The Powerful Oven Cleaner That Can Tackle The Dirtiest Appliances With No Problem

Oven interiors can get grimy, and fast. Due to all the cheese, meat, and other fatty dishes you cook in there, the grease evaporates and condenses into a thin mist. Once it cools, a sticky, greasy residue is left. If you clean your oven regularly every few weeks, you should be able to get away with scrubbing it with a baking soda paste. But if it has been months since you have put on a pair of rubber gloves — or if you just moved into an apartment where the stove has been woefully neglected — then you'll need something with more muscle power. In moments like those, you want to skip natural ingredients to clean your dirty oven and instead reach for something that quickly cuts through grease. And one tried and true product for moments like those is Zep's Heavy Duty Foaming Oven and Grill spray. One 19-ounce canister is available from Home Depot for about $5.

This powerful foaming spray quickly penetrates grease buildup, loosening its sticky hold, and making it easier to wipe away. It's made using a restaurant-grade formula, allowing you to tackle any oven mess in less time than a self-cleaning cycle would take. While the spray is strong, it's still safe to use on items that come into contact with food. For instance, you can also use it on oven grates, burner drip pans, as well as pots, pans, and ceramics. Here is a closer look at this convenient spray.

There are tons of oven cleaning products on the market, but sometimes you need to see an expert use one in order to trust the outcomes. TikTok user BossladyCleaninghacks is a professional cleaner, and she likes to use Zep's Heavy Duty Foaming Oven and Grill spray on the dirtier ovens she encounters. These are the types of ovens that have a thick layer of grease in the cavity, burnt food stuck to the bottom, and brown residue on the glass window. Luckily, the spray can tackle all of those problem areas. She sprays a thick layer of foam all over the cavity, lets it sit for a few minutes so the formula penetrates the buildup, and then simply wipes it away with a sponge, scouring pad, or steel wool, depending on the level of grease. She only rigorously scrubbed the oven to remove burnt-on food.

The manufacturer states that this cleaner is safe to use on stainless steel, ceramic, and porcelain, so it can be used in every kind of oven cavity. However, it can't be used on aluminum, copper, chrome, or painted surfaces, so you want to avoid getting it on metal accents or painted hoods or cabinets. It also can't be used in conjunction with self-cleaning or continuous-clean features in ovens. That's because the harsh chemicals will eat away at their liners, compromising them and ultimately hindering the appliance from effectively cleaning itself.

While this spray can really help you tackle some tough messes when cleaning your oven, there are some caveats you should keep in mind when using it. The first is that you can only work with this in a well-ventilated space. Open windows, turn on fans, and run the vent hood at the highest possible speed when the foam is being utilized. This will ensure you don't have to breathe in more than you need to. The second is to wear proper PPE when handling it. This should include rubber gloves at a minimum, but you can increase the precautions to safety glasses and even a mask, especially if your kitchen doesn't have good ventilation.

Lastly, make sure to always wipe down the area with a clean, damp cloth to remove any lingering residue after you finish cleaning. This includes everything from the oven cavity to racks to drip pans. This ensures you remove any lingering chemical residue, ensuring it doesn't come into contact with your food. There are also concerns that, in self-cleaning ovens, leftover oven cleaner will produce toxic fumes when you activate self-cleaning. It's best to exercise caution and to only use this product — as well as other oven cleaners — if you don't make your oven clean itself.