How to Use Scouring Powder to Clean an Oven

If you're a master baker but a bit of a novice when it comes to cleaning, then this how-to is for you. Learn how to clean the oven using our natural yet tough SuperScrub scouring powder to get your hard-working kitchen appliance spotless.

Ovens are notoriously tough to clean because of the nature of the mess that they create. Soils in the oven are often baked onto the surface which makes them difficult to lift. The ingredients that get left behind can also be tough. You can be left with caramelized sugar, charred food or thick coatings of grease. If you don't regularly clean your oven, then this mess will become even more encrusted onto your oven.

Tough cleaning challenges such as these are a major reason why so many conventional oven cleaners use harsh cleaning chemicals. In the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) 'Guide to Healthy Cleaning', no specialty oven cleaner was rated higher than a 'D'.

This is because specialty oven cleaning products rely too heavily on harmful surfactants such as butoxydiglycol that clean effectively but are also linked to a slew of health issues such as eye and skin irritation. Traditional oven cleaning products can also contain impurities such as 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide, both of which are suspected carcinogens. It's important to remember that these are designed for use to clean the oven – an appliance used for food preparation.
A natural scouring powder such as AspenClean's SuperScrub is a great solution for cleaning the oven. Naturally occurring minerals such as calcium carbonate act as gentle natural abrasives to assist with scrubbing and plant-derived cleaning agents such as sodium oleate to cut through grease and oil. The formula is also 100% natural so you can use it in your kitchen without worry.

WHAT YOU NEED TO CLEAN THE OVEN NATURALLY

• SuperScrub Scouring Powder
• Natural Dish Soap
• Natural Kitchen Cleaning Spray
• A few microfiber cleaning cloths. Note: A regular re-usable cloth will work, but a textured microfiber cloth will be better for scrubbing and picking up dirt and debris.
• Cloth scrubber or steel wool
• Glass cleaner

STEPS FOR CLEANING THE OVEN USING SCOURING POWDER

SOAK OVEN RACKS

• Remove oven racks.
• If you have a large tub or sink, fill it with warm water and dish soap and allow the racks to soak in the solution while you clean the oven.

WIPE THE TOP AND SIDES

• Spray the top, back and sides of the oven with kitchen cleaner spray.
• Sprinkle the SuperScrub onto a folded cleaning cloth and begin scrubbing the top of the oven. Folding the cloth will allow you to use every inch of the cloth.
• Do the same for the back and sides.
• Wipe the surfaces clean with a fresh fold of the cloth.

CHECK FOR GREASE

• Run your hands over the surfaces to check if they are still greasy. If the grease still feels thick, repeat steps 2-4.
• If they feel clean, but you can still feel a few messy, charred soils continue to step six.

CLEAN THE BOTTOM AND INSIDE OF DOOR

• Spray the bottom and inside of the oven door with kitchen spray and sprinkle with SuperScrub.
• Scrub and wipe clean.
• Inspect for grease and repeat steps six and seven if it still feels thick.

CLEAN BURNT-IN MESS

• To tackle burnt-on mess, create a paste by mixing some SuperScrub with kitchen cleaner spray in a small bowl.
• Dab a generous amount of paste onto affected areas and leave for a few minutes to allow the solution to work.
• While you wait, use wash the oven racks using a scrubber or steel wool and dish soap. Set aside to dry.
• Use a cloth scrubber to work the paste into the soil. When the surface feels smooth and squeaky you can be sure that the mess has been removed.

FINISHING TOUCHES

• Use a fresh section of the cloth to do final quick spray and wipe with kitchen cleaner to collect any missed debris or leftover grease.
• Do the same for the front of the oven paying special attention to the handle.
• Finish by wiping the glass window on the inside and outside with glass cleaner.

AspenClean natural SuperScrub scouring powder is effective at cleaning tough mess in all around the home. Use on its own or with any of our natural spray cleaners . Look for our scrub at select retailers or shop online below.