What Will Clean the Inside of an Electric Oven?

Burnt foods in your oven can give your food a foul taste.pizzas in an oven image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com

Electric ovens come in a wide array of styles and sizes with both digital and dial controls. Keeping your oven clean is necessary because spilled foods that you do not clean up quickly can burn and cause strong odors in your home during the next use. The odor from the burning food can seep into your casseroles and other foods that you are baking and give them a foul taste. Regular maintenance and cleaning of your electric oven will prevent this from happening.

Commercial Products

Commercial oven cleaning products are available in the cleaning supply aisle at your discount or grocery stores. Follow the directions carefully and wear gloves and a face mask if necessary when using the product. Some cleaners require that you leave them on overnight and others just for a few hours. The fumes in these types of cleaner can be quite strong and the chemicals may cause sensitivity in some people.

You can clean your oven racks monthly or as needed by removing them from the oven and using warm, soapy water and steel wool to remove any food particles. Clean baked-on foods in the oven interior by using a cleaning cloth or sponge dampened with regular ammonia. Allow the ammonia to sit on the stain for at least 30 minutes to soften the food, and then scrub it away. Use a cleaning cloth dampened with water to rinse the area frequently. You can find ammonia on the cleaning aisle in your grocery or discount store.

Use the self-cleaning feature on your oven by following the directions in the owner's manual. The oven will reach a high temperature that reduces the debris to ashes that you can quickly remove with a hand broom and small dustpan. Most self-cleaning ovens recommend that you do not use commercial cleaners for small cleanups; use ammonia instead.

Using the proper size dish when baking in the oven will prevent your casseroles, cobblers and other dishes from spilling over into the oven. Place a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan underneath the dish if you are unsure if it is the proper size. If something does bubble over, turn the oven off as soon as possible, allow it to cool and clean up the spill. Wear long oven mitts in case the interior of the oven is still hot. Use a dampened sponge or paper towels to wipe up any spills and prevent the debris from burning the next time you use your oven.