The Easy Cleaning Hack That'll Leave Your Glass Oven Door Sparkling

Cleaning your oven door is one of those common household chores that always seems to be continually put off. It's easy to see why. Over time, your oven door becomes built up with layers of baked in grease and food. Normal window glass cleaners are not nearly strong enough to get through those layers, and the chemicals found in standard oven cleaners can potentially damage the door's tempered glass. The good news is there is a cleaning hack that will not only make your oven door easier to clean, but leave it absolutely sparkling. Plus, it uses ingredients you likely already have at home.

If you've never thought to use baking soda to clean your oven door, now is your chance to change that. Baking soda is mildly abrasive and will help you scrub surfaces without scratching them. It's also an alkaline compound, which means it helps neutralize odors and break down grime. About ½ a cup will serve as the base of your cleaner.

To the baking soda, you add another ½ cup warm water and a few squirts of dish soap, the enzymes and surfactants of which will add additional grease removing power. Mix this concoction together until it has formed a rather loose paste. Spread that paste as evenly as you can over your oven door and then set a timer for 15 to 30 minutes. During this time, the solution will begin to loosen and break up the buildup on your oven door.

Once you've allowed the paste to sit for the requisite time, go in with a sponge that's been soaked in hot water and begin to clean. A sponge with a soft abrasive back is good for this. Avoid using products like steel wool, as its strength could damage the glass. Elbow grease is required to help the paste really pick up all the caked on grime and grease. You may need to scrub for 10 to 20 minutes in order to get most or all of it up. An old toothbrush is an excellent tool to help scrub those hard-to-access places.

Another thing to use to help you clean up is vinegar. This acidic liquid will combine with the baking soda to help remove any stubborn grease spots. Make a diluted solution that is one part distilled white vinegar and four parts water. Dip your sponge in this and it should help lift up any remaining stains. Baking soda and vinegar is a classic cleaning solution that will work well on a wide variety of surfaces.

Finally, once you've scrubbed the glass to within an inch of its life, use paper towels to wipe up the remaining paste, then use a microfiber cloth to give the glass a streak free sheen. With luck, you'll have a wonderfully sparkling oven door that you'll be far more conscious of keeping clean in the future.