How to Deep Clean Your Oven With Baking Soda and Vinegar

From sauces that bubbled over to drips of burnt-on gooey cheese, your oven is a canvas for spills and splatters of all kinds. But tackling this appliance doesn't have to be a heavy lift, and you don't need to spend extra money on harsh cleaning products. In fact, all you need to make your oven sparkle again is simple—two pantry staples you probably already have on hand: baking soda and vinegar.

We spoke to a cleaning expert to learn how to clean an oven effectively and safely with these household ingredients. Read on, and you'll have a sparkling oven again in no time.

The Benefits of Pantry Ingredients

"These ingredients are great, all-natural cleaning agents, especially in place of many conventional oven cleaners, which can often leave harmful residual vapors in your oven," says Melissa Poepping, q natural cleaning expert and the author of the Chemical Free Home series. Both non-toxic and safe to use around food surfaces, baking soda (a natural alkali) and vinegar (a natural acid) work together to help lift off stubborn stains and grease for easy wiping.

And if the smell of vinegar turns you off, Poepping says you can easily enhance your homemade oven cleaners with two to three drops of essential oil, particularly tea tree oil, which acts as a natural degreaser. "For cleaning the oven glass, I also like to make a spray of equal parts water and distilled white vinegar with a few drops of added lemon oil for scent," she says.

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Gather Supplies

To get started, you will need the following supplies:

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Dishwashing liquid
• Paint brush
• Plastic scraper
• Soft cloths
• Scouring pads
• Gloves and protective eyewear
• Aluminum foil (to protect oven interior openings, lights, and heating elements)
  

Optional Supplies

• Essential oil to add scent to vinegar solution
• Towels for soaking racks
• Old toothbrush to scrub nooks and crannies

Make a Baking Soda Paste

Stir together 3/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup warm water. If you add any essential oils, you can do so here (two to three drops should suffice, but you may add more if desired).

Clean Oven Racks

Always take your racks out even if you use your oven's self-cleaning function; the heat during the cycle can warp them. Once removed, let them sit in warm water with dishwashing liquid for a few hours in a sink or bathtub lined with towels to prevent any surfaces from getting scratched. Scrub racks with a scouring pad, and then rinse well and dry.

Apply the Baking Soda Paste

Whether you have an electric or gas oven, avoid getting paste on light and heating elements, thermostat, wiring, and any openings in the oven with foil. Using a paintbrush, spread the paste throughout the oven's interior, avoiding bare metal surfaces and the oven door.

To get into tight corners and tough spots, you can use an old toothbrush. For a deep clean, leave for 12 to 24 hours.

Remove the Baking Soda Paste

Remove the paste with a plastic scraper, wetting as needed. Wipe with a damp cloth, repeating to remove streaks.

Wipe the Door

Using a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar, clean the oven door and glass with a soft cloth. Avoid getting the gasket wet.

How Often to Clean Your Oven

As for how often you should really be cleaning your oven? Poepping recommends every few weeks, though this will vary depending on how often you use it. And while the self-cleaning function can be a great "quick-fix" cleaning alternative, it's not the only maintenance you should give this kitchen workhorse. "You should still aim to deep clean your oven regularly," says Poepping. "Think of it as less of a chore and more of a preservation of your appliance. You likely spent a lot of money on your oven; why shouldn't it be well taken care of?"