Homemade Oven Cleaner: Cleaning Your Oven With Baking Soda & Vinegar
If you want to clean your oven yourself without harsh chemicals, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and white vinegar are two of the most effective natural cleaning ingredients you’ll find in any kitchen cupboard. Cleaning the oven with baking soda is safe, affordable and highly effective, though it does require time and a little elbow grease. If you’ve ever wondered how to clean an oven with baking soda, or whether baking soda in the oven is dangerous, this guide covers everything you need to know.
Using baking soda and vinegar together creates a powerful foaming reaction that helps lift stubborn grease and burnt-on residue. This homemade oven cleaner method works beautifully for oven walls, racks, trays and glass, but the oven will need to be left overnight for best results.
Below, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step cleaning process, explain how the reaction works, and share our most helpful safety tips.
Why Use a Homemade Oven Cleaner?
A homemade oven cleaner recipe made with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar offers several benefits:
- Non-toxic and fume-free – ideal if you want to avoid chemical cleaners
- Budget-friendly – made with ingredients you already have at home
- Effective on grease and burnt-on grime
- Safe for most oven interiors when used correctly
- Perfect for regular maintenance between professional cleans
How to Clean an Oven With Baking Soda & Vinegar: Step-by-Step
What You’ll Need
- Baking soda/bicarbonate of soda
- Water
- White vinegar (in a spray bottle)
- Cloths or sponges
- Gloves (recommended)
- Bowl
- Optional: scraper (plastic only, not metal)
Step 1: Remove racks, trays and other removable parts
Time required: 2 minutes
Safety tip: Ensure the oven is completely cool before removing items.
Take everything out of the oven so you can access the interior easily. These items will be cleaned separately.
Step 2: Make a baking soda paste
Time required: 3-5 minutes
Many people assume vinegar and baking soda should be mixed, but this is a myth. Instead:
- Add baking soda to a bowl
- Add just enough water to create a thick, spreadable paste (like cake icing)
This will be your main cleaning solution.
Step 3: Spread the paste inside the oven
Time required: 10 minutes
Safety tip: Do not apply the paste to heating elements or gas openings.
Use gloves and spread the paste over the oven walls, base, and door interior. As the paste sits, it will begin breaking down grease and baked-on residue.
Step 4: Leave the paste overnight
Time required: 8-12 hours
This is the key step in oven cleaning using bicarbonate of soda. Leaving it overnight gives the baking soda time to lift burnt food and soften grime.
Step 5: Wipe away the baking soda
Time required: 10-15 minutes
Use a damp cloth to remove as much of the paste as possible. You may need to rinse the cloth several times.
Safety tip: Avoid aggressive scraping with metal tools to prevent damage to the enamel.
Step 6: Spray vinegar to activate the foaming reaction
Time required: 5 minutes
Spray white vinegar over the oven interior. When vinegar meets leftover baking soda, it will foam and fizz, helping remove the remaining grime.
Wipe the oven again with a damp cloth until fully clean.
Step 7: Clean your oven racks
Time required: soaking 2-4 hours, scrubbing 10 minutes
- Sprinkle racks with baking soda
- Spray vinegar over them
- Allow the foaming reaction
- Soak in hot water for several hours
- Scrub loosened residue away
Replace everything and enjoy your sparkling oven and that well-earned cuppa and cake!
Is Using Baking Soda to Clean an Oven Safe?
Yes, baking soda is completely safe for oven interiors when used correctly. However:
- Don’t apply it to heating elements
- Ensure you wipe away all residue before using the oven again
- Avoid using baking soda on self-cleaning oven liners unless the manufacturer states it’s safe
Other Cleaning Options
If DIY isn’t for you, there are quality off-the-shelf cleaners available, see our guide to The Best UK Oven Cleaners.
But if oven cleaning fills you with dread, or you simply want professional results without the mess, the Ovenclean team can help. Our fully trained specialists offer a deep, non-caustic clean that leaves your oven sparkling in just a few hours.
📞 Call 0800 840 7127 or complete our online form for your free quote today.
FAQs
Is it safe to use the oven after cleaning with baking soda and vinegar?
Yes, but ensure all baking soda residue has been thoroughly wiped away. Any leftover powder can cause smoke or odour but is not dangerous.
What happens if you leave baking soda in the oven?
If you don’t fully remove it, baking soda can form a white film or cause mild smoking the next time the oven is heated. Always wipe clean before turning the oven on.
What does putting a bowl of vinegar in the oven do?
Heating vinegar helps loosen grease and deodorise the oven, making wiping easier. It’s also an ideal follow-up to the baking soda method.
When should you not use baking soda to clean?
Avoid using baking soda on:
- Self-cleaning oven liners
- Aluminium surfaces (can cause dulling)
- Delicate finishes prone to scratching
What is the ratio of vinegar and baking soda for cleaning?
They are not mixed together directly.
- Use baking soda + water to make a paste
- Then spray vinegar separately afterwards
This creates the most effective reaction.
What happens when you mix baking soda and lemon juice for cleaning?
They create a natural fizzing reaction ideal for cutting grease. See our guide: How to Clean Your Oven With Lemon
Will baking soda and vinegar clean my oven door?
Yes. Apply baking soda paste to the glass, leave for 30-60 minutes, then spray vinegar and wipe clean.
Can I use baking soda and vinegar to clean my self-cleaning oven?
Check your manual first. Some self-cleaning ovens prohibit abrasive cleaners, including baking soda.
How long do you leave baking soda in the oven to clean?
For best results, leave it overnight (8-12 hours).
Will baking soda and vinegar remove baked grease?
Yes, this method is excellent for loosening and lifting burnt grease, especially after soaking or steaming.
Is baking soda residue in the oven dangerous?
Not dangerous, but it can create smoke or odours when heated. Always clean thoroughly.
Is baking soda the same as bicarbonate of soda for cleaning?
Yes, they are the same product and work identically.
Does white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda remove limescale?
Yes, the fizzing reaction can help break down limescale on sinks, taps and surfaces.
If the thought of cleaning your oven fills you with dread. Let alone finding the time and/or energy to complete Britain’s most-hated chore, why not give us a call? Our friendly, fully trained professionals will be able to arrange a time convenient to you to come and give your oven a proper deep clean, following our 10-step oven cleaning process, – leaving it ‘as-good-as-new’, in just a few hours! And more importantly, saving you any fuss, mess or bother! Our customers rate us 5* and are invariably delighted by the results we can achieve, so go on – treat yourself and your oven to a professional clean!
Call us on 0800 840 7127, or complete our online form for your free quote.
