Here's How Often You Should Be Cleaning Your Oven

Plenty of people are wondering how often they should be cleaning their oven, including on this Reddit thread and this one and this one. Unlike our clothing and sheets, when it comes to appliances, sometimes the answer isn't so obvious. 

Some ovens need more regular cleaning than others, and it depends heavily on how frequently you use the appliance. So we turned to an appliance expert to find out how often we should be cleaning our ovens, and how to successfully accomplish this chore. 

Here's everything you need to know about cleaning the large appliance. 

How often should you clean your oven?

On average, deep cleaning your oven every two to three months should be enough for regular maintenance, but this can vary from oven to oven. 

"Users should clean their ovens as often as needed, especially with heavy spills or when there is noticeable debris at the bottom," Tetiana Tarandushko, senior category manager of cooking at Miele USA says. "This should be done every couple of months at the minimum."

If you use your oven every day, you may need to double or even triple the number of times you clean your oven every year. And although this might not be the most desirable chore, it will help your oven function better in the end.

"A clean oven certainly performs better, as the residue at the bottom doesn't build up and cause smoking," Tarandushko says. 

Read more: How to Buy a Range or Oven

How to clean your oven 

One of the most simple options is to use the self-cleaning function on your oven, if it offers one. This function turns the oven to an extremely high temperature, which causes any food build-up or splatters to turn to ash. Once the cleaning cycle is done and the oven has fully cooled, you can wipe the ash from the bottom of the oven with a microfiber cloth or sponge and the appliance should look good as new. 

"This makes arduous scrubbing unnecessary," Tarandushko says. "Miele ovens are properly insulated and use superior materials so that the pyrolytic process can be truly used without any damage to surfaces or the electronics over time." 

Read more: Try This Easy Hack to Safely Clean Oven Grease From Hard-to-Reach Places

Numerous oven brands offer the self-cleaning function, and it's a great alternative to manually scrubbing off the build-up for hours on end. Just keep in mind, if you use this function, it often takes at least a couple of hours for the cycle to run its course, so be prepared to be home for the entire time.

If your oven doesn't have a self-cleaning function, there are other ways to get your oven to shine. 

"We would advise against using aggressive cleaners when cleaning ovens," Tarandushko says. "These can damage surfaces and feature chemicals that aren't food safe, which requires extra steps to remove before using [the oven] to cook."

Because of this, one great cleaning method is to use three natural ingredients that you probably already have on hand: baking soda, vinegar and dish soap. When combined, these three ingredients create a paste that can be used to safely clean the inside of your oven. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to do it.

How often should you clean your stovetop?

Your stovetop needs more upkeep than your oven and should at least be wiped down after each use since food from pots and pans often splatter and sizzle onto the surface. This can be achieved with a paper towel and an all-purpose cleaner or a microfiber cloth with soap and water. 

Most of the removable parts of your stovetop, including burner caps and grates, can typically be run through the dishwasher. And don't forget to clean your stove knobs and the side of the stove on occasion, too.