How to Clean Oven Glass-Inside, Outside, and In Between!
Finally, get your oven sparkling clean with this step by step tutorial for how to clean oven glass, including those stubborn interior stains!
How to Clean Oven Glass?
You know those nagging to-do list things that never seem to get done? Motivating to clean oven glass has always been one of those things for me. We just moved into our home six months ago so my glass wasn’t too bad but it was bad enough that I noticed it every time I opened the oven (and I may or may not have hung multiple tea towels on the handle to cover it up from the outside!)
Because this is one of the cleaning questions I get asked the most I wanted to share my full step by step tutorial showing how to clean oven glass with you today.
Cleaning Oven Glass Tutorial
For tackling the entire oven, see this tutorial on how to clean your oven.
Items Needed:
- white vinegar or other glass cleaner
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- scouring pad
- paper towel
Directions for getting oven glass clean:
- Spray outside glass with vinegar and wipe down with paper towels.
- Clean inside of the oven glass with a scouring pad using the “hack” below.
- Sprinkle inside oven glass liberally with baking soda.
- Use a damp scouring pad to create a paste and rub into the oven glass.
- Leave the paste up to twenty minutes to allow dirt to loosen.
- Wipe oven glass with a damp paper towel to remove paste.
Here is what I was working with (don’t judge!)
I held the tea towel behind it so that you could see the grime. Pretty gross, right? I wiped down the exterior with white vinegar and that surface came clean easily. Next, I wanted to clean the interior of the glass-this is one that challenges a lot of people. There are two ways you could go about it depending on your commitment level.
Cleaning Between Oven Glass Layers
Option 1: First, you’ll see screws on the inside of the door-depending on the brand of oven you may need a special tool to open it which you can easily find at any hardware store. I recommend taking a picture of your screw and showing them at the store so they can direct you to the proper tool-I’ve seen star-shaped screws, square, etc.
*Update 2018-a reader comment below mentioned someone breaking their oven glass trying to remove it with the screw method, so I recommend trying the hack method first if possible to avoid undue risk!*
Option 2 (preferred): If you don’t want to go through the trouble of opening it or if you’re like me and your interior glass isn’t terribly dirty you can go the “hack” route. Open the bottom drawer of your oven and feel along the bottom edge-there are openings along there.
Using a long wooden skewer-attach a scouring pad, wet rag, or sponge to the end and stick it up in there to clean it out. I used a damp natural scouring pad and it worked fine, but as I said I just moved into my home 6 months ago and mine was not very dirty.
Be careful if you do this method with a metal coat hanger, I’ve seen tutorials with them online that seem like they could easily scratch your glass if you aren’t careful.
Cleaning inside the oven door
Next onto the interior of the oven door-this is where the worst of the gunk is baked on. But that’s okay because we have the best cleaner out there-baking soda! Sprinkle liberally across the glass.
Use a wet scouring pad to create a paste and scrub the glass thoroughly-this takes a little elbow grease but I prefer that to stinky chemicals any day! If your oven glass is very dirty you can leave the paste on the door for twenty minutes. This will allow it time to work it’s magic!
Finally, wipe the door clean with damp paper towels. Voila! A clean oven door!
See the difference?? (I held the towel under it again to see the contrast with the picture at the top of the post.)
before after
That’s it-you’re all done. It only took me about 10 minutes from start to finish and makes a world of difference in the glass!
Now you can brag to all your friends that you know how to clean between oven glass! You’re a cleaning superstar!
You might also like these cleaning tips:
- Clean and Prevent Fingerprints on Stainless Steel
- How to Fake a Clean Home in 10 Minutes
- Clean Your Whole House in One Hour
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I had no idea how to clean the glass inside the Oven. Thanks for the great tips. I found this article very useful and great work for me. Thanks again!
So glad I found this! The glass in my oven door is so dirty and I haven’t had any luck with cleaners from the store. I hope this will work for me too.
Let me know how it goes Crystalyn!! ~Melissa
Hey Melissa,
great tips. For your next oven clean you might want to try another trick.
Make a baking soda/white vinegar solution and add several drops of dish soap (just for the smell).
Put it a spray bottle (the kind Windex comes in) and spray the glass.
Let it soak for several minutes and then wipe it down with a damp cloth.
It should take a lot less elbow grease leaving you with the same pristine result.
Cheers
Steve
P.S Let me know how did it go.
Thank you for the info about cleaning the glass on the oven!
You’re welcome Joanne! ~Melissa
Just tried it , I used a longhandled Wood spoon ,I duck tap an extension of wood, a small piece of round wood chop sticks, used a piece of a tea shirt soak it with glass cleaner. Now I have my own tool for the inbetween glass.Very happy with results. Thank you
I was at my friend’s house. His mother was cleaning the oven. She used the same techniques.
The only difference was before she started scrubbing she put a bowl with some lemon juice and water in it and turned it on for about 5 mins. The way she explained it was that the steam and the acidity of the lemon juice is making all the grime and grease loosen up and thus making it easier to clean.
Thank you for sharing.
I need to clean my oven too. Will try your method. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Debbie, I hope the tutorial helps!
I am so glad I came across this terrific tip. I have put off cleaning my oven for ages because I had chokecherry juice boil over and go through the slots on door and in between glass. I can’t wait to try this. Thanks.
It really worked . Thanks a million!!
OCD … House cleaning?
So glad it helped Natalie!
Baking soda is a chemical. Don’t fear chemicals.
It’s a nightmare for me when I have to clean the oven at home. I’m not a fan of store bought detergents and I’m trying to use more natural substitutes for cleaning different stuff at home. I had no idea, baking soda would work so great. Thank you for sharing this great info!
I took out the screws and carefully removed the glass…laid it carefully on a towel on my kitchen island, cleaned it sparkly clean. Went to put it back carefully..it exploded, BE CAREFUL! They’re not cheap to replace!
I have been concerned about unscrewing the inside glass. Did it affect the seal on the oven door?
Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks. I find cleaning the oven one of the most daunting tasks. Thanks for making it much easier.
After applying the baking soda sprinkle some vinegar on top, and that will cause the soda to foam up which enhances the cleaning effects.
Good idea!
Thanks!
Oh wow! Thanks for sharing! I really need to clean mine and I wasn’t sure how to do it! So thank you!!!
I have no excuses, I need to clean mine!!
I am so glad you posted this. My oven and microwave door look just like what you showed but I could never figure out how to clean where that mesh stuff is. Genius!!!!!
Brilliant! I thought that area was a total loss. I didn’t even know you could get up in there. Thanks for the tutorial. I’m sure it will come in handy after that huge Thanksgiving bird.
Glad it could help Sarah!!
I’m all for natural cleaners, but I am seriously impressed that it worked that well! I’ve got to try this –er.. one day 😉
I hear ya Aubrey-I think it’s combo of the baking soda and the natural scrubber pads.