How to Clean Your Oven Inside and Out

A greasy oven doesn't just look bad — baked-on residue smokes, smells, and can even affect how your food tastes. The good news is you can get it genuinely clean with simple supplies and a little patience, no choking fumes required.

What you'll need

Gather everything before you start so you're not hunting for supplies mid-job:

• Baking soda and water
• A spray bottle with white vinegar
• A non-scratch sponge or cloth
• Rubber gloves
• A plastic scraper or old spatula
• A sink or tub for the racks

Start with the racks

Pull the racks out and set them aside — they soak while you work on the interior. Lay them in a tub or bathtub lined with an old towel, sprinkle with baking soda, and cover with hot water and a splash of dish soap. Let them sit at least a couple of hours, then scrub off the loosened grime and rinse.

Clean the interior

This is where most of the grease lives, and a baking-soda paste does the heavy lifting overnight.

1. Mix baking soda with a little water until it forms a spreadable paste.
2. Coat the interior surfaces — bottom, sides, and back — avoiding the heating elements and any fan opening.
3. Let it sit overnight, or at least a few hours, so it can break down the grease.
4. Wipe out the dried paste with a damp cloth, using a plastic scraper on stubborn spots.
5. Spray any remaining residue with white vinegar. It will foam where it meets leftover baking soda, helping lift the last of the grime.
6. Do a final wipe until the surface is clean and streak-free.

Never spray water or cleaner directly onto the heating elements, and check your manual before deep-cleaning a self-cleaning or continuous-clean oven, since their coatings need gentler care.

Don't forget the glass door

Baked-on splatter between the glass makes the whole oven look dirty. Spread the same baking-soda paste across the inside of the door, let it sit 15 to 20 minutes, then scrub gently and wipe clean. For the outside glass, a little vinegar spray and a microfiber cloth leaves it clear.

Finish the outside

The exterior gets overlooked but collects fingerprints, splatter, and dust:

• Wipe the control panel and handle with a damp cloth — avoid soaking the controls.
• Clean the top and sides, where cooking grease tends to settle.
• Pull the oven out if you can reach behind it, and sweep up crumbs underneath.

A quick wipe of the door and handle every week or two keeps the worst buildup from ever forming, so your deep cleans go faster.

When to leave it to the pros

A full oven clean is one of the more tedious jobs in the house, and it's often part of a larger reset — a move-out, a holiday, or a seasonal refresh. If you'd rather not spend an evening scrubbing, it pairs naturally with a whole-kitchen deep clean. Our residential cleaning crews are background-checked and use eco-friendly, pet- and kid-safe supplies, so your kitchen comes out spotless without harsh chemical residue.

Ready to hand off the scrubbing? Get a free quote and we'll take care of the oven, the kitchen, and everything in between. Ottri Cleaning Services proudly serves greater Louisville, KY, and we stand behind every visit with a 24-hour re-clean guarantee.