How to Clean an Oven With Ammonia

Cleaning the oven doesn't have to be a chore.

Cleaning the oven often means using damaging chemical cleaners. Using inexpensive household ammonia, you can clean an oven with less effort and without a harmful chemical oven cleaner. There are plenty of other ways to use ammonia for cleaning, too, so it's wise to keep a bottle of this handy product in the pantry.

Things You'll Need

• Ammonia
• Large plastic garbage bag
• Glass bowl
• Scrubbing pads
• Paper towels
• Dish soap
• Bowl
• Sponge
• Towel

Instructions

1. Remove the racks from the oven and take them outdoors or into your garage. Place them inside a large heavy-duty garbage bag.

2. Carefully pour 1 cup of ammonia into the bag with the racks and tie the bag tightly. The fumes from the ammonia will accumulate inside the bag and help to loosen greasy, baked-on grime. Allow the bag to sit undisturbed overnight.

3. Pour 1 cup of ammonia into a glass bowl and place the bowl inside your oven when the oven is cold.

4. Close the oven door and allow the ammonia to sit overnight.

5. Remove the bowl of ammonia from the oven and discard the liquid. Use scrub pads to loosen the grime from the interior. Wipe away the grime with paper towels.

6. Wash the interior of the oven. Add 1 tbsp. of dish soap to a bowl of warm water. Dip a scrub pad into the soapy solution and wash the interior. Repeat until the inside of the oven is free of grease.

7. Dip a sponge in clean water, wring it out and wipe the interior to remove the soap residue.

8. Remove the racks from the garbage bag. Dispose of the ammonia and the bag.

9. Wipe the racks with scrub pads and paper towels to remove debris.

10. Clean the racks thoroughly with warm soapy water and a scrub pad. Rinse and dry them. Place the racks back in the oven.

Tips & Warnings

• Use this method when weather allows you to open windows for ventilation.

• For even better results, use commercial grade ammonia available at most hardware stores.

• Do not place ammonia in a heated oven or turn the oven on while the ammonia is inside.

• If you have a gas oven, do not use this cleaning method unless the pilot lights are out and the main gas lines are shut off.

References

• Mrs. Clean: Oven Cleaner With Ammonia
• Apartment Therapy: How to Clean Your Oven with Ammonia
• Pioneer Thinking: Stove Cleaning & Care
• Think House Cleaning: How to Clean Oven Racks
• Stain Removal 101: Cleaning Oven Racks

Resources

• Reader's Digest: Uses for Ammonia Around the House