How to Clean an Oven

Slide the oven racks out and lay them flat in a storage tub or your bathtub. Fill it with water as hot as your tap will go, then drop two dishwasher pods in opposite corners.

The enzymes in the pods break down baked-on grease while you work on the interior. Set this up first so the racks have hours to soak by the time you get back to them.

Reach into the empty oven and pick out any large chunks of burnt food. A handheld vacuum makes quick work of crumbs and ash on the floor.

Then lay out everything you'll need so you're not hunting for it mid-job: a non-scratch scrub sponge, a steel scour pad for the racks, a razor blade scraper, a stack of microfiber towels, and a spray bottle.

In a bowl, mix about a half cup of baking soda with enough water to form a thick paste, like toothpaste.

Spread it across the oven floor, walls, ceiling, and the inside of the door. Don't worry about being neat. The paste works as a mild abrasive that cuts grease without scratching enamel. Skip the heating element and any vents.

Close the oven door and walk away. The longer the paste sits, the more grease it lifts.

Two hours is the bare minimum. Overnight is better for a heavily soiled oven. Brandon's rule: trust the dwell time. The chemistry does the heavy lifting so your arms don't have to.

Grab the scrub sponge and a stack of damp microfiber cloths. Work in sections, wiping the dried paste and grease into the cloth, then rinsing or swapping cloths as they get loaded up.

Use the razor scraper held flat against the surface for any spots that resist. Bad areas may need a second round of paste and another wait, but most of the gunk should come off on the first pass.

Mix two cups of water, half a cup of white vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle. Mist the inside of the oven generously.

Wipe top to bottom with a fresh damp microfiber cloth. This pulls up any baking soda residue, cuts through leftover grease, and leaves the surface streak-free. Don't forget the inside of the door and the rubber gasket around the frame.

Head back to the soaking tub. The dishwasher pods will have loosened most of the baked-on residue, so a few passes with a steel scour pad clear what's left.

Rinse the racks under hot water, dry them with a towel, and slide them back into the oven. You're done.