Ovens are often one of the dirtiest areas of the house, which is a huge issue since our food is exposed to it daily, but most people are put off cleaning them due to the stuck-on grease. Oil and fat tend to spill out of food while it cooks, and once it splatters on a hot surface, it will harden into stubborn stains as the oven cools down. 

Built-up grease needs to be cleaned as it increases the risk of fire, and the smoke from the burned leftover can give food a bitter taste. Luckily, Shamsa, a household expert and founder of Officially Shamsa has shared that cleaning an oven can be as easy as long as you use bicarbonate of soda. 

Shamsa said: “A quick, cheap and effective method for cleaning the inside of a dirty oven is to use a homemade baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda) solution. Adding lemon juice or vinegar to the baking soda solution helps to clean the oven even further.” 

Bicarbonate of soda is one of the best natural cleaners for ovens as it is an alkaline solution, which can break down the acidic and fatty components in grease. 

It is very absorbent, so it will soak up any bad smells, and has a gritty texture to loosen grease without scratching the oven. 

White vinegar or lemon juice are also acidic substances that have antibacterial properties that can disinfect an oven. 

However, do not mix bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar (or lemon juice) as it will create a fizzy reaction that neutralises each other and will not be as effective at removing grease. 

How to remove grease from an oven  

Instead, first mix bicarbonate of soda and water in a small bowl to create a thick paste. Then, use the back of the sponge to spread the bicarbonate of soda solution all over the oven and then leave it to sit. 

For best results, leave the bicarbonate of soda paste overnight, but you can also leave it for around four hours if you do not have the time. 

Once the time is up, fill an empty bottle with white vinegar or lemon juice and then spray it all over your oven. It will activate the fizzy solution, which will also help loosen any stuck-on grease. 

Wipe the oven with a clean sponge, and the grease should come away easily. Give the oven another spray of your white vinegar (or lemon juice) solution to get rid of any leftover paste. 

Dry the oven thoroughly before switching it on again, but it should now be sparkling clean without any splatter, sticky residues or stuck-on grease.