Why You Should Grab Some Aluminum Foil The Next Time You Need To Clean Your Oven

Cleaning your oven is rarely fun. Between burnt-on food, stubborn grease, and those hard-to-reach spots, it's easy to put off this daunting task. Still, deep cleaning your oven every few months is necessary, and there's an easy hack that can help using something you likely already have on hand: aluminum foil. Not only is it effective, but it's also a natural alternative to commercial chemical cleaners.

There are a few good reasons to reach for aluminum foil instead of chemical oven cleaners. The same ingredients that help dissolve grime also make chemical cleaners pretty corrosive. They can irritate your eyes and even lead to coughing or shortness of breath if inhaled. If your skin comes into contact with the solution while cleaning, it may cause severe burns, too. While it is, of course, possible to use these chemical cleaners safely, these downsides make some people seek more natural options. Plus, some people feel chemical cleaners leave behind a lingering smell.

What about your oven's self-cleaning feature? This function, available on some oven models, works by heating the oven to over 800 degrees Fahrenheit to burn off the grime. It's fairly energy-intensive, and it can cause smoke, fumes, and even cause some parts to malfunction. While it's a convenient feature, it's worth giving the aluminum foil trick a try first.

So, how do you clean your oven with aluminum foil? Start with a fully off and completely cooled oven. Pour hot water on the oven door's glass, like TikTok user @305decolivingllc did, and sprinkle baking soda over it. For the rest of your oven, you can make a baking soda paste with water, which should have the consistency of pancake batter. Wear gloves to protect your hands from the grime, and spread the baking soda paste onto the dirty areas of your oven with a metal or glass spatula, but stay away from the heating elements. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

Now, grab a medium-sized sheet of aluminum foil and crumple it into a ball. Use it to scrub the surface in a circular motion. With a little elbow grease, the grime should loosen and come right off. Finally, wipe away the residue with a cloth for a clean finish.

This method removes grime through physical abrasion (elbow grease) and a chemical reaction (baking soda). Baking soda can lift grease and loosen any stuck-on food. Meanwhile, scrubbing with aluminum foil helps remove the grime from the surface for good. If any stubborn grime spots remain, you can always resort to chemical-based cleaners or the self-cleaning oven methods.