A few months ago, I was cooking with the kids when one of them asked to look into our oven to check on the baked goods. It wasn’t until I turned the oven light on that I noticed the glass oven doors needed a good cleaning.
If you want to know how to clean glass oven doors, I’ll give you my best methods, the products you need, and how to stay on top of this chore so it’s not a big project every time.
How To Clean Glass Oven Doors
You are going to end up reading a variety of tips and tricks to clean a glass oven door, but this baking soda method is our hands-down favorite.
- Allow the oven door ample time to cool; there is no benefit (at all) to doing this while the oven window is still warm.
- Wipe the doors with a paper towel to remove anything loose on the surface.
- Create a paste using 3 tablespoons of baking soda, a few drops of dishwashing soap, and about 2 tablespoons of water. Add the water in small amounts to get the consistency you want (a spreadable paste).
- Open the oven door so it lays flat, place the baking soda paste on the door and let it sit for about twenty minutes.
- After twenty minutes, take a clean, damp, and soft microfiber cloth and start gently wiping the oven door.
- The baking soda, soap, and water mixture will help remove grease and any other oven junk you can find!
Before You Start Cleaning Your Oven Door
Dirty oven glass makes your oven work harder, and your food tastes funny. In other words, this is a spot in the home that’s worth cleaning.
- Make sure your oven is not hot.
- Place a towel down on your floors in case any of your cleaning solutions spill.
- Wear gloves if you have sensitive hands; the oven grease is a bit gross.
Equipment, Tools, and Material Required
One of the biggest challenges of cleaning a glass oven door is that you never know how thick the grease is on the glass oven door inside.
- Microfiber cloth
- Dishwashing soap (Dawn is a good one)
- Baking soda
- Water
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Gloves
- Paper Towel
Cleaning the Outside of the Glass Oven Door
The outside of the glass oven door is a kind of warmup activity. Getting clean oven glass is much easier to accomplish on the outside than on the inside.
Start by wiping away any spills and debris with a damp microfiber cloth.
You can then simply spray the glass oven door with a cleaner like Windex and wipe it off with paper towels.
If you want something more natural, equal parts vinegar and water can make a great alternative.
Cleaning the Inside of the Glass Oven Door
With the way the inside of the glass door heats up, I don’t like using commercial cleaning agents; instead, more natural solutions like baking soda, water, soap, and vinegar are a better fit.
Now if your teenager had friends over and your oven is in destruction status, a commercial degreaser could be your only choice.
Give the door a good wipe down with a paper towel; we don’t need any of last night’s macaroni and cheese mixed in with our cleaning solution.
Make your paste with equal parts baking soda and soap, and add in teaspoons of water until you have a paste. I find that letting about twenty minutes of time pass before wiping the paste is best.
Also, I have to warn you that if the baked-on grease has been there for quite some time, you will have to alternate between the paste and an equal parts vinegar and water solution. It could take three or four rounds of repeating the process before the gunk is removed.
Self-Cleaning Mode for Oven Glass Cleaning
Most modern ovens have a self cleaning mode. However, this is not a magic cleaning method. You still need to wipe away spills before starting and make sure you are home to check for any overheating issues.
I always open a window in the kitchen to allow for ventilation; sometimes, the self cleaning method can leave a smell. In addition, not all self cleaning ovens do a great job with this process; you may still need a little elbow grease.
Best Oven Glass Door Cleaners
Dishwashing soap and baking soda are go-to cleaning solutions for the majority of my household spills and issues. However, there are a few other products when deciding how to clean glass oven doors.
Weiman Cooktop and Stovetop Cleaner
I’m fully aware this product states to be a cooktop and stovetop cleaner, but I’ve used it on the oven glass door, and it worked. If you are worried about the pad being too abrasive, feel free to switch to a microfiber cloth.
The Pink Stuff Spray and Paste
If you don’t want to make your own baking soda paste, try the Pink Stuff on the glass doors of your oven. You have to watch the abrasive thick paste and be sure not to scrub it. Simply put it on the doors, and wipe it with a damp cloth. The Pink Stuff can be used on more of the oven than just the door’s glass panels.
Tips To Keep Your Glass Oven Door Clean Longer
Once a month, I clean the entire oven thoroughly, but after every meal, all noticeable stains get wiped up and cleaned. Here are the general steps I follow.
- Wipe the glass panes every few days on the inside and outside of the oven, food residue and spills are easier to remove as they happen
- If you notice a lot of debris on the bottom of the oven, let the oven cool and use a vacuum hose connection to clean it up.
- A razor blade can be used, but it has more of a risk than oven glass cleaner when it comes to scratches and damage.
- Be smart about covering food that has a tendency to spill or splatter.
Cleaning The Glass Oven Door – Removing The Glass
I’ll start this with some strong words of caution. If you remove the entire oven door, you do risk breaking it and voiding manufacturer’s warranty, along with the possibility of not being able to get it back together. Note: This is ONLY for DIY professionals!
- Take the door off your oven (refer to the oven’s manual to find screw locations)
- Lay the door on a clean flat surface.
- Remove the panels that protect the glass, and use degreaser and window cleaning solutions on the glass.
- Allow glass to dry COMPLETELY before putting the door back into place.
- Carefully reattach the oven door and test.
When Is It Time to Call in the Experts?
If you have gone through my entire process and the dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, and even self cleaning mode have gotten you nowhere, it’s time to call in the pros.
If you see dirt and debris stuck between the glass panel and the door, or if you notice stains or scratches you can’t get to, even with a little elbow grease, call in the pros.
Professional oven cleaners can really extend the life of your oven.
How do I get brown stains off my glass oven door?
The brown stains on the glass oven door are leftover grease and food debris. First, wipe them with a paper towel and then apply a paste of baking soda, Dawn dish soap, and water. Let the paste sit, and then clean it off with a microfiber cloth.
Can you use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on glass oven door?
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is only good when stuck on food and baked on grease are already removed. Magic Eraser doesn’t break down grease the way it needs to. For cleaning the outside of the oven, it can work, but it sometimes leaves streaks.
Can you clean oven door glass with Windex?
Try to use Windex as the final shine for your oven door glass; put a few sprays on a paper towel and wipe the glass. Don’t use Windex on inside glass or to try and remove grease; it’s not your best method.
