9 best oven cleaners to banish grease and stains in 2023
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THE best oven cleaners can make a hated task effortlessly easy, saving you valuable time.
We've rounded up some of the best cleaning products below, along with some tips on how to clean your oven properly.
What is the best oven cleaner?
With so many effective products on the market, it’s safe to say there’s no single best oven cleaner.
Instead, it depends on what you’re looking for and the type of oven you have.
Some people prefer all-natural products with no harsh chemicals but others just want the strongest stuff around that requires absolutely no scrubbing.
Then there’s the smell - you can pick from odour free options or ones that will leave your oven smelling lemony fresh.
With that in mind, we’ve picked out a selection of top rated oven cleaning products that fans say leave their appliances sparkling clean with zero effort.
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1. Elbow Grease All-Purpose Degreasing Oven Cleaner
Mrs Hinch fans will tell you that whatever the Essex cleaning guru recommends is gospel.
In fact, one fan used Elbow Grease to clean her filthy oven (which hadn't been cleaned in over a decade) and it worked a treat.
This multi-purpose oven cleaner spray can be used on metal as well as plastic and fabrics, making it a great all-rounder.
2. Astonish cookware and oven cleaner
This award-winning oven cleaner is great for lifting the toughest stains from ovens and hobs, but the formula is also gentle enough that you can use it for taps, tiles and even your cookware.
You get two packs in this bundle, making it even better value.
3. Stardrops The Pink Stuff oven cleaner
This bargain buy (another obsession of Hinchers) is a great all-rounder that can clean your hob, oven interior, oven glass and more; Mrs Hinch uses it to keep her hob sparkling.
It also makes saucepans, BBQs, tiles and more look squeaky clean.
For its budget-friendly price, it's hard to go wrong.
4. Oven Pride complete oven cleaner kit
This highly effective cleaning product is a scrub-free solution to a dirty oven.
You simply leave it on overnight, then wipe it away and enjoy your good-as-new appliance the next day.
This is powerful stuff so do wear gloves (they come in the kit, along with a bag for cleaning oven racks) as it will burn your skin if you make contact with it.
5. Dirtbusters bio oven cleaner
Your oven cleaner doesn't have to contain harsh chemicals to get the job done.
Dirtbusters' non-caustic formula is used by professional cleaning companies and removes grease and stains without fumes.
It's eco-friendly and environmentally safe, plus it smells deliciously citrusy.
6. Oven Mate Complete Deep Clean oven cleaner kit
Oven Mate Complete Deep Clean oven kit, £24.99 at Lakeland -
Oven Mate's Complete Deep Clean oven kit will overhaul your kitchen cleaning routine.
It contains Oven Mate's oven and rack cleaning gels, as well as microwave wipes, Grill Gremlin scourers, gel applicator brushes and glove and arm protectors.
Basically, it's got everything you need to give your kitchen a thorough scrub down.
7. Cif Perfect Finish oven cleaner & grill spray
This powerful spray can be used to clean ovens, grills and even BBQs to get rid of grease stains and leave appliances sparkling.
Simply spray on and then leave the no-scrub formula for up to half an hour to get to work.
After that, just rinse and it should be as good as new.
8. Ecover hob and oven cleaner
- Ecover oven and hob cleaner, £4 at Big Green Smile -
This is a good weekly oven cleaner that's made with plant-based ingredients and no harsh chemicals.
You just spray on, leave for a minute, and then wipe off and rinse. Done.
It comes in a recyclable plastic bottle, and can be used to clean hobs, too.
9. Mr Muscle oven cleaner
Mr Muscle's oven cleaner spray is really effective and fast to apply - plus, it works quickly to remove any burnt-on mess.
All you need to do is spray the product on any oven surfaces that need to be cleaned, close the oven door and allow the product to work for 20 to 30 minutes.
You should then be able to easily wipe the grease away using a damp cloth or a sponge.
It's easy enough to use if you make sure you always wear protective gloves and ventilate the room.
How do you clean a really dirty oven?
Before you clean your oven, make sure it’s completely cool - especially if you’re planning to use chemicals - and make sure your cleaning area is well-ventilated.
Remove any trays or shelves from your oven and allow these to soak in a tub with a good squirt of washing-up liquid.
Depending on how dirty these are, you may need to give them a good scrub with a scourer after soaking for a couple of hours.
If there’s a particularly tough stain, apply a bit of your oven cleaning product and let it get to work before rinsing it clean.
For the oven itself, brush out any crumbs on the base first and then apply your chosen product, following any instructions. Make sure you avoid getting any on the fans or heating elements.
Most products say to leave it on for a couple of hours max before wiping it away but some can be left on overnight.
After the allotted time, simply wipe off the product and rinse. Inside the oven that might mean wiping it down several times with a damp cloth.
For any stuck-on bits, use a scouring pad to give it a good scrub. It’s best to avoid metal scourers though, as these can damage the surfaces.
Once you’ve wiped off all the products, it might also be worth wiping all the surfaces down with white vinegar, especially if you’ve used a really strong product. This just helps to neutralise any leftover product.
Is oven cleaner acid or alkaline?
All oven cleaners are alkaline and have a fairly high pH to blast through burnt-on grime.
They work because fats are dissolved by alkali solutions, so the higher the pH the more effective the cleaner.
But because of that, you should always wear gloves as otherwise the solution will attack the fat in your skin and cause irritation and even chemical burns.
Some people also use slices of lemon to clean their oven but this generally helps to remove bad smells rather than cut through the fat.
Is oven cleaner toxic?
Many oven cleaner products contain butoxyethanol or sodium hydroxide, which are chemicals that can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system if concentrated.
It's best to always wear gloves when using oven cleaners to avoid any irritation - and ventilate the area if you're giving your oven an intense clean.
What is the best eco-friendly oven cleaner?
Ecover has a great range of eco-friendly household products and the oven cleaner is made from natural ingredients with no harsh chemicals.
Also, Dirtbusters' bio oven cleaner is eco-friendly and environmentally safe with no toxic chemicals.