Struggling with stubborn oven grease? A simple bathroom item tackles burnt-on grime better than vinegar or baking soda.
Oven grease is one of those cleaning challenges that accumulates rapidly but can require hours of elbow grease to shift. Cleaning an oven is especially difficult because it’s constantly exposed to high temperatures, causing oil and food debris to bake onto its surfaces.
Over time, these deposits harden into a stubborn, carbonised grease that adheres to the oven’s interior. However, if neglected, it can diminish your oven’s performance and may even impact the flavour and quality of the food prepared inside.
Numerous cleaning hacks have claimed to simplify the task; however, mum and lifestyle writer Shifrah Combiths from The Kitchn decided to trial one of the most unconventional methods yet – using shaving cream.
The outcome left her genuinely impressed. She explained: “I love a good hack that makes life easier, so I had to try using shaving cream – yes, shaving cream – to spot-clean my oven.
“I’d heard it worked wonders and couldn’t wait to see if it lived up to the hype. To my surprise, it performed even better than I expected.”
How to clean your oven with shaving foam
According to Team Clean, the method simply involves spraying the oven door, sides and bottom evenly with shaving foam, ensuring every surface is thoroughly covered.
Leave the foam to sit for approximately 30 minutes, giving sufficient time to dissolve grease and grime. Once the time has elapsed, wipe everything away using a damp cloth.
After that, heat the oven once while it is empty. This assists in getting rid of any remaining odour left behind by the shaving foam.
You can also rest assured that the next time you use the oven to cook, your food will taste fresh and won’t carry any unwanted chemical smells. Shifrah, however, left the product to work for just 15 minutes.
She said: “Using a plastic scraper, I wiped up the excess shaving cream – there was a lot of it! I grabbed a cleaning sponge and made a few passes over each treated area.
“The shaving cream itself had little visible effect on the grease-splattered areas, whether they were on the glass or on other portions of the oven door. But then I used a scrubby sponge to wipe the shaving cream covering the burned, crusty mess, and I couldn’t believe it: The mess slipped right off the oven’s surface.
“The shaving cream magically penetrated the mess and softened it to the point that it let go of its hold. What a difference – with hardly any effort!”
What other options are there?
An expert on Martha Stewart’s website recommended vinegar as the ideal household product for tackling stubborn grease. They noted that vinegar works to loosen built-up residue, making it far simpler to wipe away grime and leave your oven looking spotless.
Simply wipe away any loose crumbs using a dry cloth, then pour one cup of household white vinegar into a large bowl filled with water. Heat the oven to 210°C and allow the mixture to steam for 30 to 60 minutes.
Switch off the oven and leave the door shut for 20–30 minutes. After it’s cooled, spray the inside with a 1:1 vinegar-water solution and wipe it clean with a sponge or microfibre cloth.
Baking soda manufacturer Arm and Hammer also points out that bicarbonate of soda works brilliantly at cutting through grease and grime. Its mildly abrasive nature means it can tackle dried-on, stubborn food residue, typically delivering results in around 15 minutes.
To create a simple cleaning paste, combine half a cup of bicarbonate of soda with three tablespoons of water. Remove the oven racks, then apply the paste across the dirty surfaces, making sure you avoid the heating elements.
They then recommend leaving it to work for 15 to 20 minutes before wiping away the paste and lifting off the grime with a damp paper towel. Lastly, wipe down the interior again with water or a water-and-vinegar mixture.
The brand cautioned against relying on “traditional oven cleaners,” as these frequently contain harsh chemicals, including potassium hydroxide, monoethanolamine, sodium hydroxide, and butoxydiglycol.
When performing cleaning tasks with these products, homeowners are exposed to substances that can irritate the respiratory system and potentially cause burns to the skin, lungs, and eyes.
