Hands up if cleaning the oven is your least favourite job?
Whichever oven cleaner you use, this is a messy business. But there’s something very satisfying about a gleaming clean oven.
This month for #JustOneSwap we’re testing oven cleaners. But first we need to address the elephant in the room.
The oven cleaners we’re not testing
There are, undoubtedly, some highly effective oven cleaning solutions on the market. You know the kind – you squirt the gel all over the oven, then put the shelves and fixings into a bag with more gel. And as if by magic, the burnt-on grease just wipes away, leaving everything shiny.
Except – it’s not magic. Because when you’ve wiped away the gel, it’s got to go somewhere – whether that’s down your drain or into your bin. Either way, it’s going to end up in our waterways. And this stuff is nasty. It’s highly toxic. It contains hydrogen peroxide which is harmful to aquatic life and kills fish.
Plus, it causes chemical burns if it gets onto your skin.
The last time I used it on my oven, a stray splash of liquid left a burn on my wooden cupboard door. Never again.
Planet-friendly oven cleaning
So, I want to be upfront about this right from the start. The safer, planet friendly oven cleaner options will mean more elbow grease. But I reckon it’s worth it to protect our waterways, our health and our planet.
So let’s see which eco-friendly oven cleaners work best.
Our oven cleaner scoring system
We gave each oven cleaner a score out of 20, against 4 factors:
- Cleaning effectiveness
- Smell
- Packaging
- Speed
Astonish Oven and Grill
Ops Manager Rosie recommended this product after using it on her own oven at home. It’s so safe, it can be used without gloves, and it comes with its own sponge for easy application. The vegan formula contains orange oil, is non-corrosive and eco friendly. Rosie says it’s really effective and works like magic. Extra points for Astonish for no animal testing.
Cost per 100g: £1.60
Total score 17/20
Ecover Oven and Hob Spray
Helper Irina tested this oven cleaner. She reported that the product smelt nice, which is a plus, when so many oven cleaners smell of the harsh chemicals they contain.
However, Irina wasn’t bowled over by it’s effectiveness – it wasn’t fast, and it left burnt-on food behind. A lot of elbow grease was needed to achieve the results Irina wanted.
Cost per 100ml: £0.80
Overall score: 16/20
Nancy Birtwhistle’s Oven Cleaning Method
Nancy uses just 2 ingredients for her homemade oven cleaning method – washing soda and bicarbonate of soda. Both these ingredients are kind to you and to the planet. And you can safely pour them down the drain without harming our waterways.
Nancy’s method takes a bit of patience.
First, the oven shelves are soaked for 24 hours in a washing soda solution. The challenge here is finding a container big enough to immerse them. You could decommission the bath overnight. Alternatively, you could pick up an oven rack soaking tray from Lakeland.
Next, Nancy steams the inside of a warm oven with a tray of hot water, before applying Nancy applies a bicarbonate of soda paste to all surfaces. There’s no need for rubber gloves because bicarbonate of soda is safe on skin. That means no danger of chemical burns on my arms when reaching to clean the back of the oven (a real risk when using harsh chemical oven cleaner).
After the bicarbonate of soda paste has done its work, (20-30 minutes) Nancy recommends removing it with wire wool for extra scrubbing power.
A final wipe with hot soapy water remove the residue finishes the job.
Overall, I was pleased with the results although it definitely took some scrubbing and some patience.
Cost per 100ml: £0.42
Overall score: 16/20
Eco-friendly oven cleaners: The verdict
No, these planet-friendly oven cleaners are not as quick as the powerful chemical oven cleaners. And no, my oven is not quite as sparkling as it was when it was new.
But, it’s clean, and it’s hygienic. And personally I think that’s a fair price to pay for cleaner waterways and a clear conscience.
I’d love to know if you’ve found a really effective, planet-friendly oven cleaner. Share your favourite!
Find all our #JustOneSwap recommendations in our blog.
