Clean Your Greasy Oven Door With An Unexpected Home Staple (& It's Not Vinegar)

Let's be honest, there are places in our homes that are onerous to clean. And oven doors? They're a big one. Although there are tricks and techniques that claim to be secret weapons for cleaning oven doors, there's a certain bathroom essential that is said to help make your glass oven door shine without a lot of effort — shaving cream. Curious if it works or is just a lot of hype, we at House Digest spoke exclusively to cleaning expert Kathy Cohoon, the operations manager at Two Maids. Believe it or not, Cohoon says this one is for real! 

We know that you can use shaving cream to clean your bathroom, but is it really effective on kitchen gunk too? "Shaving cream can be used for stain removal around the house because among its active ingredients are cleaning agents that help to break down grease and grime," Cohoon explained. While she noted that wiping down the oven after every use will help make cleaning easier in the long-run, this isn't always feasible. Fortunately, we can utilize the magic of shaving cream.

There are a myriad of ways to clean with shaving cream, and as it turns out, super dirty oven doors are among them. Cleaning expert Kathy Cohoon told House Digest exclusively that this hack is a terrific and cheap alternative to chemicals. "Although other specialized cleaners may work better, shaving cream is a safe, cheap, and effective way to remove gunk and grease from your oven easily," she explained. 

Completing this hack is easy, too. According to Cohoon, all you have to do is spray an adequate amount of the shaving cream onto the door, spread it, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Doing that will allow the cream to dig into the grease. After the 20 minutes is up, you can take a soft cloth or sponge and gently scrub. Then you can wash away the remaining shaving cream with a damp cloth and let it dry. 

Although Kathy Cohoon exclusively explained to House Digest that cleaning your oven door with shaving cream may not be as effective as other methods, it still works. But why? What makes this nonchalant yet unexpected multipurpose bathroom product so special?

"Shaving cream effectively cleans a glass oven door due to its surfactants and foaming agents," she explained. "Surfactants reduce surface tension, enabling the cream to reach and remove dirt, while foaming agents help it stick to vertical surfaces longer. Together, they break down stubborn residues, making them easy to wipe off with a damp cloth." 

Those cleaning superpowers are what makes shaving cream such an excellent choice for creating sparkling surfaces all around the house (including your washing machine where grime is also known to lurk). Unlike some other cleaning hacks that don't work, we've got the expert thumbs up to take this one for a spin!