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How To Clean Your Kitchen Oven Right

Kitchen ovens can be hard to clean, let us show you how to wash one properly

Mark Hoffman

Managing Editor At Ovenreview.co.uk

July 20th, 2022

4 Minute Read

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Cleaning your kitchen oven can be a grueling task, however in a study done by Appliancesdirect.co.uk the oven is among the top 5 kitchen appliances least washed in the average UK home. With washing machines toping the list being on averaged washed once per year.

However, washing your oven thoroughly is an important task, according to Phillip M. Tierno and his team, in terms of germs, the most important part to clean, is the handle of the ovens. Most modern ovens are self cleaning from the inside and don’t necessarily need a deep clean. Although it is good to take out the grills and give them a wash down with anti-grease. You could also spray down the inside of the oven with cleaner, to prevent those awkward encounters with the repairman or electrician.

How often should I clean my kitchen oven?

Our experts recommend you clean your oven at least once every 2-3 months. With self cleaning ovens between 4-5 months, to keep that sparkle. The oven is often the center piece of your kitchen and requires maintenance as well as cleaning, food will often not cook evenly or properly and the efficiency of your cookers will be significantly reduced. Appliance expert suggests however the most faulty parts on cookers can actually be extremely cheap, like for example a thermostat (just £35) a door hinge (£24) and a standard electric fan (£34).

The stress of your machine working through the thick grease or other grime can seriously decrease its life span. So it is advised to look more often over the grease build up of your oven and you may save money! If your oven also has a self cleaning function, this should not be used very often because it will also add a lot of stress to the machine.

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Do people still use standard kitchen ovens?

Simple answer is yes. Many people still use kitchen ovens, according to Statista 90% of the UK population still has a kitchen oven, compared to only 44% owning a dishwasher machine. 90% also own a vacuum cleaner. The kitchen is not being faded out (just yet).

What is the best type of oven gas or electric?

Ultimately it is personal preference whether you buy a gas or electric oven, typically electric ovens cook better, have fan assist and improved cooking efficiency due to the fan. However gas ovens will be cheaper to run, heat up more quicker and produce more moisture during the cooking process. As oppose to their electric counterpart cooking with a more dryer heat.

Typically bakers prefer gas ovens, because of the quicker heat and my moisture fell, especially when cooking bread giving it crispier edges. However another bonus is that fan ovens can cook the same foods at lower temperatures saving energy.

However, in general it is important to remember electric ovens are easier to use (more efficient), will cost less in repairs and probably last longer. Although they do cost more money.

How do I clean a kitchen oven?

Credit: Unsplash @Dokter_lam

Kitchen ovens are not hard to clean, it will only take you around 15 minutes to get the whole job done. Self cleaning ovens will finish even quicker than that. But as previously said, it is not advised to put your oven into self clean mode if there is just a little bit of grease on the side. Self clean mode requires lots of power and puts strain on your machine.

What do I need to clean my kitchen oven?

Simple items will only be needed to clean your kitchen oven, most households will already have the products, but incase you don’t here are our Amazon links.

Kitchen Wizz E-cloth – here is one we found on Amazon.co.uk
HG anti grease – here is one we found on Amazon.co.uk
Baking Soda – here is one we found on Amazon.co.uk
Cleaning vinegar – here is one we found on Amazon.co.uk

Make sure to read the packaging of the products before attempting the clean, Ovenreview.co.uk is not responsible for any damages

Our 3 step cleaning guide

There are multiple ways you can efficiently clean your oven, with harsh cleaning products, a cloth and anti grease or the most favourable vinegar and baking soda trick.

Step 1

Clear the oven

It is important to firstly wait until the oven has cooled down. Then take our any lose trays.
Next take out any grills that may have been in there, they will need to be washed separately to ensure they will be cleaned properly.

Step 2

Spray the grills

After taking out the grills you can wash them in the sink with soap, HG anti grease or the baking soda and vinegar trick (by leaving the grills to soak into baking soda and vinegar)
Then simple wash off the grill with hot water and a cloth after the “detergent” has broken down the grease.

Step 3

Spray the inside of the oven

Spray the oven cleaner (HG anti grease etc) around the inside of your oven, covering the sides, back, bottom, top, door, corners and crevices.
If you have an electric oven, don’t spray or clean on the heating parts; instead, simply lift them up and spray underneath. If you have a gas oven, don’t clean the hole where the gas exits.
Simply finish with warm soap water and dry.

Which oven should I choose?

Before getting a kitchen oven there’s a few things you should know. Do you need a built in model? A stand alone unit? Ovens also have different heating methods. For example:

Conventional gas oven – These have been around since the 1950s and are by far the most popular.
Conventional electric ovens – Becoming more popular due to the power and efficiency compared to old gas alternatives.
Convection ovens – Simply, a normal oven with a fan and exhaust system. They cook faster, more evenly and saves power.
Microwave oven – Smaller microwaves with incredible power can often replace your standard kitchen oven.

What is a convection oven?

A convection oven in simple words is a fan-assisted oven or a fan oven. The oven uses special fans to filter air around to cook food more evenly. The temperature can be set a lot lower than conventional ovens, saving power and money. This is because the fan allows the air to circulate better. The word “convection” simply refers to a fan, a fan oven could be heated with gas or electric.

What now?

Cleaning your oven is a straightforward task that should be made at least once a week to increase the longevity of your equipment – potentially saving you money. Kitchen ovens are becoming ever more modern with new features and self cleaning capabilities however sometimes it’s good to stick with what you know and keep that old gas oven.

If you liked this content make sure you check out other reviews, comparisons and guides on Ovenreview.co.uk.

Mark Hoffman

Managing Editor At Ovenreview.co.uk

Mark Hoffman has worked as a freelancer and writer for several years. Reviewing ovens, washing machines and any other household items he can get his hands on. When he’s not sitting in-front of a computer he enjoys cycling, climbing and volunteering at charitable health organisations.