Burned-on oven mess doesn’t give up just because you glare at it harder. This overnight oven cleaner method uses heat, steam, and a simple paste to loosen the gunk so you can scrub the stubborn spots without spending good money on another specialty cleaner (because the oven already ate enough of your patience).
Making it yourself can cost less than buying a dedicated oven cleaner. Using typical big-box pricing, the ammonia, baking soda, and vinegar used here come out to roughly $0.85 per batch, which is often far less than a single can or bottle of commercial oven cleaner. You also control exactly what goes into it, including the scent level and the cleaning strength of the final paste.
You’ll need 4 materials for this method: ammonia, boiling water, baking soda, and white vinegar. The directions use 2 loaf pans and a scrubbing pad, and the finished cleaner is made as one overnight oven-cleaning batch rather than a bottled product you store for later.
- 🧰 Materials You'll Need
- 🔧 Tools/Equipment
- 🛠️ How to Clean Your Oven
- 🛠️ How to Use It
- 🎨 Customization Ideas
- 🛡️ Safety Information
- 💸 Cost Breakdown
- 🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- ❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Oven Cleaner II
- 📌 Love this Oven Cleaner II? Pin it!
- 🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Oven Cleaner II
Materials You’ll Need
- 1 cup ammonia
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 cup white vinegar
Tools/Equipment
- Oven
- 2 loaf pans
- Mixing container or bowl for the paste
- Scrubbie or scrubbing pad
How to Clean Your Oven
- Heat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- Bring the oven to temperature for 10 minutes, then turn it off.
- Place a loaf pan with ammonia on the top shelf.
- Place another loaf pan with boiling water on the bottom shelf.
- Leave the oven closed and off overnight.
- In the morning, remove the ammonia.
- Add the baking soda and vinegar to create a smooth paste.
- Brush the paste on any rough baked-on food spots.
- Leave the paste on for 20 minutes.
- Scrub the loosened residue off with a scrubbie.
How to Use It
This method works in two stages. First, the warm oven, ammonia, and boiling water sit overnight to help loosen baked-on residue. Then the baking soda and vinegar form a paste for the rough spots that still need extra attention the next morning.
If your oven has loose crumbs or flakes, wipe those out before you start so the paste can reach the stuck-on mess instead of landing on top of debris. For other greasy cleanup jobs around the kitchen, you might also like this Tile Cleaner and Grease Remover or this Triple Action Multipurpose Cleaner.
Customization Ideas
- For lighter buildup: Use the overnight ammonia and hot-water step first, then spot-treat only the areas that still feel rough.
- For heavier baked-on spots: Coat just the problem areas generously with the paste and let the full 20 minutes pass before scrubbing.
- For a full kitchen-cleaning day: Pair this project with a batch of Wall and Woodwork Cleaner so you can tackle splatters beyond the oven door too.
Safety Information
Use this method with good ventilation, avoid breathing fumes directly, and wear gloves if your skin is sensitive to cleaners. Never mix ammonia with bleach or any cleaner that contains bleach. The CDC also advises against mixing household cleaners and notes that ammonia can release dangerous gas when combined with certain cleaning products, so keep this project strictly to the ingredients listed here and let the oven air out well afterward: CDC ammonia chemical fact sheet.
Cost Breakdown
- 1 cup ammonia: estimated $0.24
- 1/2 cup baking soda: estimated $0.15
- 1 cup white vinegar: estimated $0.12
- Boiling water: estimated $0.34 or less depending on utility cost
Estimated total: about $0.85 per batch, depending on current local prices and utility rates.
🛍️ Need Help Finding Everything?
- Clear ammonia at Walmart
- Great Value Distilled White Vinegar, 128 fl oz
- Arm & Hammer baking soda on Amazon
- Loaf pans on Amazon
- Non-scratch scrubbing pads on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions about Oven Cleaner II
You should check your oven manual first. Some manufacturers limit what cleaners you can use inside a self-cleaning oven, so the smart move is to follow the appliance instructions before trying any homemade method.
No. Heat the oven to 200 degrees F for 10 minutes, turn it off, and then place the loaf pan of ammonia on the top shelf. The oven stays off overnight.
The boiling water adds moisture inside the closed oven overnight. That extra steam helps soften baked-on residue so the paste-and-scrub step goes more smoothly the next morning.
No. Follow the method exactly as written. The ammonia sits separately in its own pan overnight, and the baking soda and vinegar are combined later into a smooth paste for the rough spots.
Leave the paste on the rough baked-on food spots for 20 minutes before you scrub with a scrubbie.
A scrubbie or scrubbing pad works well because this method is meant to loosen the mess first, not have you chiseling it off with sheer irritation. Start with a non-scratch pad if you are worried about the oven finish.
This method works best as a fresh batch. Since the directions are written for immediate use after the overnight step, make only what you need for the cleaning session.
Yes. After you scrub away the loosened residue, wipe the oven thoroughly so no paste or loosened grime stays behind. A damp cloth works well for the final cleanup.
Yes. If you still have stubborn spots after the first round, repeat the process rather than scraping aggressively. That usually treats the mess better and treats your temper better too.
📌 Love this Oven Cleaner II? Pin it!
Did you try this project? Tell us how much baked-on mess you tackled, or what changed most in your cleanup routine after using it.
🖨️ Print-Friendly How-To: Oven Cleaner II
Oven Cleaner II
Equipment
Materials
- 1 cup ammonia
- 2 cups boiling water
- ½ cup baking soda
- 1 cup white vinegar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200 degrees F.
- Bring to temperature for 10 minutes; turn off the oven.
- Place a loaf pan with ammonia on the top shelf.
- Place another loaf pan with boiling water on the bottom shelf.
- Leave the oven closed and off overnight.
- In the morning, remove the ammonia.
- Add baking soda and vinegar, creating a smooth paste.
- Brush the paste on any rough baked on food spots.
- Leave it for 20 minutes.
- Scrub off with a scrubbie.
- Use good ventilation while working.
- Do not mix ammonia with bleach or cleaners that contain bleach.
- This method is best made fresh and used immediately.
- Estimated cost reflects consumable materials only and can vary by store and region.
