Best oven cleaning methods

[LaxScrutiny]

Looking forward to some extended baking, roasting and broiling over the next week, I cleaned the oven yesterday.

Historicly I think what makes it more gruelling than it has to be are those sharp edges on the clamps that hold the elements in place, along with that stupid wire that has something to do with the thermometer. If the bloody thing were just 6 plain flat surfaces I'd probably clean it weekly.

So it's been... well, this is a semi-anonymous internet forum, I'll admit that it's been over a year. The trigger is the smoke alarm going off when I'm just warming it up.

So I sprayed the inside with Easy-off, which never seems to be as easy as it sounds. Coughing, eyes tearing, I go out with a friend for the evening. Come home, fall asleep (in some circles, the term is "pass out"). Next morning I look at it. the inside is pitch black goo, and I can't tell if the Easy Off actually even did anything. I run my finger across the goo. It's goo, alright.

I look in the cupboard. Now, note to the kids out there, don't mix anything with chlorine and anything with amonia. Ever. Even if you read it on the internet. Just don't. OK? That in mind, I looked at what I had and pick out this no-name cheap citrus based all-natural (is chlorine natural?) degreaser. I gave the oven a sqirt.

Black grunge started flowing down the side of the oven like some alien dna from a low-budget sci-fi movie. I had a winner! I gave all the surfaces a liberal dose.

Now I had flowing alien dna throbbing along all the surfaces, and I had those rubber-glove destroying sharp clamps sticking out all over the place. There was only one possible solution: The Super Soaker.

Loading up I gave it the required number of pumps and started shooting. The dna was blasted away from the sides like I was using a plasma rifle, which would have been the next step anyway. Quickly, a pool of alien dna formed in the bottom of the oven. I put the bucket against the edge and slopped it in with a cheap sponge, and then kept blasting.

Soon the oven was almost spotless, except for the carbonized remains of some creature speckled across various places that will turn to diamond soon anyway. That stuff won't come off with anything but the plasma rifle.

 

[WillsBabe]

I used to find cleaning the oven a major chore, but for some reason with my current oven it's fine. I cleaned it with Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner a couple of a weeks back and it was really easy. Just sprayed the stuff around, left it 30 mins then wiped off. I can't rememebr the last time before that that I cleaned it, but I was prompted to clean this time by the smoke that came billowing out after cooking pizzas! Very embarrassing to have grease smoke fill your house! At least I didn't have guests at the time!

 

[Roger Wilco]

I just use dishwashing liquid and a wet sponge.

 

[1001001]

The Housekeeper.

 

[cultcross]

Buy a new one.

 

[1001001]

A new housekeeper would be very expensive.

Plus you have disposal costs for the old one.

 

[Holdfast]

I don't clean my oven. Too much like hard work. I loved the OP's description though.

Once in a while, though, I turn it up to max, turn on the grill element to max too, and run it like that for 20-30 minutes. With all the windows in the kitchen open. And then open the over door to let the fan blow all the built-up smoke out. That cleans it pretty good by turning everything to charcoal. It's meant to be "self-cleaning" whatever that means, but my method makes doubly sure.

One day I might pay someone to really give it a good scrubbing.

 

[RoJoHen]

Oven cleaner and a some steal wool. That is assuming, of course, that I would ever bother cleaning my oven.

 

[An Officer]

The oven doesn't seem to get that dirty, probably because it's fairly new and not in much use, but I also use greaseproof paper to line the bottom and the racks, so any mess just goes in the bin with the paper. I find it more of a problem to clean the hubbs because they're so fiddly.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Currently, I don't have a oven. The landlord was too cheap to install one.

 

[Marc]

I don't clean my oven. Too much like hard work. I loved the OP's description though.

Once in a while, though, I turn it up to max, turn on the grill element to max too, and run it like that for 20-30 minutes. With all the windows in the kitchen open. And then open the over door to let the fan blow all the built-up smoke out. That cleans it pretty good by turning everything to charcoal. It's meant to be "self-cleaning" whatever that means, but my method makes doubly sure.

Self cleaning iirc involves super-heating the over so it burns all the crude off so what you're doing is going towards though usually there's a separate function for the self cleaning as the temperature is outside of the normal range you'd use.

 

[Pingfah]

Everything should be self cleaning. That would be fantastic.

Somebody get on that.

 

[Kestra]

Oven cleaner and a some steal wool. That is assuming, of course, that I would ever bother cleaning my oven.

This, pretty much. I didn't know what I was doing and it still worked out just fine.

 

[pookha]

i use a fume free cleaner. it might not get everything but i also dont have an asthma attack.

 

[Cheapjack]

I scrape the black fat out, and eat it, when I am hard-up.

 

[kes7]

This is the funniest description I've ever read of cleaning an oven. To be fair, that's not saying much. But it was still amusing.

This thread reminds me I need to clean my oven. I think I'll go press the button for that now. A couple hours later, I'll go wipe out the ash with a sponge.

-k7, who agrees that more things should be self-cleaning

 

[Cheapjack]

Potatoes exploding all over the inside of a microwave is a fist clencher, especially when it is your tea and you have nothing else.

 

[trekkiedane]

A couple of spoonfuls of (strong solution of) ammonium hydroxide in a jar, put in oven, let stand over night. Wipe oven clean with a moist rag.


Never had any problem like described in the OP

 

[Holdfast]

I don't clean my oven. Too much like hard work. I loved the OP's description though.

Once in a while, though, I turn it up to max, turn on the grill element to max too, and run it like that for 20-30 minutes. With all the windows in the kitchen open. And then open the over door to let the fan blow all the built-up smoke out. That cleans it pretty good by turning everything to charcoal. It's meant to be "self-cleaning" whatever that means, but my method makes doubly sure.

Self cleaning iirc involves super-heating the over so it burns all the crude off so what you're doing is going towards though usually there's a separate function for the self cleaning as the temperature is outside of the normal range you'd use.

I never knew. Thanks. I should figure out how to activate that function. I wonder where the manual is...

But I'm inordinately pleased that my amateur technique apes the real deal.