How to clean an oven naturally, without harsh chemicals

To clean an oven naturally, coat the inside with a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water, leave it overnight, then wipe away and spray any residue with white vinegar to lift the last grime. This chemical-free method shifts most everyday grease and burnt-on food with very little scrubbing, you just let time do the work. It avoids the harsh fumes of traditional oven cleaners, making it safer around food, children and pets.

Why clean an oven naturally?

Conventional oven cleaners are effective but harsh, with strong fumes and caustic ingredients you would rather not have near food preparation areas. Bicarbonate of soda (a gentle abrasive and grease-cutter) and white vinegar (a mild acid) do a genuinely good job on routine oven grime with none of the fumes, and they cost very little.

What you'll need

• Bicarbonate of soda and water.
• White vinegar in a spray bottle.
• A bowl, gloves, a spatula or plastic scraper and cloths.
• Optional: a washing-up bowl or bath for soaking the racks.

Step-by-step natural oven clean

• Remove the racks and set them to soak in hot, soapy water.
• Make a paste of bicarbonate of soda and a little water.
• Spread it over the inside of the oven, avoiding the heating elements and fan, and coat the greasy areas well.
• Leave it overnight, or at least a few hours, to break down the grease.
• Wipe it out with a damp cloth, scraping stubborn spots with a plastic scraper.
• Spray with vinegar, it fizzes with any remaining bicarb and lifts the last residue, then wipe clean.

Don't forget the racks and glass door

Scrub the soaked racks, the loosened grime should come away with a brush or scourer. For the glass door, a bicarb paste left for a while then wiped clear works well, much like removing other baked-on grime. Avoid anything abrasive on the glass itself.

When the natural method isn't enough

For years of heavy, baked-on carbon, the natural method may need several rounds, and even then might not fully shift it. It also takes time and effort you may not have, especially before a tenancy check or a busy event. A grimy oven is one of the most common end of tenancy deductions, see oven cleaning for end of tenancy.

Let us do the oven for you

If the oven is heavily soiled, or you would simply rather not spend an evening on it, professional oven cleaning gets a deep, fast result. We can include the oven as part of a domestic deep clean or an end of tenancy clean across Derby and Derbyshire, leaving it genuinely spotless inside, glass and racks included.