Cleaning The Oven

Ammonia straight from the bottle makes a fast, economical oven cleaner.

By Robin

Note: Ammonia also has fumes. Make sure you use ammonia in a well ventilated area.

Feedback:

Baking Soda

I found that baking soda works pretty well, but I found when my wife and moved out of our last apartment that KABOOM!, that stuff on TV where the guy yells at you to buy it, works incredibly well. I sprayed it all over the inside of the oven and without letting it sit, took off over 90% of the junk and filth. Another couple of sprays and the rest came up easily. Though I'm loathe to endorse anything from an infomercial, it does seem to work on counter tops and in the microwave.

By Cueball

Baking Soda

I use baking soda when I clean my oven. I make a paste with water, and rub it on stubborn stains. I let it sit for an hour or so, and the stain comes up.

By Arlene

Self Cleaning Oven Tip

The next time you run the self clean oven put your burners from you stove top in your oven. Will come clean with no scrubbing. WONDERFUL!

By Char Kilcrease

Turkey Tents

After Thanksgiving, the stores sell those, "turkey tents" for around a dollar. They are the flat aluminum covers that fold over the turkey to prevent it burning. I usually buy 2 or 3 when they are this cheap, and flatten it out, and put it on the bottom of my oven. It catches spills and overflows, and if you spray it with a small amount of Pam when you put it in there, spills will wipe off with little effort. Keeps you from having to scrub the bottom of the oven!!

By Julia

What is a self-cleaning oven?

A self clean oven is one where you set the timer to clean and it does it. it gets very very hot and mine gets a smell, but the oven is clean after about 2 hours.
there is also a continuous cleaning oven, that means as far as I know that whenever you use the oven the thing is also cleaning itself.

Sandy

putting burners in the oven

I tried the suggestion of putting the stove burners in the oven when I run the self-clean. And now the burners are clean, but they look dirty! The heat from the self-clean cycle discolored them. :(

By MB in WY

Keeping Your Oven Clean

I have never used an oven cleaner in my 5 year old gas stove. I have an old cookie sheet that I use when I bake casseroles, pies, or anything that I even think might boil over. So my oven never gets really gunky. Of course, sometimes things will spatter, and cause a little burn spot, but I have always been able to clean it up with baking soda and a damp sponge. For the rare stubborn spot, I use the green 3M pad, which is not really too abrasive. For my oven racks, and my burner grates, I place a large garbage bag in my bathtub, Put the items to be cleaned inside, pour in a cup of Ammonia, and tie the bag shut.

I leave this overnight and when I take them out in the morning, I wash them in hot soapy water and rinse. They are 5 years old and look like I don't ever cook!! I opted for Sealed Burners when I bought my stove instead of the self cleaning oven. I would much rather clean the oven than all the gunk that gets in your drip trays from "boilovers" I do have boilovers, but it all stays right on top where I can quickly clean it up. I also keep my stove top clean with just soda and a sponge, and wipe it dry with a paper towel.

Harlean from Arkansas