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Oven cleaning – the best cleaning agents and tools

Cleaning the oven may seem like a rather difficult and tedious task at first, but with the right cleaning agents and tools, even burnt-on grease is easy to remove. During cooking, food waste and grease stains inevitably accumulate inside the oven, which burn on the bottom and walls. Burnt pieces create an unpleasant smell and can change the taste of the food. The best dishes are always made in a clean kitchen. We will give an overview of how to clean different ovens most effectively and why you should never clean them with the commonly used vinegar and baking soda.

Cleaning of different types of ovens

There are many different ovens in use both in homes and professional kitchens. To make sure that your oven will last for many years, it is important to properly maintain it. Unfortunately, there is no one perfect cleaner, as different ovens require different maintenance. However, there is one golden rule that applies to every oven: the more often you clean it, the easier it is, meaning you do not need to use strong chemicals as often. For example, if you clean the oven after each use, even clean water and a cleaning cloth are enough, since the food waste has not yet managed to stick to the oven. However, if you are already struggling with burnt food waste and grease stains, you will need strongly alkaline cleaning products.

When using cleaning agents, be sure to follow the user manual and safety regulations!

As strongly alkaline substances are generally used to clean ovens, it is extremely important to follow the user manual and safety regulations in order not to endanger your health or permanently damage the surface. If you are working with strong chemicals, be careful and be sure to wear chemical-resistant gloves. The best gloves from our product range are the lined nitrile gloves AlphaTec 37-520. In addition, remember that every time you clean the oven with a cleaning product, it must be thoroughly rinsed with water. Otherwise, the heat will cause the residue of the cleaning product to stick to the walls of the oven. This can cause undesirable odours that can also leave an unpleasant taste on food. Information about each cleaning product can be found in the product and safety data sheet.

The best cleaning agents and tools for cleaning different ovens

Microwave

The following products are perfect for cleaning the microwave:

Svinto steel wool with biodegradable soap – an excellent alternative to strong cleaning products, which effectively removes dirt and grease stains without scratching the surface. Tear a piece from the package of steel wool, add a little water, and rub gently until foam forms. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and a cleaning cloth!
Rekal Stella Köksrent – a highly fat-dissolving cleaning product that effectively removes grease and food stains. Spray on a cleaning cloth and clean the surfaces. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and a cleaning cloth!

Oven

One of the biggest challenges when cleaning an oven is removing burnt-on food waste and grease stains. Lighter dirt can be removed with Svinto wool with soap or clean water and a cleaning cloth, a sponge, or a Vikan dishwashing brush with a long handle. Remember that the Vikan dishwashing brush should not be used with very strong substances, so it is not suitable for use with, for example, Kiehl Xon-forte or Rekal Grillrent. If that is not enough, stuck-on food waste and grease stains can be easily removed with:

Both cleaning products are strongly alkaline and effectively remove dirt and grease stains. Since using these products incorrectly can endanger your health or damage the surfaces, be sure to familiarise yourself with the dosage and user manual and safety requirements on the product card before using them, or contact our experienced specialists!

To remove strong dirt, use different sponges. They can also be used to apply a cleaning product with a strong pH to the surface and then rub the surface with the other side. Before use, make sure that the surface is suitable for scrubbing with a sponge and a strong cleaning product, and protect your hands with proper chemical-resistant gloves!

Pizza oven

It is recommended to clean pizza ovens after each use. Wait until the oven has cooled down and sweep up the burnt food waste with a brush. If you need to clean a hot oven, use the heat-resistant Vikan brush. Cleaning agents must not be used to clean pizza ovens, because they soak into the stone and thus damage the stone. In addition, heating causes a chemical smell, which can spoil the taste of the food.

Combi oven

The combi oven is the top class of ovens that are generally used in professional kitchens. There are many different types of combi ovens available today that require different types of maintenance.

If there are detergent containers under the combi oven, the following products are perfect for cleaning it, for example:

To clean the combi oven, pour the cleaning products into the containers and select the appropriate cleaning programme. The machine will automatically dose the appropriate amount of cleaning and rinsing product, and at the end of the cleaning programme, thoroughly rinse the oven with clean water.

Some combi ovens have detergent hoses instead of detergent containers. With these, Rekal Orion and Rekal Lynx detergents can be used by inserting the detergent hose directly into the canister.

For combi ovens that do not have a detergent container or hose, use the same cleaning products as when cleaning an oven. After cleaning, rinse thoroughly with clean water!

Cleaning the oven with vinegar and baking soda – an effective tip or a harmful enemy?

Baking soda and vinegar are fairly common tools for home cleaning, which at first glance seem like a great solution, but over time can cause damage to both the surfaces to be cleaned and your health.

Baking soda contains small grains that give it abrasive properties. Thanks to this, baking soda is a very effective tool for mechanically removing dirt, but it scratches surfaces. Scratches make surfaces dull and more susceptible to dirt. Since the interior of the oven and the glass door are not usually suitable for abrasive materials, baking soda should not be used for cleaning the oven. In addition, even after proper rinsing, baking soda particles can remain inside the oven, damaging the heater.

Acetic acid is an acidic liquid that can be dangerous to human health at a concentration of more than 10%. In Estonia, vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid, which usually contains up to 30% acetic acid and can cause various problems if handled improperly, for example, caustic wounds on the skin or severe lung irritation when inhaling vinegar vapours. In addition, vinegar is a highly carcinogenic substance, which is why Kiehl does not use acetic acid in its cleaning products.

Although vinegar is a fairly common household cleaning product, you should first make sure that it is suitable for the surface you want to clean to avoid damaging it. For example, vinegar can damage the metal surface, making the surface harder to clean and easier to stain. In addition, the damaged metal surface will also rust over time. Never use vinegar to clean aluminium and copper surfaces! In addition, vinegar damages the rubber seals on the oven doors.