Let’s face it: Oven Cleaning is a frequent essential cleaning task for the kitchen wipe-down, but always hard to achieve efficiently and effectively.
Many Singaporeans do not have adequate cleaning knowledge and skills to maintain an oven, prevent grease accumulation, and spring clean the oven properly too!
For one, you might even find buying Oven-liners a waste of money. Yet, it can actually save you time and effort in the long run. Using Oven-liners, which are bought easily at supermarkets like Cold Storage, or convenience stores, will make oven cleaning easier and faster. In fact, it will protect your precious oven so it lasts longer too!
The 3 Methods
In general, there are 3 broad ways to conduct oven cleaning. All 3 methods are non-mutually-exclusive. This means you can do method 1, then 2 then 3. Or, you can simply choose any method. However, we do recommend reading and understanding the pros and cons of each method of oven cleaning before you start with any!
The 3 best methods for oven cleaning here in Singapore are:
- Oven Cleaning via Self-Clean Function
- Via Conventional / DIY Baking Soda Paste
- Via Commercial / Over the counter Oven Cleaners
Prep your Equipment for Oven Cleaning
Before we start anything, here is a list of equipment you should have ready to make the oven cleaning process swift and efficient.
Supplies for Oven Cleaning
- Commercial Oven Cleaning Solutions or Sprays
- Baking Soda Powder
- White Distilled Vinegar
- Glass Cleaner
- Old Newspapers
- Dishwashing Detergent
Tools for Oven Cleaning
- Masks and Gloves
- Large Container for Oven trays, racks and other removable components (or you can use the sink or bathtub)
- Soft non-abrasive sponge and scrubs
- Spatula or scraper
- Microfiber Cloth
- Squeegee
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Before Oven Cleaning
First, always turn off the electricity and ensure the oven has fully cooled down before attempting to remove components or clean the oven.
Also, read the instruction manual as varying models and brands may have different removable components and recommended cleaning methods.
And, wear long heat-insulated gloves to protect your skin all the time.
For sure, you will want to remove any detachable parts like the tray and racks, to make your oven cleaning thorough! Place them in the sink, bathtub, or large-enough container for soaking and scrubbing.* Or, you can lay them on the kitchen floor but be sure to protect the floor with old newspapers first.
1) Automatic Self-Cleaning Function Method
Wow, can you really clean up your oven by just pressing a button? Yes.
Modern ovens have an automatic self-cleaning function. This often works via changing the oven into something like an “incinerator”. The heat in the oven goes up to maximum (or close to it) to burn up all residues and dirt. Thus, expect some ashes when the oven self-cleaning function is completed.
Importantly, do not leave any oven-liners, or pans, or other components in the oven (unless explicitly approved by the manufacturer) as these may cause the oven to malfunction or pose a fire hazard.
Although the self-cleaning function saves lots of time and is really efficient, here are some disadvantages:
- It may result in your oven releasing unpleasant odors, or burning smell;
- It will lock up your oven and you cannot use it for a few hours;
- It may consume quite a large amount of electricity if conducted frequently – resulting in high utility bills!
- It is not a real “deep clean” – and may not remove all grime or grease compared to methods below;
2) Baking Soda Method
Yes, with just baking soda powder, you can expect a magical wipe-down of your oven! Here is how to best use baking soda powder to clean your oven:
Step 1: Prepare the mixture
We recommend mixing clean water with baking soda in the ratio 1:1 and stirring until a paste is obtained. Ensure you have a copious amount of paste sufficient to be pasted and applied over the entire oven interior. Cover the glass door with the paste too!
Step 2: Leave it overnight
Apply the paste evenly first over the entire oven interior. Cover all corners and surfaces. For deeper nooks or areas with more stubborn grime, apply a thicker layer or multiple layers of the mixture/paste. Leave the paste for 10-12 hours for best outcomes. The chemicals need time to interact and do its work! * Use this time for cleaning the racks as above!
Note: if you are really, really in a rush, you can leave the paste for just 30 minutes – but this will likely end up with less-than-satisfactory outcomes and is the minimum duration we would recommend.
Step 3: Wipe off baking soda paste
Now, use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe off the paste. Use a spatula or scraper to gently remove tougher spots. Be careful not to scratch the surface during this process.
Step 4: Spray vinegar on the interior
Prepare your vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz away over the entire interior of the oven. Avoid spraying vinegar on the exterior, or near the knobs, as these have a high chance of discoloration or damage when in contact with vinegar. The vinegar may fizzle when they contact any residual baking soda. This is normal and helps in the cleansing.
Step 5: Final Wipe Down
Sometimes, you may need to repeat the vinegar washing step again for deeper cleans. Otherwise, use a damp cloth or sponge with plain water to rinse the oven well. Then, use a separate dry cloth to do the final wipe.
Step 6: Polish Knobs, Exterior and Racks
* Remember what you did before the oven cleaning? Yes, during your extra time whilst waiting for the paste or solution to work its magic, you could use the time to scrub and wash the oven racks. If you have not already done so, be sure to use dishwashing soap, or the same baking soda paste to clean up the racks. Rinse them well and dry them before reinstalling the racks.
Also, use microfiber cloth to wipe down the exterior and knobs. If there are oily parts, use some dishwashing liquid. If there are glass surfaces like your oven door, use a glass cleaner and squeegee to wipe down. Avoid spraying. Instead, use a damp cloth to wipe down and re-wipe it again with plain water. Dry with a separate cloth. Viola – you now have a polished, cleaned and shiny oven!
3) Commercial Oven Cleaning Method
Third but not least, we can conduct proper oven cleaning using commercial oven cleaners.
The advantage of using a commercial cleaning solution is that it can likely cut your cleaning time significantly. For instance, this particular brand of commercial oven cleaner states that the solution can only be left on for a maximum of 30 minutes (not overnight!)
Another pro is that certain oven cleaners may indeed clean deeper than the DIY baking soda and vinegar method. However, this is subjective and depends on individual brands vs the skill and experience of the cleaner using the DIY method.
Nevertheless, the disadvantages of using the commercial oven cleaning method are that one has to follow varying specific steps as per the brand, one has to likely splurge due to higher costs of the detergent, and face some risks that the cleaner may cause damages to the appliance (or user) due to its stronger chemical nature. Oh yes, remember to wear a mask as commercial oven cleaners tend to release more pungent and potentially toxic fumes!
Bottomline
In general, the commercial oven cleaning method is a double-edged sword and not necessarily better or worse than the former methods. The exact steps are similar to the Baking Soda Method above, but varies slightly depending on user needs and brand recommendations. Remember that you can always choose one method and switch to another method of oven cleaning if the initial one does not work as intended.
How Long Does Oven Cleaning Take?
Usually, all 3 oven cleaning methods above take less than 20 minutes each of actual manual washing. However, for larger ovens, or more dirty appliances, 30 minutes or more is expected. Please note that this duration excludes preparing the tools, and laying out the equipment.
Of note, the baking soda (and most commercial cleaners) work best when left for up to 10 to 12 hours on the oven and its components. This duration will allow the chemicals to dislodge the stubborn grime and allow for more effective cleaning of the oven.
There is no real method for a “fast” oven cleaning. The faster the oven cleaning, the less likely to remove stubborn stains from the appliance. Always allocate sufficient cleaning time!
During this 10 to 12 hours, you could catch up on sleep overnight, or get working on other cleaning tasks too!
How Frequent Should You Clean Ovens?
It depends on how heavily used the oven is. As with all kitchen appliances, once a month cleaning on average is recommended. For more frequent users of the oven, once a week or every few days may be required too. At minimum, ovens should be deep cleaned once in 3 to 6 months. This will prevent permanent stains, rust or faulty functioning of the oven.
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