The ribeye steak or roasted chicken you made for dinner last night turned out to be perfect but what about the amount grease it left behind in the oven? Needless to say, ovens take a lot of beating from creamy cheese to oil spills. So, what’s the easy way to get rid of the awful smell coming out of the oven?

Can I use dish soap to clean an oven? I believe a dish soap solution may be good enough if your oven is new or rarely used. But, if there are stubborn grease and oil stains, you will need to add baking soda, which works as a powerful and natural grease cutter.

While it may not be your favorite task that you love doing in spare time, it’s essential to keep your oven clean to make it last longer. So, follow the steps given below.

Steps To Use Dish Soap To Clean Oven

#1. First things first. Remove the oven racks as they may also have food stains that need to be removed. Fill warm water in a large tub or sink, add a few drops of eco-friendly liquid dish soap to it. Now, soak the oven racks in this solution until you clean the interior of the oven. The longer the racks stay submerged in the water, the easier it will be to scrub away the stains.

#2. Now prepare a natural oven cleaning solution by combining 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap, and water as needed. Make a thick paste-like consistency so that it sticks on the inner walls of the oven. I would suggest that you mix baking soda and liquid dish soap in a bowl and then add water as need to get the right consistency.

#3. Use a brush to remove any loose chunks of burnt food particles or dried grease at the bottom of the oven. Now, use the sponge to add a layer of the cleansing paste on the inner walls of the oven, including the top, bottom, and door area. Let the baking soda and dish soap sit for ten minutes to do their work.

#4. Now use a soft brush or sponge to scrub the inner surface of the oven to get rid of the crusty food particles and discolored spots. I would advise you to start from the door so that when you need to reach out to the inner areas, you don’t have to inhale the baking soda.

#5. Make sure you thoroughly scrub the top of the oven, then the walls and finally the bottom area which will inevitably have a lot of dirt accumulated in between. You may use a plastic pan to lift the thick deposits at the bottom of the oven. As the baking soda is mildly abrasive in nature, it will help you scrub out the most stubborn stains with ease.

#6. After you are done with scrubbing, properly rinse the remaining residue using a dry microfiber cloth.  The benefit of cleaning in this method is that the rinsing part can be easily accomplished without using any water. The baking soda and dish soap paste will probably dry out by this time so you just dust of them off with the cloth. If there is any residue remaining, use a dampened cloth to wipe the inner walls and door.

#7. The oven racks have been soaking in the soapy solution for a long time by now so the stubborn food particles and stains will be easier to remove. Use a  soft cloth, wet rag or a scrub brush to gently rub the oven racks. If the racks look a bit discolored, there’s not much to worry but if you want them shining like new then a baking soda paste can be the solution. When you are done, rinse them in clear water and wipe with a dry cloth before putting back inside the oven.

#8.Now that you have cleaned the inner surface of the oven, don’t leave the exterior dirty. Whether the external body is enamel or stainless steel coated, you can use vinegar to clean the outer surface. Take a spray bottle and put some undiluted white vinegar into it. Spray the solution on soft cotton and wipe the outer area to remove any fingerprints, food or grease stains. You may also use vinegar to clean the oven glass, both outside as well as inside.

3 Alternative Homemade Cleansers For Oven

# Using lemon and water

Take two ripe and juicy lemons and cut them into halves. Fill a baking dish, about one-third with water and squeeze all the lemon juice into it. You may put the outer skin of the lemon in the baking dish. If you can’t find lemons, you may use other citrus fruits like oranges.

Now put the dish inside the oven and adjust the temperature to 250°F. Let the oven run for 30 minutes for regular cleaning and if there are stubborn buildups, leave it for more than 30 minutes.

Take the dish out of the oven and you will notice that lemon water has worked as a natural grease cutter to loosen the buildups on the oven walls. Wait for a few minutes for the oven to cool down before you start your cleaning process. Use a spatula to remove the large chunks and a gentle scrubber to scrub out the loosened, yet stubborn stains.

You may use the remaining lemon water in the dish to further clean the oven. Just dab a sponge into it and wash off the remaining dirt and grime. Continue scrubbing until the oven is squeaky clean. Now, you may use a soft towel to remove any traces of moisture from the oven.

# Using Vinegar and Salt

This natural cleaning method may be used as a quick solution to clean the oven while it’s still warm. If you have spilled something while baking, why wait until it turns into a stubborn mess? If the oven is not cold, turn it on at 150°F to warm up the body.

Next, sprinkle some regular table salt on the oven floor. No need to completely cover the bottom area. Just a little bit is enough. Dampen a sponge or rag and scrub the floor while the oven is still warm. Make sure you wear kitchen gloves on your hands as the oven surface is still hot.

Scrub until buildups get loosened and come off the surface. Remove the buildup and finish off by spraying vinegar solution to the inner walls. Use a dampened rag to remove the buildup and a paper towel to dry the oven at last.

#Using Baking soda, Hydrogen Peroxide And Dish Soap

This cleansing solution can be made of 3 tablespoons of baking soda, one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide, and one tablespoon of dish wash soap.

Mix together the above three ingredients to make a thick paste. Apply it evenly on the inner walls of the oven and make sure the stubborn spots are well covered.

Now, let the paste sit for about 20 minutes and maybe a little longer for very stubborn stains. Scrub gently using a scrubbing pad and remove the buildups.

Wipe clean with a dampened sponge or microfiber cloth. Dry the area properly using a dry soft cloth or paper towel. This can be a secondary answer to the question ‘can I use dish soap to clean oven’. You can but you need extra ingredients like the ones mentioned above to tackle the stubborn stains.

Six Essential Tools And Equipment To Clean Oven

Whether you use a commercial oven cleaner or a homemade cleaning solution, you will need the following tools and equipment for the job.

#1. Rubber hand gloves: Cleaning oven with include a lot of scrubbing and removing loosened grease builds ups. Wear a pair of rubberized hand gloves to prevent your hands from getting dirty or smelly.

#2. Old newspapers or rag cloth: Oven cleaning is a messy job and there will be a lot of greasy materials falling on the kitchen floor. So, cover your kitchen floor with old newspaper, rags and old clothes before applying any cleaning products.

#3. Blunt butter knife or spoon: You may need these tools to remove the loosened buildups of the caked residue of food. They make it easier to deal with tough stains and dirt.

#4. Toothbrush or Paintbrush: If you are using a homemade paste for cleaning your oven, use a wide paintbrush or toothbrush to reach every corner. You may also use a spray bottle to spray vinegar on the hard to reach areas

#5. Microfibre Cloth: No matter what type of cleaning agent you use, the final step usually includes wiping the oven clean with a dampened soft cloth. I suggest using a microfibre cloth that won’t leave behind ugly fibers on the oven.

#6. Scrubbing Pad or Brush: You may use your regular dishwashing brush or scrubber pad to loosen up the buildup of grease or food particles without causing any damage.

Related Questions

How to clean the glass door in the oven?

If you just need to clean the glass door, combine 3 tbsp of baking soda with a little water to make a paste. Spread it over the glass door, wait for 20-25 minutes and then wipe clean. You can finish off by spraying vinegar on the glass to remove any baking soda residue.

Is baking soda and vinegar mix effective?

When baking soda and vinegar are mixed, it creates a chemical reaction resulting in bubbles which actually neutralizes each other. As a result, it is not effective at cleaning oven. You may use vinegar, at last, to wipe off any remaining residue.

Are self-cleaning ovens a better choice?

While they cannot really auto clean by themselves, they can do a lot of preparation work to make it easier for you to clean. As the self-cleaning mode is turned on, the inner temperature of the oven reaches 900 degrees Fahrenheit which is enough to turn the caked food particles into ash. When the self-cleaning cycle is over and the machine cools down, you can remove the debris and wipe the ashy residue with a damp cloth or sponge.