I don’t enjoy cleaning the oven, but I’ve learned that letting grease build up only makes the job worse. Lately, I’ve stopped using harsh oven sprays and switched to lemon juice instead.
It works better than I expected, smells cleaner, and doesn’t leave behind chemical residue.
Lemon juice is naturally acidic, which helps break down baked-on grease and food splatter. When it’s heated, that acidity turns into steam that loosens grime instead of locking it in.
I remove the oven racks, wipe out loose crumbs, then place an oven-safe bowl with one cup of lemon juice and one cup of water inside a preheated oven at 450°F. After about 25 minutes, the steam does most of the work for me.
Once the oven cools, I wipe everything down with a damp microfiber cloth. The residue comes off easily, and the citrus scent is a big upgrade from vinegar. For ovens that are cleaned regularly, this method is usually enough. If buildup is heavy or old, I’ll still need a baking soda paste for spot scrubbing.
This isn’t a miracle fix for a neglected oven, but for routine maintenance, lemon steam cleaning is simple, effective, and far easier to live with than chemical cleaners.
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