Oven Basics: 5 Essential Steps for a Sparkling Clean Oven

A clean oven cooks more evenly, smells better and is safer. A build-up of grease and burnt-on food can make smoke and affect how your food tastes. These five steps keep things under control.

1. Wipe up spills when the oven has cooled

Fresh spills are easy to remove. Left to bake on, they become hard, carbonised patches. As soon as the oven is cool and safe to touch, wipe up spills with a damp cloth. If a spill has hardened, a plastic scraper will lift most of it.

2. Use a cleaner suitable for your oven

For the interior, use an oven cleaner suitable for your type of oven and follow the instructions carefully, including ventilation and protective gloves. Keep cleaner away from elements, seals and any enamel the label says to avoid. If your oven has a self-cleaning function, check your manual before using it.

3. Clean the racks separately

Take shelves and trays out and soak them in hot soapy water, then scrub with a non-abrasive brush. They come up far better outside the oven.

4. Don't forget the door

Clean the inside and outside of the glass with a non-abrasive cleaner. For baked-on marks on the glass, a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, left for a while, helps. Check the door seal while you're there: a cracked or loose seal makes the oven slow to heat. Our guide to slow-heating ovens explains why.

5. Prevent mess in the first place

Use a baking tray under anything that might drip, such as pies and roasts. Don't line the oven base with foil unless your manual says so, because it can block airflow and damage the finish.

If your oven is still not working as it should after a clean, our engineers can help. We repair gas and electric ovens of all makes across Cardiff and the surrounding area, from £70 + VAT, with a 90-day guarantee. See our oven repair page.

Frequently asked questions