What You Need

  • Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
  • Water
  • White vinegar in a spray bottle
  • Rubber gloves
  • A damp cloth or sponge
  • A plastic scraper or old spatula for stubborn spots

Step-by-Step Natural Oven Clean

  1. 1

    Remove racks and soak them separately

    Take out the oven racks. Place them in the bathtub or a large tub and cover with hot water and a generous squeeze of dish soap. Leave to soak while you clean the oven interior. After soaking, scrub with a brush and rinse.

  2. 2

    Make the baking soda paste

    In a bowl, mix approximately 125g (half a cup) of baking soda with enough water to form a spreadable paste — similar consistency to thick yoghurt. It should hold its shape when applied to vertical surfaces.

  3. 3

    Coat the entire oven interior

    Wearing gloves, spread the paste over every surface of the oven interior — walls, floor, ceiling, back and door (avoid the heating elements and any fans). Apply generously to areas with heavy grease and baked-on residue. The paste will turn brown as it absorbs grease.

  4. 4

    Leave overnight (minimum 8 hours)

    Close the oven door and leave the paste to work for at least 8 hours. Overnight is ideal. The alkaline baking soda breaks down the acidic grease compounds over time.

  5. 5

    Spray with white vinegar and wipe

    The next day, spray the interior liberally with white vinegar. It will fizz on contact with the baking soda — this reaction helps lift the loosened grease. Use a damp cloth to wipe out the paste, working from the top down. Use the plastic scraper for stubborn spots. Rinse the cloth frequently.

  6. 6

    Wipe clean and dry

    Wipe down once more with a clean damp cloth to remove all residue. Dry with a cloth. Replace the clean racks. Run the oven at 120°C for 15 minutes with the door slightly ajar to evaporate any remaining moisture.

For the oven door glassApply baking soda paste to the glass and leave for 30 minutes. Wipe off with a damp cloth in circular motions. For very stubborn burnt-on grease on glass: use a razor blade scraper at a very shallow angle (the same technique as for glass stovetops).

Frequently Asked Questions

A full deep clean every 3–6 months for regular home cooks. If you cook frequently or have a spill, spot-clean immediately — fresh spills wipe off easily; baked-on grease from multiple cooking sessions is far harder to remove. Placing a baking tray on the bottom rack to catch drips during roasting significantly reduces how often deep cleaning is needed.
Self-cleaning uses very high heat (around 500°C) to incinerate food residue to ash. It works but takes 2–4 hours, produces smoke and fumes that require good ventilation, generates significant heat in the kitchen, and puts wear on the oven door seal and components over time. The natural baking soda method is gentler on the oven and produces no fumes — preferred for regular maintenance cleaning.