Winter is my absolute favorite time of year for cooking. I am a huge fan of roasted winter veggies, apple pies, and cookies—all representative of the winter holiday season. But after all of that cooking, I like to do an annual deep clean of the inside of my oven.
There are plenty of commercial products that will get the job done well and with minimal effort. The problem is, most of these products are extremely unpleasant to work with (dare I say dangerous?) and can seriously burn your skin if you aren’t careful—not to mention their toxic fumes.
Since I often clean with my pets nearby, I much prefer using just a little extra elbow grease and non-toxic cleaning ingredients as a natural oven cleaner.
How to Clean Your Oven Naturally
What You’ll Need:
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- Coarse salt
- Sponge or scrub brush
- Scraper
- Distilled white vinegar
Step 1: Remove Oven Racks
Start with a completely cool oven. Remove the oven racks and clean those separately. This will leave you with an open oven that’s ready to be cleaned.
It is also a good idea to use your scraper tool at this point to break off any large burnt food residue that might have collected on the bottom or sides of your oven. Clear that out before you apply your cleaning products, if possible!
Step 2: Formulate a Cleaning Paste
Create a cleaning paste by mixing the following ingredients:
- Baking soda
- Coarse salt
- Dish soap
After combining the, you’ll want to end up with a mixture that has a similar texture to frosting. It should be spreadable but also thick enough to cover the walls of your oven without dripping.
Step 3: Spread the Paste
Apply a thick layer of your cleaning paste to the walls of your oven. Allow this paste mixture to sit for several hours on the surfaces to properly break down any grime. I recommend letting this mixture sit overnight before moving to the next step.
Step 4: Wipe it Down
Use a sponge or scrub brush that has been dampened with water to wipe down the walls of your oven. You will need to repeatedly rinse your sponge with water, then continue scrubbing until most if not all of the food debris has been wiped away.
Step 5: Distilled White Vinegar Spray
Once most of the paste has been cleaned off, finish by spraying the inside walls of your oven with a vinegar spray (I use 1 part vinegar and 1 part water). Feel free to use vinegar infused with nicely scented natural ingredients like herbs or citrus.
Step 6: Repeat if Necessary
If you weren’t able to completely clean the inside of your oven the first go around, you might need to repeat this process one more time or spot clean any stubborn food debris.
After this process is complete, your oven should feel fresh again and ready to take on your favorite Thanksgiving recipes and holiday cookie baking in the coming year!
DIY Non-Toxic Oven Cleaner FAQ
Can I use this DIY cleaner recipe to clean my oven racks?
Yes, you can clean metal oven racks with this mixture and the vinegar spray. Remove the oven racks, and follow the same process used to clean the oven itself. As with cleaning the oven, you'll want to let the mixture sit long enough to work its magic so that you won't be scrubbing for too long.
You can also remove metal oven racks and soak them in boiling water with some dishwasher detergent for a couple of hours before scrubbing with a stiff brush. Then rinse and dry them before placing back into the oven.
What can I use if I don't have a plastic scraper to clean my oven?
A plastic or silicone spatula can sub in for a scraper to remove debris if needed. Depending on how much caked-on gunk there is to scrape out, a damp cloth or sponge may be all you need. But a spatula can come in handy to reach tough spots in the very back of the oven.
Can I just use the self-cleaning mode to clean my oven?
Some people have luck with self-cleaning mode, but I've always just ended up setting off my smoke alarm when I attempt to use it. Plus, there is always the concern that it can produce and release carbon monoxide into your home.
When the food caked to the sides of the oven is exposed to such high temperatures, it can release carbon monoxide. If you use your oven's self-cleaning mode, be sure your windows are open and your carbon monoxide detector is functioning properly, just in case.
DIY: Non-Toxic Oven Cleaner
Equipment
- Sponge or Scrub Brush
- Scraper
Materials
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- Coarse salt
- Distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- Make a paste out of the soap, baking soda, and salt, adding a little water, if needed.
- Apply to the interior of the oven and let sit for several hours, preferably overnight.
- Dip a sponge or scrubbing brush into the warm water and wash the interior clean.
- Spray the interior with some distilled white vinegar to rinse away any excess paste residue.
Notes
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified physician who has been practicing for more than 20 years. Learn more about Hello Glow's medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
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Stacey says
Wish I could post photos of my before and after and this was amazing, it worked for me with a little elbow grease and the best part was that it wasn’t toxic.
Jack says
Useless. Just removes surface grime (which you could do w soap and water), and does not touch baked on gunk. A real mess to clean up. Don't waste your time.
victoria says
works well thanks, just used ratios from . comments!
Jacqueline Tarleton says
“So do a cup of baking soda 2 table spoon of coarse salt 2 table spoon of dish soap and mix add soap if its not spreadable keep adding a tablespoon of dish soap till you reach the right consistency”
Love this webpage. I was seeking a non toxic method of cleaning my oven that was better than my own method. I found that plain salt in the bottom of the oven helped absorb grease drippings from meatloaf and lasagna. I use aluminum foil on the bottom to catch grease drippings from meatloaf and spills from baked chicken and other meats and cheeses. The salt touching the oven metal or aluminum foil caused no odors and did not burn. I had not thought to try coarse salt so now I will try coarse salt. I use Dawn dishwashing liquid. So far over decades of use, Dawn is the best for cleaning grease without leaving a perfume smell or slimy feeling. Two tablespoons might be too much for an oven. I recommend experimenting on a cookie sheet or other pan before spreading all over an oven. Here’s why: Salt is a water softener that makes those soap suds more foamy. You could try the detergent used in dishwashers or other low to no foam soap. Dawn has to be used where there is plenty of water to wash it off because the salt will make Dawn foamy like a Lucille Ball comedy tv show where too much bread dough pours out of an oven. Think too much dish soap in the dishwasher and you get the idea of how liquid soap performs in softened water. I recommend testing your favorite soap with the ingredients proportions above then alter your proportions before spreading in your oven. Thank you to the poster above and the article author for the great tip. I sprayed oven cleaner in my oven after 4 months of healing from a double ankle fracture to begin catching up on cleaning. My dear family helped me so much during surgery and recovery that I decided to clean the oven myself. The fumes from the oven cleaner were overwhelming. On a cold day I had to open windows and doors plus turn on a ventilator because the fumes spread. A chemical mask should be worn. I can’t believe I’ve been using that toxic stuff all these decades. My throat is still irritated I am now on a mission to find a non toxic method to deep clean a heavily soiled oven. Cheers,
Beth Cito says
Worst idea ever! I had to guess at the ratios of ingredients, spread it on and left it 24 hours, still only got the superficial grime off and didn't touch the baked on fats. I guess if you only baked cakes it would work. Also, biggest mess to clean. I've been working on it for a couple of hours WITH a metal scrubber and still have a couple more hours to go to get all the residue and soap out (I'm guessing at the remaining two hours, could be more). If you really have baked on gunk, skip this solution.
Nikki Collier says
Sounded good in theory but no ratios.... or replies since last year with people asking the same. disappointing
DanJM says
Don’t know where the ingredients list is but it seems like a pretty unhelpful post without it.
Kylasandra says
So do a cup of baking soda 2 table spoon of coarse salt 2 table spoon of dish soap and mix add soap if its not spreadable keep adding a tablespoon of dish soap till you reach the right consistency
Lauren says
Worst idea ever. This did absolutely nothing to clean the oven (grease still all over the place), was an absolute mess to clean up, and now everything I cook for the next month is going to taste like Dawn.
0/10 do not recommend. Please save yourself the headache!
Maria Blasko says
This did not work for me. It did help with the grease but not the baked on crap. It was super messy to remove and quite difficult. I ended up soaking a half towel and used that to remove the paste but no scrubbing was happening at that point. I just wanted to remove the paste! There has to be a better way!
Charlotte says
This sounded great in theory but I’ve literally been rinsing and scrubbing my oven for an hour and I cannot get rid of the soap, it’s a total disaster. He more water I add the more activated the soap becomes ... I need a power washer to get this thing free is soap residue
Edie Goodall says
Rinsing out the oven is the most difficult part. Any suggestions/
Kate says
Why is there not in an ingredient list? Do the amounts/proportion of each ingredient not matter? I see it is dish soap, baking soda and salt, maybe a bit of water. I was just hoping for some amounts of each. Thanks!
Cindi says
What are the ratios for your oven cleaner with salt, vinegar & baking soda?
Carol Hunt says
This is useless without the measurements!!!!!
Simon says
Maybe this works on modern ovens, but on my vintage gas oven it was a total disaster. The paste baked on with the heat from the pilot lights, chipping/soaking off the paste made a mess of myself and the kitchen, and the oven was hardly any cleaner than when I started. A complete frustration and waste of time.
Jay says
So does regular oven cleaner and it is full of toxins. I'd rather have fumes that won't harm me,than the crap from the oven cleaner.
Paula Wise says
Why is your preference to spray vinegar versus mixing with ingredients?
Claudia says
Great ideas!
Oven Cleaning says
Baking soda is absolutely great for oven cleaning! Remember guys, you can use an abrasive pad inside the oven and so long as the inside of your oven is made of enamel it will not scratch it!
alyce says
I love your natural cleaning diys!!
I totally need a book with all your recipes and photos! It'll be so helpful just to flip it through <3
Lori says
Thank you so much for this! I've been avoiding my oven because it needs a clean and I couldn't psych myself up to use the oven cleaner spray. (also: just general procrastination).