keep your oven clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ratio of vinegar to baking soda and amounts of other natural cleaning products?
I have been asked, what ratio of products to use or how much salt and baking soda to use. The short answer is, “a lot!” But really, you will want to use enough salt and baking soda to cover the cleaning surface without any gaps.
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, you will want to be sure to spread the natural oven cleaner of baking soda and vinegar on top of the 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
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, spray the oven racks with vinegar. If your oven racks are very dirty, submerge them in the vinegar.
Leave the 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.
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. Most self-cleaning ovens clean by using either very high temperatures or steam.
If you want to clean with steam or 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.
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.
To clean with steam in the steam clean mode, distilled water is added to the oven and then the steam is used for cleaning.
Can you use cleaning products in a self-cleaning oven?
It is not recommended to use cleaning products in a self-cleaning oven.
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 it 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.
Here are some pictures of my own oven cleaning process.
Share this image with friends on Pinterest!
