We all know ovens can get dirty pretty fast and become difficult to clean almost overnight; but can you clean an oven with bleach or should you use something else?
You can technically use bleach to clean an oven, however, it is not recommended. Bleach is primarily a disinfecting agent, however, ovens remain sterile due to the high temperatures that they operate at and instead required cleaning agents that can remove hardened food or grease instead – which makes it pretty pointless to use bleach.
In the rest of this article, we will take a more in-depth look at why bleach isn’t ideal to be used to clean an oven, what the alternatives are and also some other tips for keeping your oven clean. Let’s jump straight into it!
Why You Shouldn’t Use Bleach To Clean An Oven
Bleach can be used in ovens, but it isn’t the best option for quite a few reasons.
Wrong Cleaning Properties
Disinfecting is great and all, but it isn’t really what you need to focus on in ovens.
The major dirt in ovens is solidified food and grease, both of which are not easily removed by bleach. Also, most surfaces in ovens are kept free from bacteria simply due to the high temperatures that ovens operate at.
There isn’t much point in disinfecting the surface if you are leaving food and grease behind, which can start to grow mold and bacteria over time.
Simply put, you’re better off using other cleaning agents that can remove things like grease and food.
Odor
Bleach can leave behind a strong odor, which is great when cleaning things like toilets or other surfaces around the house, but it is not ideal for an oven where food is prepared.
The odor will only become more noticeable as you use your oven as well, which can be another problem altogether.
Difficult To Remove Properly
Alongside the odor problem is the fact that bleach is difficult to remove from surfaces, especially those in ovens which can be difficult to reach in the first place.
This can be a problem because you need to make sure that all of the bleach is removed before using your oven to cook food, as the fumes created can lead to odor problems and potentially affect the taste of any food you are preparing.
Alternatives To Bleach For Cleaning Ovens
If bleach isn’t the best option, you may be wondering what some alternatives are.
Luckily, most of the best alternatives are actually super cheap to buy and it’s likely that you have a few of them around the house already. From baking soda to lemon juice, you are sure to find an alternative here that you can get started with right away.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is one of our personal favorite cleaning agents and can be used for loads of things, such as polishing marble or removing stains from quartz countertops, so there is no surprise it is on this list.
To clean an oven using baking soda, simply mix baking soda with water to create a thick paste. Depending on how large your oven is, you may need to mix a large or small amount, but you can always mix more if you run out.
Once mixed up you’ll need to remove any racks from your oven as these will be cleaned separately. Afterwards, apply the paste generously to the surfaces inside your oven, avoiding heating elements.
After you’ve covered everywhere in the paste let it sit for at least 12 hours. Once the time is up spray distilled white vinegar over the paste, which will react with the baking soda making it easier to remove any debris.
Scrub the paste and wipe away any residue with a clean dishcloth and you’re done!
Lemon Juice
Believe it or not, you can use lemon juice to steam clean your oven.
To do this, all you need to do is place an ovenproof dish inside your oven with a mixture of lemon juice and water inside. You can then turn your oven on, and wait for the water to start boiling – at which point you need to turn the oven off and leave it to steam clean.
Oven Cleaning Solution
Oven cleaning solutions are obviously another option, but they can be expensive and not as convenient as some of the other options listed that can be found readily in the house.
FAQs
There are lots of questions out there regarding using bleach in ovens, so we’ve listed a few of the popular ones below.
Can You Use Bleach Alongside Oven Cleaner?
You should never mix bleach and oven cleaner together. In fact, bleach shouldn’t be mixed with just about any other cleaning agent, except a certain few like baking soda.
The combination of chemicals can form some pretty toxic gases, and it won’t enhance the cleaning properties of the oven cleaner either, so stick to just oven cleaner on its own.
What About Self-Cleaning Ovens?
Self-cleaning ovens don’t require any special cleaning agents as they clean themselves.
All you really need to do is avoid using any cleaning agents at all – including bleach – and just follow the instructions to use the self-cleaning mode. Once it is done you will be able to open the oven and remove the debris that is left behind, but this can be done simply with a dishcloth rinsed in warm water.
Final Thoughts
Using bleach to clean an oven is not the optimal choice, and you should instead look to use something like baking soda or lemon juice instead for a better result.
Conventional oven cleaners are also a good option, but they can be on the more expensive side.