You can use vinegar and water as an all-purpose oven cleaner, in conjunction with the heat of your oven, to steam clean stubborn grime and remove grease stains.
As the UK’s largest oven cleaning franchise we know that there are plenty of oven cleaners out there, but sadly not all are eco-friendly, and many contain some highly corrosive chemicals that may put you off using them.
A simple and natural way of cleaning your oven is to steam clean it by placing an oven-safe pot filled with water inside your oven at 450 degrees °F (232C) for 30-60 minutes, this will steam clean the loose dirt and grease. There are several ways you can clean your oven with steam. One way is by using a steam cleaner on your oven.
If you don’t have a steam cleaner, turn the temperature of your oven to 232°C (450°F) and place an oven-safe pot filled with water inside. Wait 30-60 minutes for the steam to loosen the oven’s dirt and grease. Once your oven is cool, clean off any condensation grease and dirt before drying with a paper towel.
Thankfully, there is an easy way to maintain your oven between professional cleans, and it doesn’t require the use of harsh chemicals. Follow the simple steps below to steam clean your oven using vinegar:
Related: cleaning your oven with baking soda
Using Apple Cider Vinegar to Clean your Oven
Mix 1 cup (235ml) of apple cider vinegar with two tablespoons of sugar. This cleaning solution softens the oven’s dirt and grime. Mix this cleaning fluid when the oven is warm and let it sit on your oven for between 1-2 hours, depending on how dirty your oven is. After letting the apple cider vinegar sit, wipe clean your oven of all excess dirt and grease with a damp microfibre cloth. If dirt remains, spray your oven with more apple cider vinegar and let it sit for 30 minutes before wiping it away.
For a detailed look at everything you need to know about oven cleaning, see our ultimate guide on how to clean your oven.
How to Steam Clean Your Oven With Vinegar: A Step-by-Step Approach
- Prepare your oven racks for cleaning. Remove your oven racks and use a duster or vacuum cleaner to remove any loose debris. Put one oven rack back in the oven, on one of the lowest shelves.
- Prepare your oven. Preheat your oven to its highest temperature.
- Create your oven cleaning vinegar mixture. Half fill a large, oven-safe bowl or pot with water and half a cup of vinegar.
- Begin the oven steam cleaning process. Place the pot in your oven and leave for between 20 and 60 minutes, allowing the steam to loosen grease and dirt from the oven walls, floor and ceiling.
- Turn off your oven. Allow it to cool down.
- Wipe clean your oven. Once your oven is cool enough, wipe clean the condensation that has formed on the inside of the oven. Use a clean, dry cloth, and you will see that the grease and dirt come off easily.
- Make a cleaning paste: with 120ml of vinegar, two of
tablespoons of baking soda and 150ml of water, add some to a kitchen sponge, and use the sponge to wipe the stains away. - Rinse and repeat. Rinse your sponge and wipe these spots clean. Then dry them with a soft cloth.
- Place your shelves and any baking trays in an oven-cleaning bag. If possible, leave them to soak overnight.
- Scrub any dirt and grime off. Use a sponge and hot soapy water to clean the shelves and trays.
Related: How Do Oven Cleaning Bags Work
Best way to clean a fan assisted Oven using baking soda and water
- Wipe your fan-assisted oven with a clean paper towel ensuring all excess dirty grease and grime is removed.
- Create a cleaning paste by mixing 130g of baking soda with 3 tablespoons or water (45ml)
- Apply this baking soda cleaning paste to the inside and outside of your fan-assisted oven
- Leave your cleaning paste on your oven for between 1 and 2 hours to allow it to break down, burnt-on grease and baked-on dirt.
- Spray your oven cleaning paste with a mix of equal parts vinegar and water, this will cause the paste to foam
- Clean away all excess cleaning paste and dirt with a damp microfibre cleaning cloth
- Repeat steps 1- 6 if your oven requires it
- Dry your fan assisted oven with paper towel
- Buff your oven with a dry microfibre cloth
Oven glass cleaning with baking soda and vinegar
- Gather: baking soda, vinegar, water, a microfibre cloth and a sponge.
- In a glass bowl, mix 1/4 cup of water with 1 cup of baking soda and add a teaspoon of vinegar. Tweak this ratio until you have a paste that could be spread on your oven glass or racks.
- While wearing safe cleaning gloves, carefully rub some of this cleaning solution on the inside of your glass oven door.
- Coat your oven glass, rack or tray with the vinegar cleaning solution.
- Place an oven rack or tray in your oven.
- Turn your oven to 100 degrees and allow it to heat for 45 minutes.
- Thoroughly wipe all the loose dirt grime.
Related: best way to clean oven glass
If you have a significant build-up of dirt and grease inside your oven or on your shelves and trays, then you may need to repeat the steaming and soaking process several times. Although there is an alternative…
This vinegar steaming method is a great way of removing day-to-day dirt and grime, but it is no substitute for an Ovenu clean. We have the eco-friendly products and the specialist technicians needed to get your oven looking new again, all with the minimum amount of mess and fuss. So don’t delay, get in touch today and let your local oven cleaning service company take care of everything.
