This is the story of how I managed to learn how to clean an oven without using chemicals, and hopefully this natural oven cleaner might help someone else in a similar pinch.
Why do I love natural oven cleaner?
Well, I’m embarrassed to admit: I haven’t cleaned my oven in six years. (Yes, that’s gross. I know.)
Call it a combination of procrastination and the stubborn refusal to use chemical cleaners in my house (I do crazy stuff like use whipped coconut oil for lotion)–and, I’ll admit, a dash of unadulterated laziness.
Not to mention I couldn’t really tell someone how to clean an oven if they asked me. So I put it off. And put it off. A
nd as time went on, all that grease and grime kept building up until my oven was downright scary.
I mean, it’s not like I never tried to clean my oven. I really did–once or twice. I saw those nifty pictures on Pinterest that claimed vinegar and baking soda could act together as a natural oven cleaner that would magically dissolve away oven grease, and thought, “Wow, that looks easy!”
Didn’t happen.
So there I was with a filthy oven, a bad case of procrastination, and more than a little resentment toward Pinterest. But all was not lost. Here’s my natural oven cleaner recipe and tips.
Need more DIY natural cleaning product ideas? Check out this list of 31+ Natural Cleaning Recipes or my All-Natural Lemon Vinegar Cleaner Recipe.
How to Clean an Oven: To Scrub or Not to Scrub
When it came to doing the dirty work of cleaning my oven, there was one reality I didn’t want to face: a little elbow grease was required.
I detest scrubbing (that’s that dash of laziness I was talking about). Some heavy duty chemical oven cleaners claim you can clean your oven without scrubbing, but I had two problems with that:
1) These chemicals don’t always work. Reviewers seem to be split on whether scrubbing was necessary.
Some people experienced that mysterious oven cleaning magic, but others definitely did not and had to resort to good old-fashioned physical labor to get their ovens clean.
2) Even if the chemicals do work, it’s not worth the risk to me. I definitely don’t want to fill my kitchen with fumes and chemicals, and then stick my head in the oven so I can breathe in a concentrated dose (at least not without a good gas mask!).
And if I probably have to scrub anyway, I might as well use a truly natural oven cleaner rather than expose my family to a bunch of dangerous chemicals.
In the end, I faced the fact that I hadn’t cleaned my oven in six long years–some scrubbing would be unavoidable. It was my penalty for serious oven neglect.
Luckily, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought.
3 Keys to Cleaning Your Oven with Natural Oven Cleaner
Want to learn how to clean your oven with natural oven cleaner? In my little oven cleaning adventure, I learned a few important keys for how to clean an oven (even an insanely dirty oven) in the easiest, least complicated way possible.
Here’s what you need:
1. The Right Prep
This is not a spray-and-wipe job. A little preparation is required, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Basically, you want to soak the grime into submission. An overnight soaking is probably your best bet–especially if you have years of baked on grease in your oven (like me!).
But for some folks a couple of hours might be enough to do the trick.
2. The Right Tools
I found that using the right tools can turn oven cleaning into a relatively easy task.
Here’s what you need to have on hand:
- Some stainless steel scouring pads for scrubbing (so you don’t have to scrub so hard).
- If your oven is really dirty, you might want to be armed with a small stainless steel scrubbing brush to really get into the cracks and crevices.
- A good pair of cleaning gloves–you don’t want oven grime in your fingernails, trust me.
- A few microfiber washcloths to wipe up the grease. (You can use paper towels for easier disposal if you’d like–I’m just not a big paper towel fan unless something is really gross.)
3. The Right Cleaner
Like I said, vinegar and baking soda didn’t cut it for my oven. But I wasn’t ready to give up on finding a natural oven cleaner that actually worked (and that was actually natural–a lot of the so-called “green” and “natural” cleaners out there still carry huge warning labels about not letting the stuff touch your skin, which is not exactly my idea of natural!).
I was told this cleaner was totally capable of cleaning my oven with absolutely no chemicals. Supposedly it’s some tough stuff. But I had my doubts.
Still, since this cleaner doesn’t come with a scary warning label, I decided it was worth a shot. I let it soak overnight to make sure I had a head start on the grime.
My doubts started leaving my mind when I saw this:
Yep, that’s six years worth of nasty oven grease literally melting into a pool of goo at the bottom of my oven.
Needless to say, I was more than a little impressed.
After some scrubbing (it really wasn’t as bad as I imagined), my oven ended up looking almost new:
No, I am not going to make crazy claims and say my oven actually looks brand new–it doesn’t.
I didn’t clean it for six years and the darn thing did a lot of baking during that time, so it’s not perfect. But I wasn’t looking for a fairytale oven, just a clean one.
PS: Other cleaners might do the job, but I can’t personally vouch for them. For me, this worked. If you want to try something else natural, I can only recommend looking for a soap-based product that comes from a company that cares. Soap is the best to battle grime and grease, and a company that cares — well, that one sort of explains itself.
Read below to see exactly how you can clean your oven like I did.
Step by Step: How to Clean an Oven with Natural Oven Cleaner
1. Prep it. Remove any big baked on chunks of who-knows-what that might be hanging around the bottom of your oven. Then spray your oven with a 1:1 or 1:2 mixture of Thieves concentrated cleaner.
Give it a real good soak (I ended up using a whole 32-oz spray bottle of 1:1 concentration to tackle the six-year-old grime in my oven–you’ll probably be able to get away with a lot less!).
2. Soak it. Let the cleaner sit for at least 2 hours. For really filthy ovens (like mine) an overnight soak is going to help a lot. I sprayed mine down before bed and tackled the scrubbing part the next morning.
3. Get your tools. Have your gloves, scouring pads, cleaning brushes and washcloths ready to go.
4. Put on some tunes. Scrubbing is way more fun with music!
5. Get scrubbing. Time to get to work! Use your scouring pads to get the bulk of the grime, and your steel brush will take care of the sneaky grease stuck in the crevices.
6. Wipe down as needed. All that melted goo makes it tough to see what’s left to be cleaned. Wipe off the excess with a washcloth, rinse it out with warm water, and get back to scrubbing.
7. Intermission. Okay, you’ve been scrubbing for a little while and have got the main part done. But there’s still some tough, baked-on spots.
Give your oven one more spray down with your cleaner, and let it sit for 15 minutes while you enjoy a tall glass of iced tea and check your email.
8. Final wipe-down. Scrub any remaining tough spots. Give your oven one last misting with cleaner and wipe it down with a clean washcloth. Everything should be shiny clean!
Try this Natural Oven Cleaner idea and then tell me how it worked for you in the comments below! I look forward to hearing from you.
Want some Thieves cleaner?
Like I said, I use my Thieves cleaner for absolutely everything
— it’s genuinely non-toxic, which means it can be used in ways you’d never think to use an all-purpose cleaner.
My favorite obviously being as a natural oven cleaner. 😉
Here are a few other things I’ve tried:
- I used it for damp dusting, cleaning mirrors, and wiping down windows in a 1:30 dilution.
- I cleaned my shower, bathroom and kitchen with a 1:5 dilution.
- I used a 1:3 dilution to soak dishes with burnt-on food — totally melted the scorched food right off my cookware. (Which, unfortunately, I have to do more often than I’d like — definitely no Martha Stewart here!)
- I used a 1:5 dilution as a laundry stain remover.
- I used a 1:2 dilution for foaming hand soap (it smells wonderful!)
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Jean says
WooHoo, a girl after my own heart! And your right, while vinegar and baking soda can make a nice cleaner on a fresh spill. It doesn’t work on those ovens that have been baking in for six or eight years in my case. Even tho I have a self cleaning oven I found I couldn’t use it because of the fumes it gave off. So my oven just continued to bake year after year.
I’m going to order some Branch Basics Cleaner and give it a go. I’ll let you know. Gee I’m almost giddy with excitement. I was just telling hubby how we need to buy a new stove cause I couldn’t take it anymore.
Jeannie
Elizabeth Walling says
That’s so funny, Jean! I was beginning to think I needed a new stove, too. Now every time I’m baking, I open my oven and smile from ear to ear when I see how clean it is! Totally worth the effort.
Gina B says
I use Branch Basics. I love how I can use it (1:5) to knock grease off the cover of our outdoor grill AND to clean my fresh fruit. Freaky huh?! I even carry a small bottle in my overnight bag when I travel. Out of desperation I even sprayed some (1:5) on a rash I had on my back. It DID make it feel better. Love that stuff!
Elizabeth Walling says
I know! I leave my 1:5 spray bottle out on the kitchen counter because I use it for EVERYTHING during the day. One minute I spray it on my frying pan with egg stuck on it, the next minute I’m treating a stain on my son’s shirt, then I use it to clean my counters… I’m actually having fun cleaning, lol.
Monica Mrozek says
So is it branch basics or thieves?? I’m confused…
Elizabeth W. says
I have used both, but I’ve been using Thieves cleaner for a few years now and I love it!
Marg says
Where can I purchase this cleaner ?
Carrie says
I love Branch Basics too. I even use it to wash my face. It makes makeup melt off, and is so gentle, I never feel tight and dry.
Elizabeth Walling says
I about flipped when I saw you could clean your face with Branch Basics. It’s crazy that I can use it to tackle my disgusting mess of an oven, and then turn around, dilute it some more, and use it to clean my sensitive face. How awesome is that?
Janet Van says
So it’s not soapy? It wipes right up? I need something like this for hard-to-clean places on my stove.
Elizabeth Walling says
It’s definitely not soapy at all–very easy to wipe up. I was surprised by that myself. I thought a “soap-based” cleaner would be foamy and leave streaks, but nope, it cleans everything up nice and shiny!
Ilene says
I’m gonna try one of those steam cleaners on mine.
Elizabeth Walling says
That’s a good idea, too! Let me know how it goes. I think a combination of soaking with Branch Basics and then steaming might eliminate scrubbing altogether (which, of course, would be awesome!).
Lori Alayne Weber Miller says
Bahahahahaha glad to hear I am not the only one that will go 6 years without cleaning the oven. Mine has a self cleaning cycle so I have run that and vacuumed after it but never actually like wiped it down.
Elizabeth Walling says
We are definitely not alone in this, Lori. 😉
Jen says
How was the fumes from the cleaner? I have to be very careful on what I use for cleaners. My son is asthmatic and cleaners agitate him very easily. So I usually am using vinegar and baking soda in some way to clean everything.
Elizabeth Walling says
Zero fumes. It’s a soap-based enzyme cleaner, so no weird chemicals at all. Absolutely no fumes whatsoever. I get a massive headache from even a whiff of chemical fumes, and my oven-cleaning experience was headache-free!
Vicky says
Thanks for this! I have been avoiding cleaning my oven since we moved into our house 3.5 years ago… Cleaning fumes make me sick and I hate the idea of cooking my food afterward in an oven cleaned with chemicals! This inspired me to buy a gallon of Branch Basics and today I cleaned the oven totally headache-free!! It’s not perfect, but it worked really well and I’m totally okay with what’s still stuck on inside. This oven’s been around for awhile, so perfection would be a long shot! Anyway, I am super excited to try this out for cleaning EVERYTHING and knowing it is safe! Thank you for sharing!!
Elizabeth Walling says
That is awesome, Vicky! I’m glad to hear you were able to clean your oven without a headache. My daughter helps me clean around the house, but almost everything we’ve ever used gave her a headache–Branch Basics is the only cleaner that keeps us headache-free (and actually works!).
Laurie S says
You can really use stainless steel pads in the oven? They won’t damage the surface? Mine looks about the same as yours – I just never would have thought you could use something that abrasive!
Thanks for the tips and the before and after pics – stunning!
Elizabeth Walling says
My oven held up to the stainless steel scrubbers, no scratches that I could notice. But then, it was so covered in grime I don’t really remember what it was supposed to look like under there! 😉
Kathleen says
Just came across this on Pintrest. I know you’ve started using Thieves cleaner too. Do you think I could use Theives in the oven and would it work as well?
Elizabeth Walling says
It could work at a high concentration. I use both Branch Basics and Thieves cleaner from YL around the house – I like Thieves for surface cleaning, but Branch Basics seems to have a really powerful way of penetrating fabrics, carpet and grease build up.
Patti says
Sounds good but I have a gas oven with a broiler. can I still use that on mine if not what would you suggest. looking for something inexpensive. Please let me know asap
thanks
Patti
Elizabeth Walling says
As far as I know this is fine with a gas oven as well.
Virginia Randolph says
Great post and all the tips are so helpful! I don’t like using store bought detergents for cleaning at home and I still haven’t found the perfect natural product for cleaning the oven.Your tips and advises seem to be very efficient and I’ll definitely try the product you’ve recommended. thanks for all the great info!
Scott says
I had never thought about cleaning my oven while listening to music. I can understand why this would help make it a little more enjoyable. My oven is pretty dirty. This website was really useful. I’ll definitely have to remember these tips when I go to clean my oven.
Elizabeth Walling says
Good music is mandatory!! 🙂
Lili says
Hi! Thanks for this post. I’ve been on the hunt for a natural way to clean the oven that works. Also not impressed with baking soda and vinegar. So are you recommending the Thieves Cleaner for the oven or the Branch Basics? If the Branch Basics, what ratio do you recommend or does it come pre-mixed? Thanks!!
Elizabeth Walling says
I recommend the Thieves cleaner and I’ve been using that pretty exclusively for a couple of years now. I use 50/50 for tough greasy spots that need to soak, but a 1:4 ratio works really well for most of it. The important part is definitely to let it soak and really give it a chance to break down the grease and grime.
Thelma says
Where can I buy this product?
Elizabeth W. says
I get mine here: http://bit.ly/1Oy9pew
Rosslyn Picton says
Hi Elizabeth,
I am doing my research to clean my oven, which looks like something out of a horror movie right now 😉 I am in the same boat as you were, living in my space for almost five years…and haven’t cleaned the oven ONCE! I have a question: Can you share what is in “Thieves” All-Purpose cleanser? I live in Canada and would rather purchase something natural here, as it costs more to buy from the US.
THANKS and CONGRATULATIONS! ;D
Elizabeth W. says
I’m glad I’m not the only one who waits too long to clean my oven!! lol
Young Living has corporate and shipping centers in Canada, so your products would come directly from there rather than the US. The ingredients for the cleaner are below:
Water, Alkyl Polyglucoside, Sodium Methyl 2-Sulfolaurate, Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate, Thieves [Eugenia Caryophyllus† (Clove) Bud Oil, Citrus Limon† (Lemon) Peel Oil, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum† (Cinnamon) Bark Oil, Eucalyptus Radiata† Leaf Oil, and Rosmarinus Officinalis† (Rosemary) Leaf Oil], and Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate.
cecelia says
can i buy thieves concentrated cleaner in the store. and what store carry it?
Elizabeth W. says
Thieves cleaner is available exclusively from Young Living. I highly recommend the Thieves Starter Kit, which comes with 2 bottles of cleaner and all my other favorite Thieves products (the 2 bottles should last you about a year!): https://livingthenourishedlife.com/essentialoilsignup
Theodore Lewis says
You are a ROCK STAR! Our speed cook oven was totally black and never cleaned in six years. We use it constantly. I soaked the interior with vinegar/water/lemon essential oil and let it sit overnight while I waited for the the Thieves detergent to be delivered. Then, I mixed 2 parts Thieves with 1 part water and saturated the oven interior. I repeated the spray before bed. This morning, I grabbed a plastic putty knife and everything came off in sheets! The final cleaning was with Bon Ami and a damp sponge. Our oven looks like a mirror! Thank you, thank you. The Thieves did the trick. That stuff is amazing. I’m pasting linksmto before after:. https://www.dropbox.com/s/dur4n425vosm650/IMG_0162.JPG?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/bphm25o7bfd15ab/IMG_4946.JPG?dl=0
Elizabeth W. says
That is impressive!!! I’m glad I’m not the only one who has had this problem – and happy that I could help! 🙂
Charlotte Moore says
How do we go about buying “Thieves”, without having to become a member?
Elizabeth Walling says
You can order Thieves cleaner as a retail customer as well. You just don’t receive the 24% off discount, but honestly it’s a great deal either way.
Christine Cartwright says
I just wanted to mention that I cleaned my oven last night with a cleaner similar to the Thieves brand and it worked like a charm. I started by cleaning out the loose bits, then I sprayed the oven down really well in the morning. That evening I used a putty knife to loosen the baked on stuff and then used steel wool to scrub the oven down. It came out beautifully and I was thrilled to be inhaling essential oils rather then chemical fumes. Thank you for this post.