How To Clean an Oven With Lemon

Ally ChildressAlly Childress

Do you have a dirty oven? How about a couple of lemons? That, and two hours, are all you need to clean your oven with lemon and have it shining like new.

clean oven interiorAlly Childress for Family Handyman
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Time

2 hours

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

$5–10

Introduction

Commercial oven cleaners rip through grease but contain caustic chemicals like lye. What if you could use a natural, inexpensive oven cleaner instead? If you have lemons in your refrigerator, you can!

Can something as simple and relatively inexpensive as lemon really clean your oven? Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of AspenClean, swears by it. Lemons contain citric acid, which gives them antiseptic, antibacterial and degreasing power.

All you need for this easy project is an oven-safe bowl, lemons and something to scrub with. Let's get started.

Tools Required

  • Kitchen knife
  • Microfiber Cloth
  • Oven-safe dish
  • Rubber gloves (optional)
  • Sponge with scrubber

Materials Required

  • Juice of two lemons

Oven Lemon Materials Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

Project step-by-step (5)

Step 1

Make the Cleaning Solution

  • Cut two lemons in half and squeeze the juice into an oven-safe dish. Save a couple of lemon halves.

Make Oven Lemon Solution 1 Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

  • Add about two cups of water.

Make Oven Lemon Solution 2 Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

Step 2

Heat

  • Put the lemon mixture into the oven.

Dirty Oven Long Shot Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

  • Set the oven temp to 250 degrees.

Oven Lemon Cook 250 Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

Step 3

Steam

  • Allow the water to reach a boil, then turn off the oven.
  • Let the steam circulate in the oven for a few minutes until it’s cool enough to work inside, but still warm to the touch.

Note: Water doesn’t forcefully bubble in an oven. That’s because, unlike on a stove, the heat isn’t applied directly to the bottom of the pan. So it’s hard to tell when it’s boiling. I turned my oven off after an hour when I could see the water level had dropped.

Step 4

Clean

  • Remove the lemon water from the oven and place it next to you on the open door.
  • Dunk a scrubby sponge into the lemon water and wipe down the oven interior and racks.

Scrub Oven With Sponge Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

  • Rinse the sponge in the sink periodically.
  • Use the scrubby side to really work at burnt-on food, adding more lemon water as needed.
  • Do a final wipe down with a clean, damp microfiber cloth.

Clean Oven Light Off Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

Step 5

BONUS: Degrease the Stove Top

  • Rub the reserved lemon halves on your stovetop and glass.

Scrub Stovetop With Lemon Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

  • Wet a microfiber cloth with warm water and wipe the grease and lemon off the stove top.

Clean Stovetop Ally Childress For Fhm JveditAlly Childress for Family Handyman

Here is another method: