No matter how careful you are, fats and sauces are going to splash onto the inside of the oven door glass, where they’ll get burned on. It’s not just splashes that cause this glass to get very dirty, but the cooking fumes, steam, and gases that built up inside the oven will coat the glass, causing it to yellow over time.
To get a clear view inside the oven again, you’ll need to keep the glass clean, but it’s not as easy as cleaning a window as there’s often a tough layer of burnt-in grease you need to tackle. So in this guide, we’ll take you through the best steps to cleaning that dirty oven door.
Why Oven Doors are Hard To Clean
Like a said, even the most careful cooks can’t avoid a dirt glass oven door, it’s unavoidable just through the nature of cooking meats and other dishes. These splatters and gases contain grease that will build a thick layer on the glass of the oven door, which will become very sticky and perfect for more debris to build upon, if not removed.
The longer it’s left dirty, the more and more difficult it is to see through, and clean; it may even develop unpleasant smells. It is important to clean the oven as you go, wiping away spillages and splashes with a sponge or damp cloth and, if necessary, a little washing-up liquid (rinse well) whenever there’s an accidental spill. But when that greases settles and a brown, well-adhering crust forms (which it will), you need some tougher cleaning action.
Related: How to Clean an Electric Oven Without Oven Cleaner
Making The Oven Pane Transparent Again
If your window pane is full of stains, and your oven has a self-cleaning system – start with this. Most premium integrated ovens and double ovens are equipped with this self-cleaning function. However, this feature is primarily for cleaning the oven internal walls but does have a slight cleaning effect on the glass, so it will give you a go head-start.
Always refer to the oven instructions for use for your appliance to find out how to start the pyrolytic process. Remove all metal elements (grill grids, rotisserie skewers, drip tray, and cookware) that would not be able to withstand excessively high temperatures, as your oven will heat up to a superhot 400 – 500 ° C. Don’t worry about the glass on the door, it’s designed to withstand these temperatures.
Remove any residue or crumbs from the oven before starting the program. For your safety, the door is locked during pyrolysis and you will not be able to use your oven for about three hours. The intense heat incinerates dirt residues to ashes, that you’ll sweep out after the cycle is finished and the oven cools. But like I said, the glass will only be partially cleaned by this process and will require further manual cleaning.
Oven Glass Cleaner
There are chemical cleaners available that are designed specifically for cleaning oven glass, don’t use any old cleaning spray. But these are not cheap and anything but environmentally friendly.
Sometimes natural ingredients can do a better job at cleaning, perhaps slower, but overall better. So, here’s a tried and tested natural recipe for removing dirt that has burned itself into the glass.
Put sodium bicarbonate in a bowl and mix with water to form a paste. Spread this paste on the disc and leave it on for at least 12 hours (overnight). Rub the paste in with your fingers or a brush, but never with a metal sponge, which could scratch the glass. Remove the product with a cloth, then rinse the glass: the result is amazing!
Remove The Glass From the Oven Door
The door of most ovens can be removed. If your oven has a cold door made up of multiple panes, debris may have gotten between the panes. Cleaning is often easier if you remove the door first and place it on a table.
To remove the door, open it. Find the hinges and the small metal levers they fit into, usually at the bottom left and right-hand sides of the door. Lift these levers up and tilt them toward you. Close the door; they feel a little resistance. Grasp the door by the sides and pull it out. Carefully place the door on a sheet of cloth.
Then locate the screws holding the washers in place and use a screwdriver to remove them. Take a good look at the arrangement, in order to be able to reassemble them correctly later. Clean the discs, being careful not to damage or scratch them. Use the washing-up liquid for light soiling, stronger products for encrusted dirt.
Related: Gas or Electric Oven?
Refit the Glass and Door
Dry all slices well. Put them back into the door one at a time, paying attention to the assembly direction and order. Screw the fasteners on securely. Now all you have to do is insert the door. To do this, hold the door up to the stove at an angle of about sixty degrees. Insert the hinges into the slots. With the door open, fold the levers down to their original position and close the door.
The higher the preparation temperature of your meat dishes, the more fat splatters there are. These stick not only to the pane, but also to the inner walls and resistors of the stove, and cause unpleasant smells and smoke the next time it is used. Therefore, if possible, give preference to longer preparation times at a lower temperature. In this way, you are doing something good for your health and the cleanliness of the oven.
