Get Your Glass Oven Door Sparkling Clean With A Simple, Budget-Friendly Solution

It looks great when it's clean, but a dirty glass oven door can bring down your whole kitchen's vibe. Over time, frequent use leads to nasty buildup that mars your otherwise clean oven. Even the outside of the glass can look dirty with fingerprint smudges and drips from your stovetop. You don't need to spend hours scrubbing it or even resort to harsh chemicals, because you likely already have the answer to the problem in your kitchen. A simple budget-friendly mixture of vinegar and water is one of the best ways to clean your oven naturally. This easy but powerful combination tackles the glass, breaking down the gunk, so your oven door is sparkling once again. It's an option to clean the glass on the inside and outside of the door.

Non-toxic yet affordable, vinegar is a versatile cleaning tool for your home, especially in the kitchen. Thanks to its acetic acid, vinegar can cut through most everything on your glass oven door, from splattered batter to gooey, melted pizza cheese to the residue left behind from enchiladas. As the vinegar comes into contact with the grime, the acid dissolves it, breaking it apart. The addition of water further helps with the process, loosening the fats and oils so you can easily wipe them away. 

Unless your oven manufacturer recommends otherwise, vinegar is a safe way to get a clean oven door in no time. However, you should avoid using vinegar on any part of your oven door that's stainless steel, as prolonged exposure can corrode and damage the surface. You should instead use cleaners suited for stainless steel kitchen appliances for spotless results on the outside of the oven door if the appliance is stainless steel.

To use this cleaning method, you'll need distilled white vinegar, water, and a spray bottle. Mix equal parts water and vinegar, pour into your bottle, and shake well. Make sure the oven is turned off and cool before proceeding. On the outside of the door, spray on the solution and wipe it off. On the inside, remove loose crumbs or debris, and spray the glass with your solution, including in the corners where tough buildup may lurk. Let the oven door stay open so the vinegar can penetrate the buildup for a few minutes. Is the oven particularly funky? Having it sit for longer gives the spray more time to work. Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away the buildup, then let it dry.

If your oven door is covered with grease and your vinegar and water solution isn't cutting it, you might need the extra power of baking soda. Grease can contain fatty acids and oils, which often don't respond well to vinegar. Plus, if you've ever tried to wipe off grease with just water, you know how hard it can be. This is because grease is nonpolar, meaning it's not attracted to the polar water molecules. Adding in baking soda as a base helps vinegar dissolve the grease, while also providing a gentle abrasive to scrub the stubborn residue. 

Baking soda works particularly well on the inside of your oven door. Mix just enough water with the baking soda to make a paste. You can also add dish soap for grease-fighting power. Rub it on the glass, wait about 10 to 15 minutes, and wipe it away with a soft sponge. You can follow up with your diluted vinegar mixture if needed to remove any remaining gunk.