8 Best Oven Cleaners
Updated: Apr. 21, 2021Remove baked-on greasy messes without a ton of scrubbing or scraping. These top oven cleaners outshine the competition.
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Oven Cleaners to the Rescue
Deemed one of the most hated household chores, oven cleaning is only slightly less despised than removing hair from shower drains. Yuck.
If you don’t own a self-cleaning oven, get the gunk under control using commercial cleaners designed to loosen tough, burnt food from oven enamel. If you’re not keen on chemical-based cleaners, try everyday ingredients or do-it-yourself alternatives such as steam or dishwashing tablets, to name a few.
Either way, you don’t have to live with that filthy oven any longer. Here’s our rundown of the best oven cleaners for fighting grime.
Best Heavy-Duty
Touted as their toughest formula yet, Easy-Off Heavy Duty Oven & Grill Cleaner cuts straight through baked-on food in as little as five minutes; it takes up to four hours for stubborn stains. It works in cold and warm ovens (up to 200 degrees F).
The foaming spray can be safely applied to the interior, doors, broiler pans, baking sheets and stainless steel. When time’s up, rinse and wipe with a wet sponge, cloth or paper towel. Regular Easy-Off also comes in a fume-free version.
Best Multi-Purpose
Carbona Biodegradable Oven Cleaner gives a good go-over to traditional ovens and broilers as well as the inside of microwaves, convection ovens and glass fireplace doors.
The tough-acting, no-drip spray gel sticks to charred food and spatters, even on vertical surfaces. Use Carbona as a cold application on enameled surfaces — simply let it stand for 20 minutes for spot cleaning, or up to four hours for deeper cleansing.
Best Natural
Cleaning the oven doesn’t have to risk your health or the planet’s. The EcoGurus Cleaning Paste is a non-aerosol, environmentally friendly alternative to chemical oven cleaners, without toxins, phosphates and acids.
Just add water to the bright yellow sponge and dip it into the pot of paste. EcoGurus uses plant-based limescale and grease solvents to break down dirt, yet the cleaner is gentle on your skin. It’s safe around kids and pets, and you can use it indoors and out.
Best Value
For about the price of a cup of coffee, Zep Foam Degreaser provides a professional-grade foaming oven cleaner that clings tightly to caked-on gummy food particles, dissolving them in record time.
When grease and drippings collect, they dry and form a viscous, slimy film that can be difficult to remove. Economical Zep uses a citrus solvent with a sweet orange scent that cuts right through the fat.
Best Spot Cleaner
Astonish Oven and Cookware Cleaner targets nasty oven splotches scattered here and there. Slather on with the applicator to zero in on especially stubborn areas of all parts of the oven. Astonish not only effectively breaks up scorched crud, but it also gets extra points for containing no harsh chemicals and smelling nice. You don’t even need to wear a mask or gloves!
Best Melemine Foam Pad
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra-Durable Cleaning Pads (they come in a four-pack) are an affordable short cut to cleaning the inside of oven doors. Use the patented Durafoam micro-scrubbing sponge to lift way the muck before it has a chance to settle in. Unlike the original eraser, which rubs crayon marks off walls, this big brother attacks really gross oven messes with water alone — no harsh chemicals needed.
Best for Racks
A powerful combo of steel wool and soap, Robtec Heavy-Duty Steel Wool Soap Pads are pre-loaded and ready to scrub away tough, fired-on gunk from oven racks and outdoor barbecue grills. Get between rails and into corners where burnt grease tends to accumulate. The pads eliminate residue and rust to make racks sparkle again. A box comes with eight single-use pads.
Best Home Remedy
It’s probably no surprise to you that the most commonly used ingredient for cleaning is baking soda. Along with its effectiveness at removing grime, it also neutralizes unpleasant odors from old food and greasy residues without harsh chemicals. When combined with vinegar and dish soap, the result is a powerful oven-cleaning solution, made famous in a viral TikTok video!
To make it, put these ingredients in a bowl or container and mix together into a smooth paste.
- 1/2-cup dish soap;
- 1-1/2-cups baking soda;
- 1/4-cup vinegar (white or apple cider).
Use a textured sponge to apply the paste to the inside walls and door of your oven and let it sit overnight. The next day, wipe away the paste with a paper towel and rinse with a wet sponge.
Best for Cooktops
We know that cooktops aren’t ovens, but we also know you probably clean them at the same time. And we know that glass, ceramic and induction cooktops are especially prone to marring.
Weiman Cook Top Max is a non-abrasive paste that uses micro-beading technology to help scrub away splatters, oils and other heavily seared-on goop without scratching or dulling the finish. Recommended for use by smooth stovetop manufacturers including GE, Whirlpool, Frigidaire and Thermador, Weiman’s pads clean, shine and protect cooktops without leaving streaks or watermarks.
