Complete guide to oven maintenance

How to clean an oven

Ovens play a crucial role in every kitchen, helping us create culinary masterpieces. However, while ovens delight us with the food we prepare, they can also cause stress when they become dirty and difficult to clean.

Maintaining a clean oven is essential. Grease and residue buildup can impact efficiency, affecting heat distribution and forcing it to work harder. Additionally, a dirty oven poses a fire hazard and can become home to germs, potentially causing illness.

In this guide, we offer practical tips for keeping your oven spotless. We’ll explore solutions to ensure all parts of your oven remain clean. Plus, we’ll delve into self-cleaning ovens and how they can revolutionise your kitchen, saving you time and effort.

What type of Oven do you own?

Regardless of whether you own a gas or electric oven, the cleaning process remains the same. Both types of ovens have enamel interiors, and you can use the same cleaning products (whether homemade or store-bought) to remove grime and residue. However, it’s essential to avoid using steel scourers to scrub the interior, as they can cause damage.

If you own a gas oven, take extra care when cleaning. Cover the vent leading to the gas burner at the bottom to prevent water or cleaning solution from dripping into it and potentially damaging your oven. You should also remove gas hob burners and igniters and soak them in hot, soapy water to minimise grease buildup.

For electric ovens, the key thing is keeping the heating elements clean. You’ll find grill elements at the top of our ovens, and you can remove them and clean them with a damp sponge.

 

 

Routine Cleaning

Cleaning your oven after every use minimises grime build-up, saving you time and effort in the long run. After cooking, simply wipe down the oven with a damp cloth and water while it cools down to get rid of any grime before it sets and sticks. Although this adds a few extra minutes to your cooking routine, it helps prevent significant grease buildup, making future deep cleans less arduous.

Deep cleaning your oven  

Even with regular oven cleaning, it’s advisable to perform a deep clean every 6-12 months. This involves thoroughly cleaning the oven interior, removing the racks, soaking them in hot, soapy water, and scrubbing the glass door.

When it comes to keeping your oven spotless, you have several options, both store-bought and homemade. Let’s explore them:

  • A fantastic homemade solution to clean your oven is a mixture of baking soda and water. Create a paste by mixing three-quarters of a cup of baking soda with a quarter cup of water. Spread it evenly on the interior of your oven and leave it to soak overnight. In the morning, the solution should have loosened the grime so that it’s ready to wipe away.
  • For particularly stubborn dirt, try mixing white vinegar with baking soda. This powerful mixture cuts through grime, reducing the need for excessive scrubbing.
  • If your homemade solutions aren’t doing the job, invest in store-bought oven cleaners. Spray these inside your oven after removing large food particles and leave to sit for the time specified on the bottle. This will lift the grease, making it easy to wipe away with a damp cloth or sponge. Remember, these cleaners use harsh chemicals, so make sure you wear protective clothes and goggles and open windows.

Cleaning glass oven doors

Over time, the glass door of your oven accumulates cooking splatters and grime. Refer to your oven manual for instructions on removing the glass for thorough cleaning.

A gentle and effective method for cleaning glass oven doors without harsh chemicals is using a vinegar and water solution. However, if the door is heavily coated with grease and grime, consider soaking it in hot water and baking soda first to loosen the dirt before applying the vinegar solution (or a standard glass cleaner) for polishing. For streak-free glass, use a lint-free cloth and wipe in an S-shape.

How to clean burnt ovens

Ovens with burnt-on grime can develop unpleasant smells and even pose fire hazards if leftover debris contains enough oil to ignite a grease fire. Tackle this issue with the following steps:

  1. Water and baking soda method
  • Mix two parts baking soda with one part water to create a paste.
  • Apply paste to all burnt areas in the oven.
  • Spray white wine vinegar over the paste and leave to soak overnight.
  • Wipe away residue using a damp cloth.
  1. Tough stains solution
  • For stubborn grime, combine two parts baking soda with one part hydrogen peroxide.
  • Cover the oven with the mixture and add lemon juice.
  • Leave it overnight to break down tough stains and residue. This method is more effective against large chunks of food debris.

Cleaning oven racks

Similar to the interior of your oven, racks and shelves can accumulate grease over time. Fortunately, they are easily removed for hand washing. Take them out and soak them in a mixture of warm water and bicarbonate of soda. Then, rinse them with hot, soapy water, and they’ll look shiny and new. Alternatively, wash them in the dishwasher. Once dry, return them to your oven.

Preventative maintenance

There are many ways to keep on top of your oven’s cleanliness, which can help prevent the need for regular deep cleans:

  • Oven liners: Invest in oven liners which protect the oven bottom and collect spills. They prevent grease buildup and are easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher. Alternatively, use tin foil.
  • Roasting tins: When cooking things like meat, use roasting tins to collect grease and prevent it from dripping onto the oven floor.
  • Roasting bags: Prevent splatters on the oven interior by using roasting bags. These bags contain vapour, keeping grease from accumulating on the oven lining.
  • Water bowl method: After cooking, place a heat-resistant bowl filled with water in the oven. Heat it at a high temperature for 20-30 minutes to loosen grease. Once the oven cools, wipe it clean.

Self cleaning ovens

Make oven cleaning hassle-free by choosing a self-cleaning oven. These ovens can clean themselves at the flick of a button. There are three types available:

  • Pyrolytic ovens use high temperatures (up to 500°C) to burn dirt, grease and residue into ash, which you can easily wipe away.
  • Steam ovens utilise the power of steam to loosen dirt in the stainless steel-coated interior, making grime removal a breeze.
  • Catalytic ovens have porous, rough interior walls that absorb cooking grease. The catalytic process at temperatures above 200°C oxidises and eliminates fat splashes. While they’re excellent at targeting grease, some manual cleaning is required to remove other residues.

Oven Care

When cleaning your AEG oven, always refer to the care instructions for safe cleaning. These instructions should be included with your oven.

If you’re looking for a simpler cleaning process, explore our self-cleaning ovens. Our 6000 series steam ovens feature pyrolytic self-cleaning and SteamBake, perfect for bakers who want soft-centred dough with crispy exteriors.

Shop our self-cleaning ovens for a simpler cleaning process, with a range of options available. Explore our 6000 series steam ovens with pyrolytic self-cleaning plus SteamBake, perfect for bakers who can bake with steam for soft-centred dough with crispy exteriors. Alternatively, consider our 7000 series range with SteamCrisp, which uses steam for baking, roasting and steam cooking.

For a comprehensive overview of all AEG ovens, check out our oven buying guide.