Learning how to clean oven glass properly is a task that might seem daunting, especially if you’re currently struggling to see past the exterior of your appliance altogether. However, it’s well worth doing to ensure the longevity of one of your major appliances and to keep your whole kitchen looking lovely. For an appliance that’s used so frequently, getting around to specifically cleaning the glass on your oven might be a little lower on your priority list than other things, but it’s a task that might be easier than you think.
Some of the best ovens on the market have built-in self-cleaning cycles to help you stay on top of this household chore, which will sound like heaven if you’re currently at eye level with dirty, stained oven glass. However, you can mimic the effects of those clever cleaning cycles on your oven in no time at all - and go even further in your efforts to give it a whole new lease of life with our five easy steps to clean your oven on the inside, too.
How to clean oven glass on the outside
A streaked and grimy oven glass door is a common but avoidable kitchen nightmare. So, where should you get started with cleaning? The outside of your oven is the best place to begin, given that it’s probably a lot less grimy than the inside. If you want to opt for the natural cleaning approach, then you can simply grab lemon juice or distilled white wine vinegar to get the results you need. Here’s what to do:
1. Decant your chosen cleaning product into a bottle with a spray nozzle, and go to town on the outside of your oven door. Be generous with the amount
2. Then, simply wipe it away, using downward strokes to prevent any nasty streaks, repeating wherever you need to in order to get a lovely shine.
3. You can then use a dry microfiber cloth to buff out any streaks on the glass.
If you’d prefer to use a shop-bought product, a cleaner, such as this Amazon Glass and Mirror spray that’s specifically for glass, will be best, as you don’t want to run the risk of damaging your oven glass. If you opt for a dedicated cleaner, repeat the same steps as above to get your oven glass looking as good as new.
How to clean oven glass with baking soda
After you’ve tackled the exterior glass, it’s time to move on to the more formidable side of things. The glass that sits inside your appliance will have been baking any dirt and grime on top of it every time you use your oven at extremely high temperatures, so it’s easy to see how things might be looking grimy. Thankfully, this is easily reversible, and all you need to tackle it is these simple household products:
1. Combine half a cup of baking soda with water. Add as much water as you need to make a paste. Alternatively, use a shop-bought paste such as the Pink Stuff Cleaning Paste, available on Amazon and other major retailers.
2. Spread this paste all over the inside of your oven glass.
3. Let it sit for as long as possible before you scrub it off - anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours will do. You’ll get better results the longer you leave it.
4. Use a clean, wet microfiber cloth to remove the paste, applying pressure if you need to shift stubborn stains.
If you’ve followed these steps and find that the build-up on your oven glass is more severe, then you can take further steps. Very gently using a razor blade or sharp-edged tool on the glass to scrape away a layer of dirt provides a more effective clean, but it does come with the risk of scratching your oven glass. The same goes for using a scourer, which will give great results, but it could mark your appliance. Go carefully with these, especially when handling sharp instruments.
How to clean oven glass: Cleaning between the doors
Having dirt or stains between the two panes of glass that make up your oven door might seem impossible to rectify, given the awkward positioning. But there is a novel way you can actually get inside that space and clean away any residue that might’ve emerged from food explosions, spills, or accidents. And just like cleaning the oven doors themselves, this little hack can be done using products you probably already have at home.
1. Find a wire hanger and extend it so that you can use it as an arm to reach up inside your oven. After straightening it out, wrap your microfiber cloth or kitchen towels around the wire and secure it with an elastic band.
2. Spray suitable cleaning products, such as distilled white wine cleaning vinegar or a glass cleaning spray, onto the towel or cloth.
3. Carefully insert your DIY tool into your oven via the narrow holes at the bottom of your oven door.
4. Use your tool to wipe clean the glass from the inside, moving to further or nearer away holes to get an all-over clean.
If you want, you can also end this process by using a paper towel to buff away any stains or marks and get a final, gleaming clean. If you don’t have those convenient narrow holes at the bottom of your oven to get within the panes of glass, you might need to take further action by unscrewing the glass. You’ll want to consult your manufacturer’s manual for this job and make sure you follow all the advice to ensure the quality of your appliance.
What to do if you can’t rescue your oven glass….
If you’ve tried the above steps and find that you can’t restore your oven glass to a good state, it might be time to consider a replacement. Why not check out our guide to the best electric double wall ovens to allow yourself some extra space to cook with? We’ve also produced a guide to the best gas ranges and electric ranges. Alternatively, take a look at today’s best prices on popular ovens below.
