Cleaning an oven can be a daunting task, especially when baked-on grease and food splatters make the inside look less than sparkling. Many people rely on commercial oven cleaners to cut through the grime, but these often contain harsh chemicals and fumes that can be undesirable to use in the home. An alternative solution is to make a homemade oven cleaner using simple ingredients like dish soap and vinegar. But does a homemade cleaner like Dawn and vinegar really work to clean ovens effectively?
Page Contents
How Dirty Oven Interiors Occur
To understand if DIY cleaners can tackle oven grime, it helps to first understand what causes ovens to get so dirty in the first place. When food is cooked in the oven, grease, juices, and spilled food particles get baked onto the oven walls and door at high temperatures over time. This leaves hard, stuck-on residues that can be difficult to remove. Oven interiors are designed to withstand very high heat, so they are also very smooth non-porous surfaces. This allows grime to stick tightly rather than absorb into the material. The combination of baked-on grease and smooth surfaces makes cleaning oven interiors a challenging task.
Why Vinegar and Dawn Are Effective
While homemade cleaners sound simple compared to commercial oven cleaners, vinegar and Dawn dish soap can actually be very effective for cutting through grease and grime on ovens. Here’s why:
- Vinegar is a mild acid that helps dissolve grease and food residue. The acetic acid in vinegar can cut through baked-on grime.
- Dawn contains detergents called surfactants that lift and surround grease, breaking it up so it can be washed away with water.
- Combining an acid like vinegar with a detergent like Dawn helps break up grime and dissolve the greasy layer at the same time for better cleaning power.
How to Clean an Oven with Vinegar and Dawn
Using vinegar and Dawn dish soap is an inexpensive yet effective homemade oven cleaner. Here are the simple steps to clean your oven with this dynamic duo:
- Remove oven racks and wash separately. Spray racks with Dawn Powerwash spray and let sit before rinsing.
- Make oven cleaning solution – mix 1 cup white vinegar with 1⁄4 cup Dawn in a spray bottle. Shake well to combine.
- Spray vinegar Dawn solution liberally over entire oven interior, including door. Avoid spraying near oven lights or elements.
- Let solution sit for at least 15 minutes to penetrate grime. For heavier grime, let sit for up to an hour.
- Scrub with a damp non-scratch scrubbing pad or cloth. The grime should start to wipe away.
- For stubborn areas, spray more solution and let sit again before scrubbing.
- Once scrubbing is complete, wipe oven clean with a damp cloth. Rinse cloth frequently.
- Wear gloves – the vinegar solution could irritate bare hands with prolonged use
- Try heating the vinegar/Dawn solution before applying – warm solution may cut grease better
- Use the oven’s self-cleaning cycle first for heavy grime – this loosens baked-on food before scrubbing
- Repeat process for tough, neglected ovens – it may take a few treatments to get a very dirty oven fully clean
- Re-apply solution if it dries during scrubbing – keep the area wet for optimal cleaning action
- Cooktops/Ranges – Excellent for removing burned on food and grease
- Microwaves – Spray and wipe down interior and deodorize
- Refrigerators – Disinfect shelves and drawers
- Tiles/Counters – Remove soap scum and hard water marks
- Sinks – Brighten stainless steel and remove rust stains
- Showers/Baths – Descaled soap scum and hard water deposits
- Windows – Streak-free shine on glass and mirrors
It’s that simple! The vinegar dissolves the gunk while the Dawn grease-fighting formula helps lift it away. With some scrubbing elbow grease, you can unlock the cleaning power of Dawn and vinegar to restore your oven’s shine.
Tips for the Best Results
Follow these tips when using the vinegar and Dawn oven cleaning method for best results:
Advantages vs Commercial Oven Cleaners
Cleaning your oven with vinegar and Dawn offers some advantages over commercial oven cleaning sprays:
| Vinegar and Dawn | Commercial Oven Cleaners |
|---|---|
| Non-toxic ingredients | Harsh chemicals like lye or bleach |
| No harsh fumes | Irritating chemical odor during use |
| Inexpensive ingredients | More expensive per use |
| Safer for user | Gloves and ventilation required for safety |
The trade-off is that commercial cleaners are often stronger and faster-acting than DIY solutions. However, vinegar and Dawn provide a safer, cheaper oven cleaning option that with some scrubbing can rival the cleaning power of chemical oven cleaners.
Other Uses for Vinegar and Dawn Cleaner
Once you mix up a batch of vinegar and Dawn cleaner, don’t stop after just cleaning the oven! This dynamic duo has so many uses around the home:
Vinegar cuts through grime while Dawn grease-cleaning formula makes surfaces sparkle. Keep a spray bottle filled with this homemade cleaner to tackle cleaning tasks all over the home.
Conclusion
While it may sound counterintuitive, the combination of mild vinegar and sudsy dish soap packs a powerful one-two punch against the baked-on grease and food splatters that dirty up oven interiors. The acetic acid in vinegar dissolves gunk while Dawn contains grease-fighting ingredients that help lift the grime away. With some scrubbing effort, a homemade oven cleaner made with vinegar and Dawn can clean an oven almost as effectively as commercial cleaners. Plus, it provides a non-toxic, fume-free alternative that is both inexpensive and safe for the user. So don’t be afraid to tackle cleaning your dirty oven with just a simple homemade solution of Dawn dish soap and vinegar.