Best Oven Cleaner For Tough Stains. Which Is Best For You?

Helen Skeates
Helen Skeates
27 min read

Kitchen appliances like ovens must be cleaned on a regular basis to keep the kitchen working smoothly. Applying oven cleanser, waiting for it to dissolve, and then wiping away the mess are the best ways to remove baked-on, rock-hard debris. Trying to scrape it off can scratch and harm interior oven surface.

The best oven cleaner works quickly and doesn’t leave smelly or hazy residue behind. This list of top choices considers common uses for oven cleaner and reviews the formulas so you can choose the one that is right for you.

Contents

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Oven Cleaner

The best oven cleaner is fast and doesn’t leave a lingering odor or haze. In order to help you find the best oven cleaner, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular brands and reviewed their formulas.

Best oven cleaners to tackle glass and metal in 2021 | The Independent

Cleaner that doesn’t leave behind an unpleasant smell or residue is the best for ovens. Oven cleaners have a wide variety of applications, and this list of the best ones examines those applications and the formulas available so that you can make an informed decision.

Intended Use

The finest oven cleaner is fast and doesn’t leave a lingering odor or blurry residue behind. In order to help you find the best oven cleaning for your needs, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular options and reviewed their formulae.

Most people do not need or want a powerful oven cleanser that also comes with an unpleasant chemical smell when they are looking for an oven cleaner to use. Use the mildest cleaning that can nevertheless remove carbon deposits and burnt-on stains in the majority of cases.

Application and Texture

When it comes to cleaning an oven after a variety of disasters, different approaches are needed. Some cleaners are better suited for specific oven cleaning jobs than others, and there are a few different sorts of cleaners to choose from. Customers can locate items for use in either a hot or cold oven in the categories listed below. A number of products can be used at either a hot or cold temperature, with the chilly option taking longer to function. The majority of these items can also be used to disinfect the inside of an oven or a stove’s burners.

  • Using a concentrated solvent to clean your oven on a regular basis makes sense. Before applying this product to the oven, it needs to be diluted with water. Using a concentrated cleaner has the advantage of allowing the concentration to be increased for very severe burn-on stains. They’re also reasonably priced and come in large containers that may be used to clean large industrial kitchens.
  • Spray and wipe away with a sponge or soft cloth when the substance has had time to operate. Many oven cleaners are available in spray form, and each requires a varied amount of time to dry. Spray cleansers can be used in a variety of ways because they don’t require any mixing.
  • When it comes to cleaning vertical oven walls, foam oven cleaner sprays are more effective than liquid cleaners because the spray swells into a foam that sticks, rather from dripping down the oven walls. The dissolved debris and foam are easily removed by wiping with a damp cloth, just as with liquid sprays. When cleaning oven windows, foam is a great option because of its ability to stick and dissolve carbon stains. This makes it easy to remove them from the glass.
  • When it comes to cleaning small places, like a burnt-on spot in an otherwise clean oven, paste cleaners shine. When a spill occurs, a paste is applied straight to it. Cleaning up is as simple as wiping it away once it melts.
  • It would be a travesty to overlook the convenience of self-cleaning ovens when discussing oven cleaning options. After locking the oven door, cooks can activate this feature by selecting the self-cleaning option. In contrast to when using a chemical cleaner, the oven racks do not need to be removed during the self-cleaning procedure. With its high temperature of almost 900 degrees, the oven is capable of removing even the most stubborn messes without the use of chemicals. These cycles normally take two to four hours to complete, and the oven stays locked during this time.

Natural vs. Chemical Ingredients

There were many oven cleaners on the market before the last decade or so that contained caustic chemicals that filled the kitchen with foul-smelling odors. Chemical oven cleansers are still popular because of their ability to remove even the most persistent of burnt-on stains, but there are a few options that use less toxic, natural substances.

Baking soda, vinegar, and lemon may be included in several of these environmentally friendly cleaners. Even while natural components tend to be weaker than synthetic ones, they can still be useful and environmentally benign when the pollution is small. It is also less fragrant to use an oven cleaner made of natural substances rather than one that contains chemicals.

Application Time

The length of time it takes an oven cleaner to remove heat-hardened messes varies on the thickness of the mess, the product’s strength, and whether the oven is heated. Depending on the severity of the filth, some oven cleaners can be applied and kept on for as little as 15 minutes, while others need to be left on overnight. When it comes to cleaning and baking, having a few different types of oven cleaners on hand is a good idea.

Our Top Picks

These powerful cleaners are strong enough to remove stubborn, oily, and sticky stains from your oven without causing any harm to the appliance.

Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner 14.5oz Aerosol Can

Product Details

  • Type: Foam
  • Chemicals vs. Natural Products: Chemicals
  • Deep cleaning takes 5-20 minutes; spot cleaning takes 30 seconds.

Pros

  • Contains three cans
  • Suitable for heavy-duty cleaning or for use as a blotter.
  • Oven doors, racks, and internal walls can all benefit from this product.

Cons

  • There have been some complaints from consumers who have problems using the spray nozzles.

Member’s Mark Oven, Grill, and Fryer Cleaner

Product Details

  • Type: Foam/spray
  • Chemicals vs. Natural Products: Chemicals
  • Application time ranges from a few seconds to a few minutes.

Pros

  • This set includes three 32-ounce spray bottles and a foam trigger spray.
  • Works well with heated objects.
  • Can be used on ovens, grills, and fryers
  • Can be used on ovens, grills, and fryers

Oven, grill and fryer compatible

  • After use, some customers claim paint damage.

Stax Astonish Oven & Cookware Cleaner Paste

Product Details

  • Type: Paste
  • Chemicals vs. Natural Products: Chemicals
  • Worked instantly after application

Pros

  • Non-animal testing formula
  • Light scraping is all that’s required.
  • High-strength, baked-on food/mishap resistant
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Non-stick pans and surfaces should not be used with this product.

Easy-Off Professional Fume Free Max Oven Cleaner

Product Details

  • Type: Spray
  • Chemicals vs. Natural Products: Chemicals
  • Application Time: 40 minutes.

Pros

  • Contains two 12-ounce cans
  • No scrubbing is required.
  • No noxious odors are released.
  • Leaves a lemony smell in the air.

Cons

  • Worked for a long time

Easy Off Professional Fume Free Max Oven Cleaner, Lemon 24 Ounce (Pack of 1) - Walmart.com

Carbona 2-In-1 Oven Rack and Grill Cleaner

Product Details

  • Type: Liquid
  • Chemicals vs. Natural Products: Chemicals
  • Estimated Processing Time: Eight Hours

Pros

  • Disposable gloves and cleaning solution are included.
  • Either stainless steel or enameled steel can be used for racks and barbecues.
  • There’s no need to scrub.

Cons

  • Rack cleaning takes a long time.
  • The provided bags can only hold 1-2 racks.
  • Soaking may necessitate a few turns of the soaking vessel.

Astonish Oven and Cookware Cleaner

  • Type: Wipes
  • Chemicals vs. Natural: It’s Natural.
  • Worked instantly after application

Pros

  • Formula that is cruelty-free, vegan, and free of toxins.
  • Multiple surfaces can be used.
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Wipes are single-use only.

Diversey Breakup Oven Cleaner CBD991206

Product Details

  • Type: Spray
  • Chemicals vs. Natural Products: Chemicals
  • Immediately after contact to within a few minutes (deep clean)

Pros

  • On the spot, it begins to clean; a deep clean typically takes 1-2 minutes.
  • Effective against even the most tenaciously adhered grease and filth
  • A nozzle that sprays at an angle is used.
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Use with caution on cast iron, aluminum, painted surfaces, or anything else that could get too hot.

Method, Spray Kitchen Degreaser, 28 Ounce

Product Details

  • Type: Spray
  • Chemicals vs. Natural: It’s Natural.
  • Immediately after touch for up to 3 minutes (deep clean)

Pros

  • It is a safe, plant-based formula.
  • an easily-adjusted spray nozzle
  • Multiple surfaces can be used.
  • Light, lemongrass-like aromas are left behind.

Cons

  • Grease stains and spills may not be suitable for this product.

Our Verdict

It can be difficult to pick the best oven cleaner from the numerous on the market. Easy Off Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner is one of the best solutions because of its foam consistency, ability to clean spots and thorough cleans, and the three included cans. The restaurant-grade Member’s Mark oven cleaner can clean ovens, grills, and fryers in as little as 1-5 minutes, and it works on hot surfaces.

How We Chose the Best Oven Cleaners

We looked at the most popular oven cleaners and found that the best ones are simple to use, quick to work, can be used on a variety of surfaces, and have additional special characteristics.

Based on the above list, the best oven cleaners are chemical or natural sprays and foams which take little time to clean and can usually be used on oven racks, doors, and walls as well as cookware, broilers, and other kitchen appliances. Pastes and wipes, albeit less common, can be used to quickly and effectively remove grease and other liquid spills from a surface.

No matter the type, most oven cleaners work on contact or take up to 40 minutes to break down grease and baked-on food residue. The best oven cleaners also emit no toxic fumes or leave a light lemon or lemongrass scent after use. For the eco-conscious consumer, some oven cleaners are even vegan and cruelty-free.

Use Baking Soda to Clean Your Oven

When it comes to oven cleansers, most of them either break down fat and baked-on food residue right away or take up to 40 minutes to accomplish their job properly. Toxic emissions are avoided, and a pleasant lemongrass or limegrass aroma is left behind after cleaning the oven with the best oven cleansers. There are even vegan and cruelty-free oven cleansers out there for the environmentally conscious shopper.

A Natural Oven Cleaner Without Harsh Chemicals

When it comes to oven cleansers, most of them either break down fat and baked-on food residue right away or take up to 40 minutes to do so. After cleaning your oven, look for a product that doesn’t release any harmful gases or leave behind a smell like lemon or lemongrass. Some oven cleaners are even vegan and cruelty-free for the eco-conscious consumer.

Naturally, you don’t have to wear gloves when using this alternative to conventional oven cleansers. Additionally, it is much less expensive than spray-on oven cleaners and doesn’t leave behind a chemical residue that can generate unpleasant aromas when you use your oven again.

Basic Oven Cleaning with Baking Soda

When it comes to getting rid of baked-on oil, nothing beats baking soda because it’s non-toxic, cheap, and simple to use. Oven oil formed from food particles is acidic, but baking soda is alkaline. Allows you to clean without a lot of effort because baking soda neutralizes acids and breaks down grease. It’s also a mild abrasive, which makes it ideal for removing dried-on meals. After cleaning with baking soda, you can use your oven right away without having to turn it on first.

Most of the time, baking soda does its magic in just 15 minutes, allowing you to clean your oven while binge-watching your favorite sitcom.

A simple baking soda cleaning formula is as follows for ovens that are frequently cleaned or only mildly soiled:

Ingredients:

  • Do not use any other baking soda, such as baking powder, salt, or citric acid.
  • Water, 3 tbsp.

Instructions

  • Combine the ingredients in a small bowl to produce a pancake batter-like mixture.
  • Remove the oven racks.
  • It’s best to apply paste to metal and glass using a rubber spatula or gloved hand. Stay away from anything with a flame.
  • Take a few minutes to let the paste to cool down before applying it.
  • Use moist paper towels to remove the paste and any loose debris or grease.
  • Use a moist paper towel and water or a 3:1 solution of water and distilled vinegar to clean the inside of the oven.

Repeat as necessary, or use the heavy-duty procedure below if the stain is really stubborn.

Heavy Duty Oven Cleaning with Baking Soda

That much is obvious. Cleaning the oven isn’t always a top priority for us. Oven cleanings might be put off for months or even years at a time. It’s a real possibility. To get your oven shining again, you can use baking soda to remove the most stubborn stains. Alternatively, you might try this recipe:

  • Arm and HammerTM Baking Soda weighs 1 pound.
  • 1 tbsp. of sea salt (regular table salt is fine)
  • Add 2 tbsp. of water.

Add water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until a thick, sandy paste forms, about the consistency of cake frosting. An oven floor can be cleaned with this recipe. If you’re covering the entire back, sides, roof, and floor of the oven, multiply the recipe by three.

Take out the oven trays. Use a spatula to spread the paste over the metal or glass surfaces. Leave it overnight in the oven with the door closed. By morning, the paste will have hardened.

Once the paste is hardened, use the rubber spatula and warm, wet paper towels to loosen and wipe up the baking soda and dirt. You’ll reveal the oven’s original, stain-free surface underneath and your oven will have gone through an extreme makeover.

Cleaning Your Oven with Baking Soda and Vinegar

To remove the baking soda and grime, use a rubber spatula and warm, wet paper towels once the paste has dried. An extensive makeover will reveal the original, stain-free surface of the oven and you’ll be pleased with the results.

  • Apply a generous amount of baking soda on the stain.
  • Use water or a 3:1 combination of water and white vinegar as a spritzer. Baking soda will bubble up if you use vinegar instead of water.
  • After your oven has cooled down, let it to sit for 15-20 minutes.
  • Wet paper towels work well for cleaning up baking soda and other dissolved food.
  • A 3:1 water to vinegar solution can be used to clean the oven’s interior.
  • Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

“Self-Clean” Your Oven with Baking Soda

Next time you need to clean your oven and are tempted to use the self-cleaning cycle, resist the impulse! It is common for self-cleaning cycles to produce unpleasant scents and to activate your fire alarm. A high oven temperature is used to burn off the food, however this isn’t always successful and can actually cause the dish to overcook.

Arm & HammerTM Baking Soda comes in an orange box, so you can have the power of science right at your fingertips. A clean oven can be achieved in as little as 15 minutes, without the need of harsh gases, caustic chemicals, or the inconvenience of putting your oven out of use for hours. All you have to do to remove food stains is wipe them away after they’ve been broken down by baking soda.

Oven cleaning is no longer a dreadful task thanks to ARM & HAMMERTM Baking Soda.

The Must-Dos (and 4 Definite Don’ts) When Cleaning an Oven

Dedicated home cooks don’t just crank up their ovens around the holidays but all year long. Many of the things that don’t make it to the dinner table end up in the oven, including food splatters and trash. Remains left unattended will dry and harden to the point that a soapy rag will not remove them. Deep cleaning an oven every three to six months is vital to prevent food from burning, which could harm the flavor of your dish or even start a fire. Consider the pros and cons of various cleaning methods before tackling your oven.

DON’T assume that all oven components can be cleaned.

To avoid an oven malfunction, read your oven’s manual to find out which parts can be cleaned and which can’t. To avoid scratching or igniting a smoldering ember or flame, avoid cleaning around the oven’s heating elements on the roof and floor. Cleaning the flexible gasket on the inside of the oven door, which stops heat from escaping, is an important part of maintaining an oven’s heat seal as well.

DON’T use chemical-based cleansers in self-cleaning ovens.

Manufacture sure to check your oven’s handbook if you’d prefer purchase than make an oven cleaner. There are some self-cleaning ovens that are safe to use chemical-based cleansers in, but not all conventional ovens. Carbona Biodegradable Oven Cleaner, which is available on Amazon, is a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to more harmful, chemical-laden oven cleaners that can be purchased over the counter.

DO choose gentle DIY oven cleansers.

Oven cleaners made from pantry ingredients can be manufactured for free, natural, and non-damaging to ovens by homeowners who want to keep their kitchen chemical-free. Clean the oven components using the cleanser that is best suitable for them:

  • You’ll need a spray bottle filled with white vinegar and a package of baking soda (enough to sprinkle an eighth-inch coating over the racks). Do not combine them until you’re ready to clean.
  • Walls, ceiling, and floors of oven: In a large basin, mix together 2 cups baking soda with 3/4 cup water and 8 to 16 drops of essential oil, if desired, to make a spreadable paste.

A certain jobs are better left to the experts.

DO start with a cool, empty oven.

A good rule of thumb is to wait until it is entirely cool before cleaning an oven to avoid getting burned. To make cleaning the unit’s ceiling, floor, and walls easier, remove all pots, pans, and oven racks from the oven. Similarly, use a spatula to gently scrape away any loose food remains or large bits of food debris from the oven chamber.

DO pre-soak individual oven components to cut cleaning time.

Save time and effort by applying your DIY cleaner to each individual oven component before cleaning and allowing it to soak up a length of time before beginning the actual cleaning process. In this way, you won’t have to use a lot of elbow grease when cleaning an oven. Following the pre-soak routine for the oven component you need to clean, put on gloves and begin the cleaning process.

  • If you don’t have a bathtub or a large kitchen sink, you can put the racks side-by-side in an empty bathtub and sprinkle each one with a one-eighth-inch-thick layer of baking soda and then spritz it with vinegar. The racks should be submerged in hot water for at least an hour after the baking soda stops foaming.
  • Use a gloved hand to apply your homemade oven cleanser to the internal oven walls, roof, and floor, avoiding the heating elements on the roof and floor. Take out the baking soda paste and let it to cool before using.
  • Any homemade oven cleaner left over should be applied evenly to any oven window glass on the inside of the oven’s door. Allow for a 15-minute pause.

DO tailor your cleaning techniques to each oven component.

There are a variety of cleaning tools and techniques that must be used for each oven component after it has been pre-soaked. First, work on the oven window glass, then the chamber surfaces, and finally the racks, which required the most time to soak. Then, work your way around to the other surfaces of the oven.

  • Wipe the loosened filth off the oven window glass with a damp microfiber cloth in a single direction to leave a streak-free shine. Rinse and dry the window glass to eliminate any remaining baking soda paste.
  • Wipe the oven sidewalls, roof, and floor with a moist sponge, starting at the top and working your way down, so that ash pieces fall to the oven floor. From the back to the front, clean the chamber’s roof and floor. Wipe dry the sponge after rinsing with clean water and repeating the process until no baking soda is left.
  • After draining the tub, use a towel to brush each oven rack perpendicular to the grates to remove loose debris. Before putting them back in the oven, make sure the racks are clean and dry.

DON’T use the self-clean feature when you’re on hosting duty.

You may choose to perform a self-clean cycle on your oven instead of manually cleaning it if it has a self-clean mode that blasts high heat or steam throughout the oven interior to remove hardened food residues. Self-cleaning cycles may cause your oven to be out of operation for anywhere between 30 minutes and six hours, emit burning scents or fumes into the kitchen, short a thermal fuse, or even burn out a heating element when too much heat is generated. Keep this in mind before starting one. Your self-clean cycles are best scheduled before or after entertaining large dinners, and you should utilize it no more than five times per year. Run a self-clean cycle in accordance with the oven’s instructions. The oven should be cleaned using a water-dampened rag when the cycle is finished.

DO use baking soda to stave off smoke from fresh oven spills.

In order to avoid a spill or food debris from smoking during a broil or bake session, immediately put on an oven mitt, open the oven door, and sprinkle baking soda over the liquid or food debris directly in the front of the oven floor.

Turn off your oven and allow it to cool completely if the spill isn’t in a readily accessible area or if it’s already smoking due to the spill burning. Finally, open the oven’s door, remove any remaining dirt with tongs, and use a sponge moistened in soapy water to clean the oven chamber.

DON’T use aluminum foil to protect your oven floor.

Many unsuspecting homeowners line the bottom of their ovens with a sheet of aluminum foil to help catch food spills and avoid sullying their oven floor. But the truth is that aluminum foil can reflect heat or block heat in both electric and gas ovens, leading to undercooked or overcooked food. Worse, it can melt onto the oven floor and permanently damage your oven.

Line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil to catch food messes and keep your oven floor clean and shiny. Truth be told though, aluminum foil can cause food to be underdone or overdone by refracting heat in electric and gas ovens. If it gets on the oven floor, it might permanently harm the appliance.

FAQs

Leaving oven spills to accumulate can cause smoke and aromas to permeate baked items, as well as spark fires. When it comes to cleaning an oven, it doesn’t have to be a tedious chore. Inexperienced oven cleaners may have some queries about what to look for in a new product.

7 Best Oven Cleaners 2021 - Best Oven Cleaning Products

Q: Will oven cleaner damage a self-cleaning oven?

It might very well happen. An oven’s internal liner can be damaged if a cleaner is used within it; this can interfere with how well an oven cleans on its own.

Q: Should I use the oven cleaner on a hot oven?

If you’re unsure whether a particular cleaning is safe to use in a hot oven, be sure to check the label.

Q: How do I get baked-on grease off my oven?

Method Spray Kitchen Degreaser, our “Best Scent” option in this category, is a great choice for dissolving oily messes.

Q: What is the fastest way to clean the bottom of the oven?

Place a kettle of boiling water on the lowest rack of the oven and shut the door for 15 minutes before using the oven cleaning. You’ll be able to get the oven cleaner to work quickly and effectively thanks to heated steam. Using a cloth or sponge and gloves, scrub or wipe away cleaner, filth, and grease for the appropriate amount of time after applying the cleaner.

Helen Skeates

Helen Skeates

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