How to Clean a Gas Oven
Ovens are a fantastic way to cook. They are efficient for making big meals, baking pans of treats, and heating up freezer pizzas. The only problem is that the inside of your oven can become a nightmare over time. All that evaporated grease and fallen bits of food not only coat every surface of your oven interior but - worse - it bakes on. Normal scrubbing does not do the trick. Even if you try to clean your oven with "normal" means (like a sponge and soapy water) you probably haven't made much headway.
Fortunately, we know the answer. Cleaning your gas oven is much easier if you clean smarter instead of scrubbing harder. What you need are the right cleaning materials, patience, and some ventilation.
Cleaning a Gas vs Electric Oven
What is the difference between cleaning a gas or electric oven? Interestingly, gas ovens are easier to clean because you don't have to work around the electric heating elements in the top and bottom of the oven. But if you have an electric oven, these tips also work. Just be careful working around the elements so you don't damage or break them.
Gather Your Materials
Cleaning an oven is a major project, and it's easier to get it all done at once. So, it helps to gather all your cleaning supplies before you get started. This quick checklist has everything you need to clean your oven walls, door, and racks.
- Foaming oven cleaner.
- Scouring pads
- Dish soap or dishwasher pods
- A bin large enough for the oven racks
- White vinegar
- Borax or baking soda
- Heavy Duty Rubber Gloves
Remove and Soak the Racks
Step one is to remove your oven racks and soak them in the large bin with hot water and dish soap. Some suggest dishwasher pods, but they basically contain dish soap plus rinse aid. Set those on a long soak while you address the oven.
Sweep Out the Oven
Sweep out all the charred bits from inside the oven. Wearing your rubber globes, use the side of a scouring pad to sweep out all the loose and slightly stuck char from the bottom of your oven. You can also sweep the sides, top, and door if there are any bits that will knock loose. Sweep them into a dish or your hand and throw them away. This will help expose the surfaces for cleaning and make your cleaning easier.
Foam Your Oven
Spray the heavy-duty foaming oven cleaner onto every surface inside your oven. Spray the side walls, top, bottom, and inside of the door. Then close the oven, and let it sit for the recommended amount of time. This is usually about 15-30 minutes. Turn on the kitchen fan and consider opening some windows, because - whatever brand you choose - oven cleaner is strong.
Wipe and Scrub Away the Foam
Come back after the cleaner has set in and open your oven. You might want to wear a spare face mask and don't take breaths while leaning into the oven. Use your scouring pad to scrape away the cleaner. You will already notice a difference, there is usually a serious color change by firmly wiping away the foam.
As you reveal your oven surfaces, you can use borax or a baking soda paste as scrubbing powder to help you get an even deeper clean for color and charred mess that hasn't come up yet. For a really dirty oven, you may need to redo the cleaner cycle a few times.
Scrub the Racks
Now that your oven racks have been soaking in dish soap for a good long time, scrub them. Use your scouring pads or even steel wool (this will destroy your scrubbing gear) to remove the softened char and built-on grease until you reveal the rack's original color.
Final Polish and Degreasing
The final stage is to use a combination of white vinegar, water, and dish soap to give your oven that final polishing and degreasing. This solution removes any final patina of grease. It is how to clean oil off an oven and can be used between major oven cleanings to keep your oven looking nice before it gets coated in char and baked-on grease again.
Find an Apartment with a Gas Oven in Sappington, MO
If you love gas ovens and enjoy cooking at home, then finding an apartment with a well-appointed kitchen is a must. At Southwoods, our Sappington, MO apartments each have a fully-equipped kitchen with high-end appliances to delight the home chef. Contact us today to explore availability and take a tour of our apartment kitchens.