Cleaning ovens, stovetops and vent hoods are dirty jobs, but regularly cleaning and maintaining a range is critical to keeping your home safe and your food tasting great.
Gina Perry, a former senior merchant for cleaning at The Home Depot, and Katie Sadler, a former brand manager at Whirlpool Kitchen, explained the best way to clean ovens, stovetops, vent hoods and filters to keep them looking their best and operating at peak performance.
How to clean inside the oven
There are three methods to choose from when it comes time to cleaning your oven: commercial oven cleaner, DIY cleaning solutions or, if your model offers it, a self-cleaning function. Each method has pros and cons; broadly speaking, commercial oven cleaners that make quick work of a dirty job are formulated with harsh chemicals that are irritants to the skin and respiratory system, whereas DIY solutions made of gentler ingredients simply don’t work that well and self-cleaning functions are a good way to ruin your oven, requiring costly repairs or outright replacements.
Ahead, we’ve detailed methods for cleaning an oven with commercial oven cleaner and with a DIY solution. Always consult the appliance’s manual before using oven cleaner or other cleaning agents inside your oven.
How to clean your oven using commercial oven cleaner
By using commercial cleaners, you can easily clean your oven with a few simple steps and products. Just be sure your oven is off and cool before you start.
1. Apply the oven cleaner
Coat the interior of the oven, the racks and the door with oven cleaner and follow the manufacturer’s exposure time directions.
2. Clean the grates
After allowing the oven cleaner to penetrate baked-on grime, remove the grates from the oven and wipe them clean with a damp cloth or sponge (a scrub sponge may be needed to dislodge stubborn buildup). Then rinse clean with water, dry and set aside.
3. Wipe the oven clean
Using a sponge or rag, wipe the interior of the oven and the door clean, rinsing the sponge frequently.
Easy-Off’s oven cleaner is a top seller on Amazon, earning praise for its effective formula and lack of fumes. It’s also safe to use on a variety of surfaces, from oven doors to broiler pans.
While you can use any old rag to clean your appliances, microfiber cloths are extra effective because they have a positive charge that attracts dirt and dust.
If your oven is especially dirty, you may need to use a scrub sponge or scouring pad, like these heavy-duty sponges from Scotch-Brite.
How to clean your oven using DIY cleaning solutions
Those who prefer natural cleaning products can clean their ovens in four easy steps, thanks to a DIY baking soda cleaning paste.
1. Remove and soak the racks
To begin, you’ll need to clean the racks separately. Remove them from the oven and soak them for at least 30 minutes in a solution of hot water and dish soap to loosen stuck-on food and cooking oils.
2. Scrub and dry the racks
After soaking, scrub with a scouring pad or heavy-duty sponge, rinse well, dry and set aside.
3. Make and apply a DIY cleaning paste
With the racks still removed from the oven, mix 1/2 cup baking soda with enough water to make a spreadable paste. Apply the paste to the interior of the oven, including the door.
4. Wipe the inside clean
After 12 hours, wipe the baking soda paste using a damp cloth or sponge; a scrub brush will also be helpful for removing baked-on grime.
When it comes to degreasing your oven racks, this extra-concentrated dish soap from Dawn should do the trick. It excels at cutting through oil and grime.
With its abrasive texture and odor-eliminating properties, baking soda is found in most DIY cleaning pastes.
This set from Oxo comes with an angled scrub brush and chisel scraper, which will help you remove baked-on food and grease.
How often should you clean your oven?
Every household uses its oven differently, and cleaning frequency depends on how often it’s used. “If you or your family enjoy cooking a lot, give your oven a deep clean every three months or so,” Perry says. “If you rarely cook a big meal outside of a major holiday, then deep cleaning your oven twice a year is more than adequate.”
How to clean a gas stovetop and burners
Perry detailed the step-by-step instructions for cleaning a gas stovetop and burners. But before you begin, make sure the stove and burners are cold.
1. Remove and soak the grates and drip pans
Start by removing the grates and drip pans from the stovetop and soaking them in hot, soapy water for 15 to 20 minutes to break down buildup from cooking. After soaking, scrub off any remaining buildup with a nonscratch mesh sponge.
2. Apply a cleaning solution or paste
Use a sponge and warm, soapy water or a cleaning paste made from baking soda and warm water to clean the stovetop. The paste can also be used to clean the grates and reflector pans.
3. Scrape away the food and grime
Use a plastic scraper tool, spatula or knife to scrape away dried or baked-on foods on the stovetop. Don’t scrape with anything made of metal, which can leave scratches.
4. Wipe, dry and reassemble
Use a damp cloth to wipe off the scrapings. Dry the stovetop, drip pans and grates and reassemble.
To avoid scratching your grates, drip pans and stovetop, opt for a mesh sponge like these from 3M.
Remove hardened foods and set-in stains with the help of a plastic scraper tool. This model is designed to clean glass, wood, metal, plastic and tile without scratching.
How to clean an electric stovetop
Before cleaning an electric stovetop, make sure it is turned off and cool to the touch, then follow these steps.
1. Wipe the stovetop and coils
Wipe the stovetop, including the coils, with a cloth or?sponge and warm, soapy water. Rinse the sponge and wipe away the soap with clean water.
2. Turn on the burners
Turn on the burners and set them to high to burn off debris and residue. (They will smoke, and that’s normal; open a window and/or turn on the vent fan to keep smoke alarms from going off.) When the smoking stops, turn off the burners and allow them to cool. Remove them and wipe away remaining debris with a dry cloth.
3. Remove and soak the drip pans
Remove the drip pans and soak them in hot, soapy water. Drip pans with significant buildup should be placed in a large sealable plastic bag with a tablespoon of ammonia. Leave them overnight and rinse clean with water.
4. Clean and dry the stovetop
Clean the stovetop with a glass cooktop cleaner or with baking soda paste (1/2 cup baking soda to 3 to 4 tablespoons water) using a nonscratch sponge or soft-bristled scrub brush.
Although ammonia is most commonly found in glass cleaner, it’s also excellent at breaking down cooking grease and grime.
This all-in-one pack includes nonabrasive cooktop pads and a cleaning solution that’s specially formulated for smooth top ranges.
Prefer brushes to sponges? This brush from Pine-Sol is soft enough to use on nonstick cookware and other delicate surfaces.
How often should you clean your stovetop?
Frequency of use will dictate how often to clean your stovetop. Wiping it with a damp cloth or sponge after every use will go a long way toward keeping the buildup of cooking oils and food splatters and spills from forming on the stovetop.
“In addition to daily cleanings,” Sadler says, “using a cooktop cleaner on a regular biweekly or monthly schedule can help take care of hard-to-remove soils and protect your cooktop from damage.”
How to clean the vent hood and filter
Over time, the vent hood and filter will develop a sticky film caused by cooking particles that attract dirt and dust. To tackle all that built-up grease, you’ll start by cleaning the filter in a solution of soap and water.
1. Remove and soak the filter
Remove the filter from the vent hood; submerge it fully in hot, soapy water and allow it to soak while you clean the hood. After soaking, use a soft scrub brush to dislodge buildup, rinse well and dry before putting it back in place. And tempting though it may be, Perry says, “Don’t run range hood filters through your dishwasher.” Otherwise, you may have to clean your dishwasher — or worse, unclog it.
2. Degrease the vent hood
Sticky, grimy vent hoods need to be cleaned with a degreasing product that can penetrate and break down baked-on cooking particles. The degreaser you use will depend on how dirty your vent hood is and its material. For simple jobs, a grease-cutting dish soap might be enough, but when something stronger is needed, reach for a commercial degreaser. In any case, avoid abrasive cleansers and scrubbers that can scratch and dull your hood.
If you wait until spring cleaning season to degrease your vent hood for the first time, then soap and water might not cut it. This ready-to-use product will remove the heaviest of buildups — from cooking grease to tar. But since it’s so strong, don’t use it on surfaces like aluminum and copper.
To clean a non-stainless steel vent hood, Sadler recommends using a nonabrasive cooktop cleaner. Apply a dime-sized amount directly to the vent hood, let it dry to a white haze, then buff with a soft, dry cloth until the white film is no longer visible.
For cleaning stainless steel vent hoods, Sadler recommends Affresh Stainless Steel Brightener. Rub the polish in the direction of the grain and buff clean. “If you don’t have any on hand,” Sadler says, “you can dip a nonabrasive sponge into liquid dish soap diluted in water and scrub the stainless.”
