How to Use Windex on an Oven

A quick wipe down of an oven can keep grease and debris from collecting in the crooks and crannies of the ever-useful appliance. A good spritz of Windex helps to maintain the shine and quickly picks up the daily dust, drops of food and splatters from sauces before they set and become difficult to clean.

The blue solution that works so well on windows does a great job cleaning ovens. If the appliance isn't overly dirty or layered with years of grime, then a quick wash with Windex will retrieve its shine.

Simply spray down the ceramic or acrylic surface and wipe away. Don't use Windex on ovens with granite countertops close by. The cleaner can create pock marks in the natural stone.

Cleaning the oven can be an arduous and odorous endeavor. Rather than attempt to ignore the murky hulking beast in the kitchen or spend hours scrubbing and waiting for the commercial cleaner to do its job, you can take down grime in no time with a well-made oven door cleaner made from affordable and effective cleaners found around the house.

Ovens are one of the more reliable appliances in the kitchen. Before you panic at the loss of a burner or low heat coming from the cavity, take some time to clean the appliance and give it the opportunity to be a hardworking and reliable machine.

Before you start to tackle built-up grime and grease that has found its ways into the coils and corners of the oven's surfaces, gather all the materials you need to get the job done quickly.

To clean an oven thoroughly, have the following on hand before the door even creaks open for a good scrubbing:

• Soft sponges with an abrasive edge or side
• Dry clothes
• Stack of dry towels
• Razor blade
• Pumice stone
• Screwdriver for removing door handles, if needed

Solutions to have on-hand include:

• Baking soda
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Vinegar
• Bathroom cleaner
• Windex
• Liquid dish soap
• Salt
• Warm water

What's the best homemade oven cleaner? That can depend on your cleaning preference, budget and access to cleaning agents. A good oven door cleaner is effective, affordable and easy to put together.

For a simple solution, mix together 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon dish liquid. Dip a scrubbing sponge into the mix and wipe down the entire surface of the oven, making sure to work hard on any baked on bits of food or hardened puddles of sauces.

Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to this mix and double the wet ingredients for a stronger homemade cleaner. This will need to be wiped down with a wet rag and then gone over with a dry rag to ensure the oven has a gleam when you are done cleaning.

For grimy glass flecked with bits of grease and cheese, vinegar can quickly take off the unwanted globs while also sanitizing and shining the surface of the oven.

Fill a 32-ounce bottle with distilled white vinegar. Spray the inside and exterior of the oven with the vinegar until it is fully saturated. Let it sit on the stains and grease for 15 minutes.

Use a sponge to scrub away the vinegar. Rinse with water and wipe down with a soft cloth.