• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bren Did

  • Tasty Recipes
    • Healthy Muffins
  • Green Cleaning
  • Natural Bath & Body
  • Easy Crafts & DIY
    • Fortune Tellers
    • Holiday Crafts
  • Free Printables
  • About
    • Policies & Disclosures
    • Contact
Home » Finding the Best Oven Cleaner: 8 Homemade Natural Oven Cleaners Tested & Rated

Finding the Best Oven Cleaner: 8 Homemade Natural Oven Cleaners Tested & Rated

Published September 5, 2019 27 comments >>

  • 38
  • 3.2K
best oven cleaner collage pin

Cleaning your oven (and oven glass) doesn’t have to involve a lot of time or effort. We tested 8 of the most popular natural oven cleaners to find the best oven cleaner. Learn the easy, healthy way to clean your oven and oven glass today!

clean stainless steel oven

The oven is a kitchen spaces that always seems to be forgotten… until it is so grimy and dirty that you’re shamed into completing the task.

Those mystery splatters and blackened bits seem to build up overnight!

When we moved into our current house we purchased a beautiful new gas oven that I vowed to keep sparkling clean… then life happened!

8 oven cleaners tested on oven door

What can I use to clean my oven?

If you own a self-cleaning oven, you can run the auto-clean setting occasionally to keep your oven clean. This setting uses an extremely high temperature to burn the oven clean (you wipe the remaining ashes out when the oven cools). Auto-clean works fine, but it makes my oven glass look even dirtier, takes hours to complete, and makes the kitchen HOT and smelly.

There had to be a better solution!

I began to search for a homemade oven cleaner that would get the oven (and oven glass) sparking clean with no scrubbing and no harsh chemicals.  (The fumes from commercial oven cleaners give me a terrible headache and make the house smell for days!)

But there were so many oven cleaning tutorials and such conflicting advice on Pinterest and Google that I was overwhelmed!

oven cleaner test results

The Best Oven Cleaner Experiment

I decided to test the 8 most popular no scrub oven cleaners online to find the best oven cleaner. The oven cleaner had to be made with safe, all-natural ingredients and require no scrubbing.

Methodology

Each oven cleaner was tested on the same surface (a grimy oven door) and using same process to test each cleaner:

  1. The oven door was divided into 8 sections using painters tape. Each section was numbered with a post it note. (Yes, I’m a nerd.)
  2. Each diy oven cleaner was prepared in a separate, clean bowl then applied to one section of the oven door.
  3. Each homemade oven cleaner was given 20 minutes of “dwell time” to work then wiped off the oven door with a clean paper towel. (I did not scrub!)
  4. Finally, I recorded and photographed the results.

The differences between the natural oven cleaners were mind blowing! Some of the cleaners made absolutely no difference, some worked okay, and two left the door spotless.

oven cleaner collage

The Natural Oven Cleaners Tested

Oven Cleaner #1

Ingredients: White vinegar (1 cup), cornstarch (1 tablespoon)

Directions: Stir together vinegar and cornstarch, heat until thickened, cool to room temperature. Apply to oven, let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner #2

Ingredients: Lemon juice (1 cup), cornstarch (1 tablespoon), dish soap (1 teaspoon)

Directions: Stir together lemon juice and cornstarch, heat until thickened, cool to room temperature, stir in dish soap. Apply to oven, let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner #3

Ingredients: Baking soda (1/4 cup), white vinegar (1/4 cup)

Directions: Sprinkle baking soda over surface until covered, spray baking soda with white vinegar until wet and bubbly. Let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner #4

Ingredients: Baking soda (3 tablespoons), white vinegar (1 tablespoon), dishwashing soap (1 tablespoon)

Directions: Stir together baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. Apply to oven, let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner #5 (Winner!)

Ingredients: Baking soda (3 tablespoons), water (1.5 tablespoons)

Directions: Stir together baking soda and water. Apply to oven, let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner #6

Ingredients: Rubbing alcohol (1/4 cup), water (1/4 cup), dishwashing soap (8 drops)

Directions: Stir together, spray oven, let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner #7 (Runner up! My favorite all-purpose cleaner.)

Ingredients: Baking soda (3 tablespoons), hydrogen peroxide (1 tablespoon), dishwashing soap (1 tablespoon)

Directions: Stir together baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish soap. Apply to oven, let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

Oven Cleaner #8

Ingredients: Baking soda (1/8 cup), salt (1/8 cup), dishwashing soap (1 tablespoon)

Directions: Stir together baking soda, salt, and dish soap. Apply to oven, let sit for 20 minutes, wipe clean.

oven cleaner before and after photo

The Oven Cleaner Results

The Winners

The best oven cleaner is the most simple: baking soda and water. Oven Cleaner # 5 and #7 both use this combo and had great results.

Why this combo works:

  • Baking soda is a mildly abrasive cleaner that absorbs grease and is good for scrubbing. It helps to break up and remove the dirt that is stuck to the oven surface without causing damage.
  • Water softens the grime and baked on food particles so they can be easily wiped away.

Baking soda is one of my favorite green cleaning ingredients. It’s in my DIY  Natural All-Purpose Cleaner that works great household cleaning and is perfect for stain removal. You can learn more about cleaning with baking soda here.

The Losers

The most disappointing oven cleaners mixed the reactive ingredients of vinegar and baking soda.

  • This combo creates a reactions that cancel out the cleaning power of both ingredients. (Read more in Green Cleaning Ingredients That You Should Never Mix.)
  • If you want to use vinegar for oven cleaning save it for the final step: after the baking soda has been wiped away, spray the oven with a little white vinegar to neutralize any that remains, then wipe dry with a paper towel.

I was also let down by cleaners that took a lot of time to make (such as heating and cooling vinegar or lemon juice) and didn’t do much cleaning. I’d rather stick with simple cleaners that are easy to mix and apply!

baking soda oven cleaning after photo

How to Clean an Oven with Baking Soda

Baking soda makes a great oven cleaner. It’s cheap, won’t damage the oven surface, and has great scouring power without harmful chemicals. Here’s how to clean an oven and glass oven door with baking soda:

  1. Combine water and baking soda to form a thick paste.
  2. Spread the paste across the glass and other dirty areas of the oven (avoid the heating element).
  3. Let the baking soda paste work (dwell) for at least 20 minutes (or overnight) then wipe away with a clean rag or paper towel.

cleaning an oven with baking soda

You may also love: how to clean your oven rack naturally

… and easy tips for cleaning with baking soda

Baking Soda and Washing Soda sound similar but they are definitely not the same product. Both can be used to clean laundry, both can be used for household cleaning, but one can damage skin and the other can be eaten. Learn the difference between washing soda and baking soda PLUS their best uses.

How to Clean an Oven Quickly

 Getting ready to clean? These oven cleaning tips will help you get fast results:

  1. Remove the loose debris. Vacuum or wipe out the bottom of the oven before applying the baking soda cleaner. This will remove some of the black ashes and stuck on grime. It will also loosen the dirt making it easier to clean.
  2. Give the oven cleaner some dwell time. You’ll get the best results if you allow the wet baking soda some time to work (also called dwell time) before you start wiping. Let the cleaner sit on the surface for at least 20 minutes then wipe out the dirt.
  3. Use a circular motion. Oven grime can be baked on, caked on grease. Remove most of the baking soda cleaner then wipe any hard-to-clean spots firmly with a rag using a circular motion.
  4. Make chemical reactions work for you.  Baking soda can leave a bit of grit in your oven. Spray the oven with white vinegar after wiping out all of the baking soda cleaner, the vinegar will react with any leftover baking soda so you can easily wipe out the bubbling remains.
  5. Clean first then shine. Finish by buffing the oven surface with a damp microfiber rag. Your oven will look as good as new!

spotless oven door

Oven Cleaning FAQ

How do you clean the glass on the oven door?

  • Combine 3 tablespoons baking soda and 1.5 tablespoons of water. Open the oven door. Spread the mix across the glass on the oven door. Wait 20 minutes then wipe clean.

What is the fastest way to clean the inside of an oven?

  • Remove as much loose dirt as possible from the inside of the oven with a wet paper towel. Mix together water and baking soda. Spread the paste over the dirty areas of the oven. Wait 20 minutes then wipe clean.

What is the best natural oven cleaner?

  • A paste of baking soda and water.

Can you clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar?

  • There are a lot of online cleaning tips that recommend mixing baking soda and vinegar to clean your oven. This fun bubbling reaction is actually the baking soda neutralizing the vinegar. The resulting mix cleans about as well as plain water. Save the vinegar for the final rinse.

 

Do you have oven cleaning experience? I’d love to hear your favorite method. Comment below with your favorite cleaner or stop by my Facebook page.

Love my green cleaning recipes and tips? Sign up for my free newsletter below and never miss a thing!

BrenDId

 

Bren Did Newsletter Subscribers Get Access!

Thanks for subscribing to Green Cleaning & Natural Body Care updates! Check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We will use this to send you weekly emails from Bren Did with the latest printables, easy recipes, home care tips, and simple craft ideas. We will never share or sell your information. Powered by ConvertKit

More Posts You Will Enjoy

  • The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Grout: 10 DIY Tile & Grout Cleaners TestedThe Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Grout: 10 DIY Tile & Grout Cleaners Tested
  • What is the Difference between Washing Soda and Baking Soda?What is the Difference between Washing Soda and Baking Soda?
  • Natural All Purpose CleanserNatural All Purpose Cleanser
  • Natural Bathroom Disinfectant CleanerNatural Bathroom Disinfectant Cleaner
  • Natural Homemade Laundry DetergentNatural Homemade Laundry Detergent
  • Green Cleaning Ingredients You Should Never MixGreen Cleaning Ingredients You Should Never Mix
  • 38
  • 3.2K

Previous Post: « All-Natural Room Freshener Spray for Autumn
Next Post: How to Remove Stains From Plastic Cutting Boards »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lo Cast

    April 8, 2019 at 7:03 pm

    I must have a very different oven from you and those that had excellent results. I also did a door experiment with the winner and the runner up. The runner up made only the smallest difference and the winner made no difference. I decided to try the runner up all over my oven and let it set overnight. My oven was still very grimy. It did clean some of the mess, but not enough that I was wowed. I have had better results using half a lemon and salt.

    Reply
    • Bren

      April 10, 2019 at 9:58 am

      Sorry it wasn’t a success for you! You may need to use a scrubbing sponge if the oven has lots of build up. I love stainless steel sponges (affiliate link).

      Reply
  2. Vicki

    March 23, 2019 at 11:36 am

    I tried the baking soda and water paste, and while it might have worked a little better if I had left it on overnight, after 20 minutes, it hadn’t worked at all!

    Reply
  3. Monique Marcotte

    March 18, 2019 at 10:14 am

    Thank you!! Love your scientific approach. Baking soda it is with a vinegar wipe for the grit. And glad you answered about stainless steel cleaner!

    Reply
    • Bren

      March 18, 2019 at 10:24 am

      Thanks Monique! Hope it works well for you.

      Reply
  4. Denise

    March 5, 2019 at 9:51 am

    The baking soda and water method was an absolute fail for me. Not only did it not clean my oven, the baking soda made a huge mess everywhere and it was difficult to clean up.

    Reply
    • Bren

      March 5, 2019 at 2:29 pm

      Sorry it didn’t work for you. What surface were you using it on? Glass or the interior?

      Reply
  5. Melissa

    February 21, 2019 at 10:28 am

    Have you tried cleaning the burner grates on top? If so, what did you use?

    Reply
    • Bren

      February 23, 2019 at 6:25 pm

      Mine are cast iron so I generally use salt.

      Reply
  6. K

    February 17, 2019 at 7:55 pm

    Also found your site while searching for the best DIY method. I found one that said to mix dish soap, baking soda and salt into a frosting like paste. Already did that, but my oven is really dirty so I plan to just touch it up again to be on the safe side. Will use the plan baking soda and water and save my dish soap next time. Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
    • Bren

      February 18, 2019 at 6:27 pm

      Thanks, K! Hope it works well for you!

      Reply
  7. Robin

    February 8, 2019 at 4:44 pm

    Just found your site today while searching for the best DIY oven cleaning method. My oven is currently slathered in the baking soda/water paste-like mixture where it will sit until the morning (my oven is VERY dirty). I’m planning to use the white vinegar spritz at the very end, as instructed. I’ll be back tomorrow to let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!

    Reply
    • Bren

      February 12, 2019 at 10:48 am

      Hope it works great!

      Reply
  8. Deanna

    January 11, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    This was awesome! I have tried and tried to get the gunk off my oven, and have not been able to – why? -because I used a mix of vinegar and baking soda together. Thanks so much for the information. It really helped. Next, I am going to try the laundry suggestions. I love your site 🙂

    Reply
    • Bren

      January 14, 2019 at 2:11 pm

      Woo hoo! I am so glad it worked, Deanna!

      Reply
  9. Stephanie

    December 23, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    Thank you so much for doing all this work! I used the winning solution today on a really dirty oven and was amazed at the results. Again, thank you!

    Reply
    • Bren

      December 27, 2018 at 12:36 pm

      I’m so glad it worked for you, Stephanie!

      Reply
  10. Sethu

    September 29, 2018 at 4:32 am

    Excellent experiment and thanks for the detailed steps. One question: How do you clean the metal (exterior silver like metal parts) parts?

    Reply
    • Bren

      October 3, 2018 at 12:55 pm

      I use a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water with a microfiber rag to clean the outside of my stainless steel appliances.

      Reply
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

My projects have caused friends to mutter, "Of course you did!" I'll show you how you can too. (read more)
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Footer

Connect with Bren

Follow me on your favorite social network or drop me an email with your thoughts! Read more...

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Bren Did Copyright & Policies

©Bren Fey & Bren Did. All information should be used at your own discretion. All content/photos are property of blog owner. Use or duplication of materials without written permission is prohibited. Learn more at: Bren Did Policies & Disclosures

Reader Favorites

Healthy Oatmeal Muffins out of wrapper
Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent Question and Answer - Natural Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe is a popular posts that raises many questions, comments, and emails. Get answers to your questions about making non-toxic all natural laundry detergent and then try this green DIY recipe.
Want to naturally unclog a sink or clean a slow moving drain? Learn why you should not use baking soda and vinegar to clean your drains and what green solutions really work!
Fresh Lemon Homemade Dishwasher Detergent uses real lemons, salt and vinegar to make liquid dishwasher detergent. Learn more about this DIY recipe and its effectiveness.
scrubbing grout
BrenDid Pure Dishwashing Powder
Privacy Policy · BrenDid.com© 2013–2019 · As Seen In