Best oven cleaner to keep your oven in good working order

Also, find out Instagram cleaning expert Laura's (@lauracleanaholic) top oven cleaning tips, why keeping your oven clean is so important and how often you should do it.

For more household and cleaning advice, take a look at our best cordless vacuums (we have a Shark vs Dyson comparison if you're weighing up the 2 brands), the best toilet brushes, best electric cleaning brushes, best window cleaners, best limescale removers and best grout cleaner. For storage and organisation ideas, take a look at the best fridge organisers, best vacuum storage bags or our kitchen cupboard storage ideas to maximise your cupboard space.

Best oven cleaners at a glance

• Best oven cleaner for a deep clean: Oven Mate Complete Deep Clean Oven Kit, £24.99
• Best oven cleaner for stubborn marks: The Pink Stuff, £1.50
• Best eco-friendly oven cleaner: Dirtbuster Bio-Oven Cleaner Paste, £14.99
• Best oven cleaner for the racks: Oven Pride Complete Oven Cleaner, £4
• Best oven cleaner for scrubbing: Scrub Daddy Sponges, £10
• Best budget oven cleaner: Oven Brite Oven Cleaner, £2.50
• Best oven cleaner for regular cleans: Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner, £2.99
• Best oven cleaner for hobs: HG Hob Cleaner, £3.75
• Best oven cleaner with applicator: Astonish Oven and Grill Cleaner and Sponge, £4
• Best oven cleaner for glass: Method Glass Cleaner Spray, £4

What to consider when choosing an oven cleaner

Type – There are a few different types of oven cleaners from gels to sprays and cleaning bags specially designed for racks. If you want a deep clean then it's likely you'll need a gel or bag which you have to leave for a while. Sprays are a lot quicker, usually cleaning instantly.

Volume/capacity – Most oven cleaners only have the contents for 1 oven clean but to make sure you get the best value for your money make sure you check the volume or capacity. The sprays can last a lot longer as you can just use them regularly as and when needed.

Oven components – We have included lots of oven cleaners for all the different components of your oven. Consider which part of your oven you're trying to clean – the entire oven, glass, hob or racks – to ensure you pick the most useful and effective oven cleaner.

Scent – Not many oven cleaners come with a scent, especially the high intensity ones. However, there are some in this list which do have a pleasant scent to leave your oven smelling clean and fresh.

Fumes – As with the scent, some oven cleaners have fumes and give off a very strong smell that's not so pleasant. If you have young children or you're pregnant it's a good idea to try and get a fume-free oven cleaner just to be safe.

Our pick of the best oven cleaners

1. Oven Mate Complete Deep Clean Oven Kit, £24.99

– Best for a deep clean

Type: Various | Volume: N/A

This oven cleaning kit has everything you need for a deep and thorough clean. There's enough inside to clean a conventional oven twice and the wipes will help you keep the oven fresh in between cleans.

Inside the kit you'll find Oven Mate Cleaning Gel which you paint onto your oven, wait and then wipe away. You also get the Just for Rack Cleaning Gel where you place the rack into cleaning bags and wait for the dirt and grease to rinse away.

To help you get rid of hard to remove marks the set also contains 2 Grill Gremlin Scourers with a ridge side to fit between the bars of the grill racks and 2 pairs of impermeable gloves and arm protectors to protect your skin whilst performing the deep clean. As well as all this, you get 2 packs of 50 microwave steam clean wipes which can be used to clean your microwave and are great at removing burnt food.

Parent tester Anna uses Oven Mate products, "We use the Oven Mate Cleaning Gel every few months and the Oven Mate Spray once a week and it works magic for us."

Pros: Includes lots of different oven cleaning methods, comes with applicators and scrubbers, cleans inside and racks, enough to clean your oven twice
Cons: Quite expensive for the whole set

Available from: Lakeland and Amazon

2. The Pink Stuff, £1.50

– Best for stubborn marks

Type: Cleaning paste | Volume: 850g

It was amazing how many of our Top Testers said they use The Pink Stuff to clean their oven, with parent tester Neri saying, "it's the best stuff I've ever used, I don't have to put much effort into it" and Beth who said, "Pink Stuff is great for inside and the glass."

Pink Stuff can be used on pretty much anything from saucepans and sinks to course ovens and cooker tops. It's brilliant for getting the really stubborn marks off your oven.

To use, put the paste on a soft cloth or sponge and gently rub on the area you want to clean and then rinse off with hot water. As it's an abrasive paste, do be careful that you don't scrub too hard as you may end up scratching your oven.

Pros: Great for hard to remove dirt, versatile, can be used all over the oven, affordable
Cons: May still need a specific oven cleaner for a proper clean, could scratch surfaces

Available from: Wilko and Sainsbury's

3. Dirtbuster Bio-Oven Cleaner Paste, £14.99

– Best eco-friendly oven cleaner

Type: Cleaning paste | Volume: 500g

This oven cleaner is used by professionals and is made with a microbial formula that doesn't release any fumes. It's non-toxic, non-corrosive and biodegradable, not only making it good for your oven but also good for the environment.

This paste is designed to clean the whole of your oven, inside and out. However, it works particularly well on the inside of the glass door. It also leaves behind a gently citrus fragrance.

This oven cleaner is easy to use, just apply it to a non-scratch pad and rub it into burnt-on food or grease in small circles, leave for up to 10 minutes then rinse away.

Pros: Eco-friendly, no fumes, can clean the whole oven, has a citrus fragrance
Cons: Is quite expensive

Available from: Lakeland and Amazon

4. Oven Pride Complete Oven Cleaner, £4

– Best for your oven racks

Type: Bags & gel | Volume: 500ml

Oven Pride was another very popular recommendation from our Top Testers. Parent tester Bryan said, "I use Oven Pride Gel, I think it works great, I leave it overnight and soak the racks in the bags provided." Parent tester Fiona also likes Oven Pride, "It's easy and brings it up a treat!"

The bag and gel combination make this a really easy way to clean your oven. It's also fume free.

To use, put the included gloves on and place no more than 2 racks in the bag provided, add the solution to the bag and seal and fold around the racks. Carefully apply the rest of the solution in the inside of your oven and leave both the bags and your oven for 4 hours or ideally overnight. Then remove the racks from the bags rinse them and rinse the inside of your oven.

Pros: Cleans racks well, cleans inside of the oven too, easy to use, no fumes, affordable
Cons: Does not clean the hob or glass, have to leave for a few hours

Available from: Sainsbury's, Tesco and Amazon

5. Scrub Daddy Sponges, £10

– Best for scrubbing

Type: Sponge | Volume: 3 sponges

Although not technically an oven cleaner, with the amount of mentions Scrub Daddy got when we asked our Top Testers how they clean their oven it seemed they were worth mentioning.

A Scrub Daddy sponge is a great way to apply the oven cleaner or, to scrub off tough grease marks or burnt-on food. The sponges are temperature controlled. If you put it in cold water then you'll get a tougher scrub, use it with warm water and it forms a soft sponge for cleaning.

The sponges are also scratch free so you don't need to worry about scratching the glass on the door or the stainless steel. They're also super cute and colourful so you can colour code the sponge for the oven so it doesn't get used elsewhere and contaminate anything.

Parent tester Bethan said, "I use oven cleaner, leave overnight and then in the morning use a scraper and my Scrub Daddy and it comes up brand new." Parent tester Sarah uses a Scrub Daddy too and says it's great for cutting through grease.

Pros: Versatile, removes tough stains and marks, colourful, can be used all over the oven, anti-scratch
Cons: Will still need a solution to fully clean the whole oven

Available from: Amazon

6. Oven Brite Oven Cleaner, £2.50

– Best budget buy

Type: Bag and gel | Volume: 500ml

Oven Brite is very similar to Oven Pride and includes a bag and gel, but it's also a great budget option as it's only £2.50. It cleans your whole oven and it's fume-free and easy to use.

The set comes with a bag, gloves and a bottle containing the solution. To use, put the racks in the bag and the solution in the oven and leave to clean.

Parent tester Demi uses this along with The Pink Stuff Paste and said, "It makes the oven all shiny."

Pros: Cheap, cleans the entire oven, fume free, cleans racks too
Cons: Have to leave for a while to clean, does not clean the hob

Available from: Wilko and Amazon

7. Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner, £2.99

– Best for regular cleans

Type: Spray | Volume: 300ml

Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner is a great option for keeping your oven clean in-between your deep cleans. It has a self-scouring formula which emulsifies baked on mess.

The spray removes grease and grime. To use, spray where needed, close the oven door and leave for no more than 30 minutes and then rinse off with a sponge or cloth.

Parent tester Kimberly likes using Mr Muscle, because "you leave it on for half an hour and then wipe off", which is a lot quicker than other oven cleaners. Parent tester Fez was impressed by Mr Muscle oven cleaner too, "We use Mr Muscle and I'm really happy with the job it does."

Do be careful though as some parents have said the fumes and smell can be fairly strong.

Pros: Good for regular cleaning, quick and easy, effective
Cons: Has a strong smell and has fumes

Available from: Amazon, Tesco and Ocado

8. HG Hob Cleaner, £3.75

– Best for hobs

Type: Spray | Volume: 500ml

This hob cleaner removes dirt and grime after cooking and is quick to use. All you have to do is apply the hob cleaner, let it soak and then wipe away with a damp cloth.

This is a versatile cleaner and can also be used on worktop surfaces, including granite and other naturals stone surfaces.

Pros: Cleans the hob, quick and easy to use, versatile
Cons: Does not clean the inside of your oven

Available from: Amazon

9. Astonish Oven & Grill Specialist Cleaner and Sponge, £4

– Best for an oven cleaner with applicator

Type: Cleaning paste & applicator | Volume: 250g

This oven cleaner comes with a handy sponge. It removes grease and burnt-on food and is formulated without any harsh chemicals so there's no need for gloves when applying.

A lovely touch to this oven cleaner is its orange oil scent which leaves your oven and kitchen feeling clean and fresh.

The oven cleaner can be used for the inside of the oven, racks, shelves and the glass too.

Parent tester Calsey uses this oven cleaner and said it "works well" while parent tester Holly said, "I use Astonish Oven Cleaner with a damp nylon scouring pad and rub well, it does the trick for me."

Pros: Cleans the whole oven, comes with an applicator sponge, has an orange scent
Cons: Does not specifically clean the hob

Available from: Lakeland, Wilko and Ocado

10. Method Glass Cleaner Spray, £4

– Best for glass

Type: Spray| Volume: 828ml

If you want to give your oven glass a little clean rather than the whole oven then you can just use a glass cleaner like this Method one. It has a lovely fresh mint smell and is versatile. Use it on your windows, mirrors, glass on your oven door and more.

This Method cleaner is plant based and will remove any dirt or streaks so you can see into your oven much more clearly.

Pros: Versatile, cleans glass and leaves streak-free, has a fresh mint scent, plant-based formula
Cons: Only cleans the glass

Available from: Amazon, Dunelm and Tesco

Tips to keep your oven clean

We asked Instagram cleaning expert Laura (@lauracleanaholic) her top tips to keeping your oven clean and in good condition to make it last longer, here's what she said:

• Vacuum first to remove any loose debris.
• A metal scraper is a fantastic little gadget for removing burnt-on food.
• If you're feeling brave, you can remove the front door of your oven by unscrewing it and taking out the glass to clean it fully. Pop a towel down on the floor to lay it down safely.
• An old toothbrush or a sonic scrubber are great for removing grease from the nooks and crannies.
• Another way to clean your oven racks is leaving them to soak overnight in hot water with a dishwasher tablet. Laura soaks hers in the bath.

Why's keeping your oven clean so important?

Ovenclean explains why it's so important for you to keep your oven clean. One of the most important reasons is fire safety. It's much safer to cook in a clean oven. Grease, burnt-on food and debris is a fire risk and can be dangerous. Not only this but if you spill in the oven it will burn which can release fumes and smoke which isn't healthy, especially for children or if you're pregnant.

Cleaning your oven can also improve its efficiency. A clean oven heats up and cooks much more efficiently than a dirty one. This is especially important with the increase in energy prices as it means you don't have to use as much energy to heat your oven.

Following on from this, a clean oven means clean and uncontaminated food and your food will taste much nicer than if it was cooked in a grimy oven.

Finally, the better you look after your oven, the longer it will last, meaning you don't have to buy a replacement.

How often should you clean your oven?

We know life can get in the way and maybe you don't clean your oven as much as you should. It's recommended to clean your oven every 3 months, or you can do it whenever you feel it's dirty, has burnt-on food or a spillage.

It also makes your life easier to regularly clean your oven after use rather than leaving it to get extremely dirty and having to perform deep cleans.

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