How to Clean Oven Glass Inside and Out So Your Appliance Looks Brand New

The countertops are shining, the fingerprints on the fridge are wiped away, and the cutting boards are arranged in an artful display. There’s just one thing hindering your perfectly clean kitchen: a dirty oven. It’s easy to wipe down the stove top, and even scrubbing away the burnt food bits on the bottom is simple enough to figure out. But how do you clean those pesky drips and stains between the glass on the oven door?

You don’t have to live with the crud on your oven. Here’s how to clean oven glass inside and out (and even in-between!) to make your appliance look as good as it did the day you bought it.

Why Do I Have to Clean My Oven Glass?

Even if your oven has a self-cleaning feature, the glass can be tricky to get clean. Not only can a grimy glass door make your whole kitchen look worse for wear, but all that gunk near your food can be gross. Not only that, but an accumulation of stuck-on food and spills can shorten the life of your appliance, meaning you have to shell out about $350 for the cost of oven repairs—or even more for a replacement.

How Much Does It Cost to Clean Oven Glass?

You can clean oven glass using simple items you already have in your cleaning caddy, like microfiber cloths, baking soda, dish soap, and degreaser spray. You may need a screwdriver if you plan to clean between the glass panels on the oven door. All in all, you can get all the supplies you need to clean oven glass for about $25 or less.

When to Clean Oven Glass

You should clean the oven glass every three to six months, depending on how often you clean your oven. Since you should deep clean an oven at least every three months to extend the life of your appliance, you could go ahead and schedule to give the glass a deep clean during that time, too.

You can also clean the oven glass if you notice it looks particularly grimey. The longer you wait to clean it, the more the food residue will bake onto the oven surfaces every time you use this appliance.

How to Clean Oven Glass

Photo: Кирилл Рыжов / Adobe Stock

When you’re ready to clean the oven glass, remember you need to tackle three main components of this area: the glass on the inside of the oven door, the glass surface on the exterior, and the trickiest part, the in-between area of the glass panels. Before you start, make sure the oven is off and cooled down to avoid burns.

Clean the Glass on the Oven Interior

If you clean your oven regularly, a little soap and warm water may be enough to clean the interior glass. But if you can’t remember the last time your oven was cleaned, you may need to pull out some tougher grime fighters.

Start With Soap and Water

A little dish soap and warm water can effectively clean oven glass with little effort on your part. This method works best for glass that isn’t too dirty, but it can also be a precursor to more vigorous cleaning options.

• Grab some dish soap and mix it in a bowl with warm water. 

• Dip a sponge or cleaning cloth into the mixture, then wring it out. 

• Wipe down the oven glass.

• Use a dry cleaning cloth to dry the glass.

Try a Degreaser

If soapy water isn’t cutting it, consider a store-bought product made for removing grease. Spray the degreaser on the oven glass, then wipe it clean with a cleaning cloth.

Make a Baking Soda Paste

Baking soda can be a little abrasive on glass, so only use it if soap or degreaser just aren’t cutting it.

• Combine about one part baking soda to one part water in a bowl to make a paste.

• Apply the paste over the oven glass.

• Leave the paste for 15 minutes.

• Use a sponge or damp cleaning cloth to wipe away the paste and grime.

Use a Blade (Gently) for the Toughest Stains

Taking a razor blade to your oven door sounds a little extreme, but it may be just the trick to lifting up stuck-on messes. Very carefully (consider wearing some cut-resistant gloves), use the flat edge, never the corner, of a blade along the edge of the mess to lift up the gunk. Then wipe down the surface with a cleaning cloth.

Wipe Down the Exterior

Grab some glass cleaner and a cloth, or sub in lemon juice or distilled white vinegar as a homemade glass cleaner.

• Spray glass cleaner onto the glass oven door exterior.

• If you’re using lemon juice or vinegar, spray that on the door exterior or wet a cleaning cloth with the liquid.

• Wipe a cleaning cloth over the glass, moving in circular motions to lift grease and minimize streaking.

• Rinse the cloth and repeat as needed to fully remove the grime.

• Use a clean microfiber cloth to dry the oven glass and buff out any streaks.

Don’t Forget the In-Between

Cleaning between the glass panels on your oven door is going to be more of a challenge, but it may be necessary if you’re still seeing drips and stains after cleaning the oven inside and out. Consult your oven’s manual, which you can find online in case you tossed it out.

"Many homeowners are unaware that the oven door can easily be taken apart and therefore cleaned to remove any leftover grease and grime that has made its way between the door panels," says Asya Biddle, Angi Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dust Busters janitorial company in Williamsport, PA.

• Lay down an old, clean towel in front of your oven.

• Check the oven manual to learn how to remove the oven door and take it apart.

• Recruit a friend or family member to help you hold and remove the door, which may be heavy.

• Take the door apart using a screwdriver and closely following the manual directions.

• Use soapy water, degreaser, or baking soda paste and microfiber cleaning cloths to clean between the panels of glass, just as you did to clean the interior oven door.

• Follow the manual to put the door back together and reattach it to the oven.

While cleaning the exterior and interior of the oven door is easy for most DIYers, cleaning between the door can be difficult. If you are worried about damaging your appliance, consider hiring an appliance specialist for help with this tricky cleaning task. 

Taking Care of Oven Glass

Photo: Budimir Jevtic / Adobe Stock

Letting grease and grime accumulate can make every deep cleaning session much more frustrating, which in turn makes you want to put it off for longer. Make your chores quicker and less work by maintaining your oven with these tips.

1. Wipe Spills as Soon as Possible

If you spill something on the oven glass before the oven is hot, take the time to wipe up the mess with a cleaning cloth before the food or liquid particles have a chance to bake on. If your blueberry pie bubbles and splatters on the glass while baking, wait for the oven to cool down, then wipe down the glass as soon as it is safe to do so.

2. Deep Clean the Oven Regularly

To keep your oven in its best condition and extend its life, plan a deep clean every three months. During the deep clean, you should:

• Clean the oven glass.

• Scrub the oven racks.

• Clean the bottom and sides of the oven interior.

• Clean beneath the oven.

Of course, don’t forget to keep up with the day-to-day cleaning, too, which will make those deep cleaning sessions a little easier. Wipe down the stovetop after dinner, and clean up any spills inside the oven once it has cooled down. You can also give the oven a good scrub every week or once a month, where you can soak the oven burners and clean behind the knobs.

3. Complement Cleaning With Self-Cleaning Mode

If your oven has a self-cleaning function, make sure to utilize it about two or three times a year. But there are some things to keep in mind when you self-clean an oven. Self-cleaning ovens may heat to high temperatures, around 800°F, on this handy setting, turning all food crumbs into dust that’s easy to wipe up. Or they may use steam to clean the oven interior.

When using the self-cleaning mode, remember:

• Remove everything from the stovetop, which may get hot.

• Take out the oven racks.

• Wipe out any large food remains, but don’t use any cleaners. Just wipe away with a wet sponge.

• Turn on the range hood while running self-cleaning.

• Open windows for better ventilation.

• Steam-cleaning ovens will take about 45 minutes, while high-heat ovens can take several hours on the self-cleaning mode.

• If you’re using the self-cleaning function for an event, like a holiday dinner, run it several weeks before the event to avoid any foul odors in the oven.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Cleaning an oven yourself will require a few supplies, like baking soda, dish soap, and degreaser. The supplies for a DIY clean will cost less than $25, and this project will take about 1 or 2 hours. If you don’t have the time or patience to put in the elbow grease, you could hire a professional cleaner to clean your oven. Professional cleaning services cost about $50 per hour, and a pro can have your oven refreshed in time for dinner.