A spotless oven is essential for kitchen safety and good-tasting food, but it is a nightmare chore I usually put off. Having one of the highly-rated oven cleaners people swear by will certainly help.
I headed to Reddit for some inspiration, hunting for the top Reddit-recommended oven cleaners tried and tested by real people.
So, if you also want to clean an oven with products and methods used and loved by busy homeowners, these clever ideas are worth trying.
Reddit recommended oven cleaners
Reddit is one of my favorite places to find advice, and its /CleaningTips subreddit is an especially useful resource. I stumbled on an especially brilliant thread of oven cleaning tips, where users shared their tried-and-tested top products and tools.
These are the five I loved most.
1. Finish dishwasher tablets for racks
Cleaning oven racks can be such a tricky task – if you don’t know the right way to do it, that is.
Reddit user u/Necessary-Ad5410 suggests, ‘Take the racks out and soak them in hot/boiling water along with a dishwasher tablet'
The Finish Ultimate dishwasher tablets from Walmart are the most highly recommended ones on the site, as they're fantastic at removing burnt-off stains.
From here, the user recommends leaving them to soak for an hour and then using a metal scourer to wipe off the grease. ‘It probably won't just wash off but it'll be easy enough,’ they add.
I like metal scourers, but I prefer using the Scrub Daddy, available from Walmart to clean off grease and crumbs, as it’s tough on stains but doesn’t leave scratches.
Cleaning with dishwasher tablets? Pick an unscented one to ensure you won't affect the scent or taste of any of your cooking creations. Over 1,000 Amazon reviewers have awarded these tablets five-star reviews, adding that they are an indispensable part of their cleaning arsenal.
2. Easy-Off oven cleaner
Once you’ve tackled the racks, you can then move into the oven itself. Easy-Off oven cleaner was one of the top cleaning products that popped up in the thread. User u/Imsecretlynice shared, ‘I prefer the one in the yellow can as it's extra strength. Take the shelves out and spray liberally on all internal surfaces and the inside of the window. Basically, just follow the instructions on the can.'
User u/KittKatRawr agrees that it’s a total winner, adding, ‘If you leave it on for four hours, it wipes everything off like butter. I used it to clean the grill too!’
If you want to try this cleaner but want to use a midler variant, the Easy-Off pro oven cleaner (available from Amazon) is fume-free.
Simply spray this on your oven stains, wait, and then wipe off the dirt. For the best results, leave it on for a good hour. You can also use it on barbecue grills, broilers, and stainless-steel surfaces.
3. Self-cleaning oven feature
Before you roll up your sleeves and get into cleaning your kitchen, it’s worth checking if your oven has a self-cleaning funtion. While this isn't a product, it is a handy tool worth utilizing and one definitely worthy of our list.
Reddit user u/Mentoszz says, ‘Use the self-clean feature if your oven has one. That helps all the caked-on food come off and then it'll turn to ash you can easily clean out.'
User u/glololo adds, ‘It heats up your house like crazy so I recommend against it during the day if you go this route.'
However, if you do go down this approach, it’s worth being careful about how often you use it – especially if you have a vintage-style oven that you don’t want to break. Previously, our appliances experts warned that the self-cleaning oven feature might damage it over time.
4. The Pink Stuff
One of the biggest cleaning trends of recent years, cleaning with The Pink Stuff is loved by many for being tough on stains, but gentle on surfaces.
User u/kittyk0t shares, ‘I got The Pink Stuff off Amazon for this specifically – it uses less fumes than Easy Off, though needs more scrubbing.'
They learned about this product from TikTok, where it has gone viral for working on everything from cleaning faucets to cleaning mugs.
Solved content editor, Chiana Dickson, has tried this method herself for greasy oven stains that her steam cleaner couldn't tackle and loved how easy it was. She says, 'It certainly took some scrubbing, but with the added help of a Scrub Daddy Sponge, available at Walmart, the tough baked-on grease I had left to sit for weeks came away completely.
'Remember when using this method to finish the task by washing the interior of your oven with warm soapy water, then rinsing, to remove all residue before turning the oven on again.'
Self-titled 'the miracle cleaning paste', this product lives up to the hype. It can be used on a variety of kitchen and bathroom surfaces, as well as materials such as wood, glass, and stainless steel. It also has a delicious rhubarb scent.
5. Baking soda and vinegar
For those who love non-toxic cleaning solutions, and want to clean an oven without chemicals, cleaning with baking soda and vinegar will work brilliantly.
Reddit user u/Vexed_Violet says, ‘I hate harsh chemicals so I use baking soda and vinegar. Take the racks out, then spray the oven with 3/4 vinegar and water solution.'
The Heinz All Natural Distilled White Vinegar, available at Amazon, can be used for cleaning around the house, as well as for cooking and pickling.
They continue, ‘Rub baking soda onto all surfaces with a sponge, heat to 400 degrees, then allow it to cool completely.'
After this, they recommend using the vinegar mixture and a sponge to remove oven nastiness, before giving it a final once-over with a water-damp rag.
Vinegar breaks down grease, kills bacteria, and neutralizes odors for a fresher smelling kitchen.
Baking soda is a natural abrasive that helps break down tough deposits without scratching delicate surfaces such as metal and glass. Mixed into a paste with water or use with vinegar for fizzy cleaning. It's safe for use in most areas of your home.
The Scrub Daddy sponge softens under hard water and toughens under cold water, allowing you to adjust the level of abrasive you need depending on the task at hand.
Meet the expert
Once you’ve got your oven looking as good as new, you can move on to cleaning other areas of your kitchen.
Learning how to clean a washing machine and how to clean an electric kettle are also brilliant ideas, as – just like the oven – this will improve their appearance and their functionality.
