How to Remove Burned on Grease From Oven Doors

Burned on grease makes the oven look and smell unclean.

Through time and use, the door of your oven will eventually accumulate an unsightly layer of grease and food. When grease manages to get on the oven door, inside or out, it quickly becomes burned on from the heat of the oven and becomes difficult to clean. Removing these burned greasy stains not only makes your oven look cleaner, but smell cleaner too as burning grease will to continue to put off a smell each time the oven is used.

Things You'll Need

• Microwave safe dishes
• Ammonia
• Clean cloth or sponge
• Grease cutting dish soap
• White vinegar
• Spray bottle
• Paper towels
• Dry towel

Instructions

Clean Grease on Inside of Oven Door

1. Preheat the oven to a low temperature such as 150 degrees Fahrenheit and turn it back off.

2. Open up the oven and place a large oven-safe dish of boiling water on the bottom rack and an oven-safe bowl with 1/2 cup of ammonia in it on the top rack.

3. Close the oven door and leave the ammonia and water in the oven overnight.

4. Open up the oven and remove the dish of water and dish of ammonia.

5. Drizzle grease-cutting dish soap onto a dampened sponge and use it to wipe away the burnt grease from the inside of the oven door.

6. Rinse the door off with a damp sponge or cloth.

Clean Grease on Outside of Oven Door

1. Pour plain white vinegar into a spray bottle.

2. Spray the greasy area with the vinegar and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Keep spraying the area every few minutes to keep it damp and keep a paper towel on the floor below it to absorb vinegar as it trickles down to the floor.

3. Dampen a sponge with warm to hot water.

4. Dip the sponge in grease-cutting dish soap and wipe away the grease.

5. Rinse the area with a damp cloth to eliminate residual grease and soap before wiping the door dry with a clean, dry towel.

Tips & Warnings

• If you decide to use a commercial oven cleaner to tackle the grease, read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions and safety warnings closely.

• Do not use the ammonia method in a gas oven unless the pilot light is completely out and the main gas lines are turned off.

References

• Readers Digest: Tips for a Clean Oven
• Naturo Doc: Homemade Cleaners
• Michigan State University: Homemade Cleaners