After the whirlwind of festive cooking, many households across the UK are facing a common post-Christmas dilemma: a greasy, grime-encrusted oven. From roast potatoes and turkey to Yorkshire puddings, the residue left behind can be stubborn and unappealing.
The Unanimous Expert Verdict
Faced with this very problem, and keen to avoid the cost of a professional cleaner in the post-Christmas financial squeeze, we sought advice from cleaning professionals. The consensus was clear and unanimous. While commercial oven cleaners were mentioned, every expert championed one natural, effective, and eco-friendly solution above all others: bicarbonate of soda, commonly known as baking soda.
The Step-by-Step Natural Cleaning Method
Justin Carpenter, owner of the residential cleaning firm Modern Maids, emphasised starting with a warm oven and using steam to loosen dirt. His key advice is to create a paste from baking soda and water to tackle the grease directly. "Focus on the grease with baking soda and water, and leave the vinegar for last," he advised, also warning against using hard scrapers and stressing the importance of proper ventilation afterwards.
Gwil Snook, a specialist from the appliance retailer AO, provided detailed instructions for this natural approach. He recommends first removing the oven racks for separate cleaning. For the oven interior, mix bicarbonate of soda with water into a thick paste, apply it, and leave it to sit for around 20 minutes before wiping away with a warm, damp cloth. For particularly tough stains, he suggests a pre-treatment of steam, generated by heating a bowl of water with a splash of lemon juice in the oven for five minutes.
Professional Cleaner's Top Tips
Chersty Bitsindou, a professional cleaner with extensive experience via Airtasker, has seen hundreds of neglected ovens. She strongly advocates for regular maintenance to avoid a major build-up. For a deep clean, she echoes the baking soda paste method, advising to let it sit for half an hour to break down grease effectively. Chersty also recommends the steaming technique, using a heatproof bowl of hot water left in the closed oven for about 15 minutes to loosen persistent grime on all surfaces.
All experts agreed on a crucial piece of maintenance advice: a deep clean should be performed regularly, with recommendations ranging from once a month to every three months, to keep your oven in top condition and prevent stubborn, burnt-on deposits from forming.
