How to Steam Clean an Oven With No Chemicals
For most of us, oven cleaning is an awful toxic task, but there’s a way you may not have thought of before – you can steam clean your oven! We all know it’s a lot of work to remove the stuck-on food, grease and gunk stuck to your oven interior. You may also want to be prepared to hold your breath for a long time to avoid inhaling the smelly harmful chemicals. An oven cleaner is effective yet not the healthiest choice. And be ready to scrub until you can’t feel your arms any longer. So, we’re here to present a convenient and eco-friendly solution to your needs… steam clean.
In this article, we will show you how to steam clean your oven. We’re using the Dupray Tosca Steam Cleaner (this link will save you 5% off any Dupray steam cleaner or product). The Tosca is quite heavy-duty but is a good investment if you have tough jobs. Otherwise, we love the Neat. It’ll help you do the job of cleaning an oven covered with grease and grime with just water. You CAN spray some cleaner onto your oven, let it sit, wipe it off, and then steam clean, but in this video, we only used the steamer.
Please note that if you steam clean with toxic or strong chemicals in the oven, it will create steam that will dissipate, making the smell and fumes worse. So it would be best if you wiped or rinsed it off first.
Recommended Products for Oven Cleaning
- ➡️ Dupray Tosca Steam Cleaner buy on Amazon or Dupray’s website. You can also use any of their steam cleaners, such as the less expensive Neat. It’s not as powerful, but it’s still a quality steam cleaner, and it’s lighter weight.
- ➡️ Mr. Siga, the best microfiber cloths – cheap and so soft!
- ➡️ A pumice stone can get off baked-on stuff on the bottom of your oven – make sure to use it wet, not dry is the brand we recommend because it has a handle, a case, and is white (not gray) and lasts longer. But you can use a more inexpensive one. It will just leave more residue behind.
- ➡️ A steel wool scrubbie or use the steel brush attachment that comes with the Tosca (test first in a hidden spot to ensure it won’t scratch – all stainless steel is different).
Unlike a carpet cleaner, a steam cleaner doesn’t put down water and sucks it up. It sends out pressurized steam that helps loosen stuck-on stuff. While there is some water left behind, it’s not a lot like a carpet cleaner. That would create a new mess to clean – a big puddle of water. Instead of sucking it back into the water or a tank, you wipe off the surface with a cloth. Wipe it immediately, so it doesn’t dry on.
How to Clean your Oven with a Steam Cleaner
Here are the steps to steam cleaning your oven. You may want to put a towel or cloth on the floor to avoid a new mess.
- Use the scraper tool to try and remove as much debris as possible. If you’re using another steam cleaner that doesn’t have it, you can use a towel or paper towels. If it’s really bad, it will ruin your cloths, so it’s helpful to use paper towels that you can throw out. I use a handheld vacuum (like this reasonably priced Black & Decker that stores upright) to get up the smaller pieces that are tough to get and get stuck in the cracks.
- Use the stainless steel brush attachment or nylon brush with the stainless steel scrubbie (be sure to test a spot first to ensure it doesn’t scratch).
- Scrub all over the oven to remove all stains. Including corners of the interior.
- Wipe off excess grease and condensation from the steam with a cloth (such as this microfiber cloth). If it’s really dirty, you may want to use paper towels that you can throw away first. Then go over it again and use a microfiber cloth.
Depending on how bad your oven is, it could take 30 minutes or longer. But you cleaned your precious oven will look brand new without compromising your health, safety, or the environment. You may want to put an oven liner in the bottom (not foil, as it can get baked on and be very difficult to remove). The liner will make cleaning up the bottom much easier. You can also put a baking sheet below what you’re cooking to catch anything that may overflow.
For more info about the Tosca, read our Tosca Steam Cleaner and our Dupray Steam Cleaner vs. Cheap Handheld Steam Cleaner review.
