Are you tired of hiring the wrong professional oven cleaning service that was never reliable? We help many local families find a great service as that’s what makes us a professional cleaning company.

Or perhaps you are a landlord looking to clean multiple ovens before the annual safety check for the gas certificates, and it is too costly to get them all cleaned professionally? Or is it maybe a single inventory report you need to pass on? Or are you cleaning your entire home prior to a move and it’s time for the oven? Or could it be that you just like to get your own hands dirty instead of relying on someone else? 

If the answer to any of these questions was a yes, do not worry; we have got you covered with the simplest DIY oven cleaning guide.

Cleaning Ovens, Gas & Electrics – What Should You Use? 

Oven cleaning often comes as a tiresome job for most people. It requires time and patience, something not found easily in our everyday routine, so the task is often left unattended for long periods. 

It is quite unhealthy to use a dirty oven for a long time and cut plastics and therefore you should consider cleaning it more frequently. With our guide, you find that this job might not be as arduous as you were expecting.

The first question you might have before starting is which cleaning agents you should use? Shopping malls and grocery stores are lined up with multiple chemical agents for cleaning, easy to confuse anyone new to the task. We recommend none of them.

Why do we recommend not using chemical agents? For starters, most of them are expensive. They are also commonly found not to be very useful, unable to provide the deep cleanliness that you may desire. Grease, grime, and burnt-over food don’t clean easily.

In addition, ovens are where you normally cook or heat your food, so the toxic contents of these cleaning agents can often be left behind and end up causing more harm to you than good. Add to that their pungent smells, and you are served best without stocking your shelves with them.

What should you clean with, then? The best cleaning agents can be found at home; lemon, vinegar, and baking soda. You can find a video showing the effectiveness of these agents, which will also ease the process of cleaning for you.

Lemon, Baking Soda & Vinegar – The Best Cleaning Agents for Gas Ovens 

Lemons are the first choice, as the citric acid in them is antiseptic and antibacterial, serving the purposes of a natural bleach without the harmful chemicals. The fresh smell of lemons is an additional benefit to use for cleaning.

Before starting your cleaning process, there are certain things you must remember. 

Safety is essential, so turn off the gas connection before you scrub your oven to prevent any leakage. 

There are 3 different methods that can make cleaning your oven with lemons very simple and smooth. You could mix it up with soda, vinegar and salt to fit your own taste.

1. Steam Clean

This method helps weaken the dirty contents of your oven using steam. If you are a frequent cleaner, this may be enough, but in the unfortunate case that you have let the contents accumulate, you might also require other methods. 

Here is how to clean your oven with steam:

• Squeeze 2-3 lemons in an oven-friendly, open container.
• Add water to it.
• Put the container in the oven.
• Turn on the oven and let the water boil. Make sure the water does not spill out of the container.
• Once boiling, turn off the oven and wait for 15-20 minutes.
• After the oven is cool enough to be cleaned, wipe the walls of the oven with a damp cloth.

2. Make A Cleaning Agent with Lemon 

The second method is to clean your oven using lemon as the primary cleaning agent. This is quite simple and will only require a few minutes.

• Squeeze 2-3 lemons in a container.
• Add water to it.
• Add a spoon full of dishwashing liquid to it.
• Let the mixture heat up on the stove till it gets warm.
• Take it off the heat, and let it cool down
• Fill it in a spraying bottle.
• Spray the oven with this cleaning agent, especially on the areas where stains are visible, and the grime has accumulated.
• Wait for 30-45 minutes.
• Wipe down the walls of your oven with a damp cloth.

3. Deep Clean with Lemon

For the most stubborn stains, use this method as it provides the strongest cleaning agent, recommended by A to Z Cleaning:

Instead of diluting in water, just slice a lemon, and rub it over the affected area, pressing it slightly to release some of the juice. Be careful not to spill too much juice, as it can eat away at the metal, causing it to rust if left for a long time. After 10-15 minutes, try to clean it with a towel or a sponge.

• To clean the oven racks, let them soak in hot water for 2-3 hours. 
• After soaking, use the cleaning solution and wipe it off with a towel. 
• You may need to spend some time scrubbing as burnt over residue from food on the racks is often the hardest to clean, and it requires more effort and patience. 
• Having a soft brush might be helpful as it will loosen the food better than a cloth.

Baking Soda and Lemon Juice to Finish the Job 

If all 3 methods leave some residue behind, you can form a cleaning paste using baking soda. Use a cup of baking soda and mix half a cup of lemon juice or vinegar to form a paste. 

You should cover the entire surface of the oven with this paste; insides, stovetop, and glass, so you can increase or decrease the amounts as per your requirement. Leave the oven with the paste for 10-12 hours. We know it is a lot, but it may be necessary considering the gritty nature of the filth. Clean and wipe with a towel.

Cleaner Confessions advises that If the paste is hard to remove, you may turn on the oven to heat it a little, which will loosen the paste. In case that fails, spray the oven with white vinegar. White vinegar is another fantastic cleaner and will make the baking soda paste lose and easy to remove.

It is not recommended to use vinegar as the primary cleaning agent, as there is a chance that its smell will not be pleasant, unlike lemons. Vinegar can leave a residual scent for a longer time; therefore, it should only be used in the case that all other options are not working.

Cleaning a Gas Oven – Not As Difficult As it Looks  

As you can see, cleaning your gas oven is not as challenging as it looks. The best way to keep a clean oven is by wiping the oven down after each use and cleaning it with lemon once a week. 

However, if you have let the oven go without cleaning it for a while, then a steam clean paired with a  deep clean would be the way to go. 

If you find yourself still wanting after trying all these methods or you are simply short of time, perhaps it is time to pay a bit extra for a professional to clean your oven.