Best oven cleaners 2026, tried and tested

The best oven cleaners can quickly tackle weeks, months and even years' worth of grease and grime, so you can get back to doing something more enjoyable. 

We've tested popular oven cleaning products from Astonish, Mr Muscle, Oven Pride, The Pink Stuff and more, including kits, sprays and degreasers. We also tried homemade oven cleaners to see how they compare, such as a bicarbonate of soda paste. 

To separate the best oven cleaners from the rest, we got down and dirty by baking cake batter, meat drippings, jam, lard and more onto the walls and shelves of our test oven.

Four models got our Best Buy recommendation, with one costing less than £2. 

The oven cleaners we tested 

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Selected oven cleaners from our tests are listed in alphabetical order below. 

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Astonish Specialist Oven and Grill Cleaner

Amount 250g

Suggested time to leave cleaner 5 minutes; repeat for stubborn stains

Need to know Suitable to use on oven door; comes with double-sided sponge; mildly abrasive – apply carefully on easily scratched surfaces such as glass, plastic, acrylic, ceramic surfaces and ceramic hobs; don't use on non-stick, Teflon, brushed or polished stainless steel or stickers; certified vegan and cruelty-free by third-party scheme Leaping Bunny; no gloves needed

Cif Oven and Grill Specialist Cleaner Spray

Amount 435ml

Suggested time to leave cleaner Up to 30 minutes

Need to know Suitable to use on oven door; don't spray on oven trim, pilot light, heating or fan elements; don't use on aluminium, copper, brass, marble, painted wood or appliance lettering

Ecover Oven and Hob Cleaner Spray

Amount 500ml

Suggested time to leave cleaner 1 minute; longer for stubborn stains

Need to know Suitable to use on oven door; don't use on hot surfaces; certified vegan and cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny

Elbow Grease Oven Cleaning Kit

Amount 500ml; single use

Suggested time to leave cleaner 4 hours for oven, 6 hours for racks; ideally overnight

Need to know Suitable to use on oven door; comes with disposable gloves and bag for soaking oven racks; don't use on oven door seals, trims, pilot light or heating and fan elements; don't use on aluminium, zinc, copper, tin, painted, damaged, self-cleaning, non-tempered glass or non-stick surfaces

Are silicone oven mitts better than cotton? We tested them to find the best oven gloves

HG Oven, Grill and Barbecue Cleaner Spray

Amount 500ml

Suggested time to leave cleaner 3-5 minutes; repeat for stubborn stains

Need to know Suitable to use on oven door; for best results, warm up the oven until the bottom is lukewarm; don't use on untreated aluminium or the outside of the oven, grill or barbecue  

Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner

Amount 300ml

Suggested time to leave cleaner Up to 30 minutes; repeat for stubborn stains

Need to know Suitable to use on oven door; don't use on oven trim, pilot light or heating elements; don't use on self-cleaning ovens, microwave ovens, hot ovens or exterior surfaces; don't use on chrome, aluminium, zinc, copper, plastic or polished/lacquered surfaces

Oven Brite All-in-1 Oven Cleaner

Amount 500ml; single use

Suggested time to leave cleaner 4 hours; ideally overnight 

Need to know Not suitable to use on oven door; comes with disposable gloves and bag for soaking oven racks; don't use on oven door seals and trims, glass panels, pilot light, heating or fan elements; don't use on aluminium, zinc, copper, tin, painted, damaged, self-cleaning or non-stick surfaces

Oven Pride Complete Oven Cleaning Kit

Amount 500ml; single use

Suggested time to leave cleaner 4 hours; ideally overnight

Need to know Not suitable to use on oven door; comes with disposable gloves and bag for soaking oven racks; don't use on oven trim, hinges, glass oven door, door seals, pilot light, heating or fan elements; don't use on aluminium, zinc, copper, tin, painted, damaged, self-cleaning or non-stick surfaces

The Pink Stuff Miracle Cleaning Paste

Amount 850g

Suggested time to leave cleaner Immediate use; longer for stubborn stains

Need to know Suitable to use on oven doors; don't use on warm surfaces; mildly abrasive – apply carefully on easily scratched surfaces such as glass, plastic, acrylic, ceramic, highly polished steel surfaces and ceramic hobs; certified vegan and cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny; no gloves needed

Vanquish Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner

Amount 1000ml

Suggested time to leave cleaner 5-30 minutes

Need to know Suitable to use on oven doors; the oven should be turned off and no hotter than 40°C while using; don't use on aluminium, zinc or other alkali-sensitive surfaces

More oven cleaners from our tests

Here are the rest of the oven cleaners we've tested, listed in alphabetical order.

How we test oven cleaners

We buy the bestselling oven cleaners and put them through our tough tests. We don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. 

We regularly revisit the oven cleaners on sale to see if there are any more popular products that need testing. When we find them, we do.

Cleaning performance

• We bake a stubborn mixture of cake batter, beef dripping, rosemary, breadcrumbs, jam and more directly onto the oven floor and wire racks.
• Following the instructions for each cleaner, we apply the product and leave it for the minimum suggested time.
• We then remove the cleaner and, if the instructions advise doing so, apply it a second time. 
• Finally, we assess the finish to score each product's cleaning abilities.

The best oven cleaners do a brilliant job in minimal time, while others need to be left longer or need multiple applications.

We also assess...

• Ease of use How clear are the instructions? Are the cleaners a hassle to apply and remove? Some need to be rubbed in; others are applied in a flash. 
• Time You don't want your oven out of action all day, so we record how long each oven cleaner really takes. 

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent

Which is the best homemade oven cleaner?

We've tested some of the most popular do-it-yourself oven cleaners and assessed the pros and cons of each method.

Register for free to see how natural cleaning solutions compare with store-bought ones. 

Bicarbonate of soda

How to do it Mix equal parts bicarbonate of soda (also known as baking soda) and water in a bowl to form a paste. Apply to the oven and work it into the dirt with a sponge. 

Leave for at least one hour, or a few hours if there are stubborn areas of burnt-on food.

Use a scrubbing brush or scourer to lift and remove the dirt. Apply water as needed for lubricant, and avoid using it on a glass door, as it can cause tiny scratches on the glass surface.

Wipe clean with a damp sponge, and remove residue with a kitchen towel or cloth. Repeat this if needed to remove all the residue.

Register for free to see the pros and cons of using bicarbonate of soda (also known as baking soda).

Bicarbonate of soda with water and vinegar solution

How to do it Mix equal parts bicarbonate of soda and water in a bowl to form a paste. Apply to the oven and work it into the dirt with a sponge.

Mix three parts water with one part white vinegar. Decant into a spray bottle and apply to the oven. The vinegar will react with the bicarbonate of soda, making it fizz and bubble. 

Leave for at least one hour, or a few hours if there are stubborn areas of burnt-on food.

Use a scrubbing brush or scourer to lift and remove the dirt. Apply water as needed for lubricant. Avoid using it on a glass door, as it can cause tiny scratches on the glass surface.

Wipe clean with a damp sponge, and remove the residue with a kitchen towel or cloth. Repeat this if needed to remove all the residue.

Register for free to see the pros and cons of using bicarbonate soda with water and vinegar solution.

Cleaning with baking soda isn't always wise. Check out 6 things you should never clean with bicarbonate of soda – and what to use instead

Dishwasher tablet

How to do it Fill a bowl with water. Remove the casing from a dishwasher tablet, and add any loose parts (like the red Powerball on a Finish dishwasher tablet) to the water.

Dip the bottom of the tablet into the water for a few seconds. Then rub the tablet over the inside of your oven. Apply water as needed for lubricant.

Repeat this until the burnt-on food is all lifted. Use another tablet if your current one crumbles apart.

Wipe clean with a damp sponge, then remove any residue with a kitchen towel or cloth.

Repeat this if needed to remove all the residue. 

Register for free to see the pros and cons of using a dishwasher tablet.

For more cleaning tips, see how to clean a dishwasher and how to clean a smelly washing machine

How to clean an oven

If grease and gunk have been building up, it's a good idea to use a spatula or an oven scraper to dislodge the heavy dirt.

Oven grease can be difficult to shift, so you'll get the best results using a dedicated oven cleaner.

These often contain strong chemicals, so make sure you wear gloves and long sleeves, and open the window to allow fresh air into your kitchen.

If you have really dirty oven racks, we found that oven cleaners that come with a bag for soaking are highly effective. 

They do take longer – typically requiring you to leave the racks for at least four hours – but, as a result, the solution is able to get into all those hard-to-reach joins. Afterwards, you simply remove the racks and rinse off the residue.

To see which bag-style oven cleaner impressed us the most, register for free.

How to clean a self-cleaning oven with oven cleaner

Pyrolytic ovens, also known as self-cleaning ovens, reach scorching temperatures to burn off grease stains and food spills, leaving behind an easily wiped ashy residue and a gleaming interior.

These cleaning cycles vary from model to model, but typically last three to five hours. 

Even though these appliances don't strictly require dedicated cleaning products, applying an oven cleaner can help with clean-up at the end of the cycle.

It's important to note, however, that some oven cleaning products are not compatible with self-cleaning ovens. Certain chemicals can become reactive at high temperatures, so always check the product label before use. 

For the best self-cleaning ovens, see our freestanding cooker and built-in oven reviews