Does cleaning your oven with lemon really work?
Yes – you can clean your oven with lemon, but with some nuance. Citric acid effectively dissolves light grease and odours, especially when you briefly heat the oven so that the steam can do its job. However, when it comes to stubborn, baked-on grease, lemon falls short. For that, baking soda is the better option.
Below you'll find exactly when to use which method and how to work step by step without damaging the interior of your oven.
Method 1: clean oven with lemon (light grease and odours)
This method is ideal for weekly maintenance or after cooking fish, meat or strongly scented food. The steam from lemon juice loosens the inner walls and neutralises odours at the same time.
- Remove the rack and baking tray and clean them separately with warm soapy water.
- Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice into an oven-safe dish with 200 ml of water. Add the squeezed halves to the dish.
- Place the dish in the mini oven and heat at 150 °C for 15 minutes. The steam will penetrate the grease.
- Turn off the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes – but not completely: lukewarm is easiest to clean.
- Wipe down the inner walls with a soft cloth or sponge. No abrasive cleaner is needed for an enamelled interior.
- Dry thoroughly with a dry cloth before closing the oven again.
Method 2: baking soda for stubborn, baked-on grease
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is alkaline and chemically breaks down fat molecules. It works better than lemon on burnt-on stains, but requires a little more time.
- Mix baking soda with water to form a thick paste – approximately 3 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 tablespoon of water.
- Apply the paste to the encrusted areas inside the oven. Avoid the heating elements and ventilation openings.
- Leave to soak for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. For heavy build-up, you can also leave it overnight.
- Remove the paste with a damp cloth or soft sponge. Do not use steel wool or a scouring pad – this will damage the enamel.
- Rinse with a clean, damp cloth to remove any baking soda residue. Leftover residue can leave white marks on the next use.
- Dry the interior completely and heat the oven for 5 minutes at 100 °C to drive out any remaining moisture.
Lemon or baking soda: when should you use which?
| Situation | Recommended method |
|---|---|
| Light grease, this week's splashes | Lemon (steam) |
| Unpleasant odours in the oven | Lemon (steam) |
| Baked-on, stubborn grease | Baking soda (paste) |
| Regular weekly maintenance | Lemon (steam) |
| Combination of grease and odour | Baking soda first, then lemon |
What should you absolutely never use in your mini oven?
Some cleaning products sound convenient but cause damage – especially on an enamelled interior.
- Steel wool or scouring pads – they scratch the enamel and make it more porous, causing grease to stick more quickly.
- Aggressive oven sprays containing lye – not suitable for enamelled surfaces unless the manufacturer explicitly permits it.
- Washing-up liquid directly on the heating element – this damages the element and can cause a short circuit.
- Metal scrapers – only a soft silicone or plastic scraper is safe for the glass and enamel surfaces.
Tip for the bakeVIA mini oven: make the most of the enamelled interior
bakeVIA mini ovens feature a fully enamelled interior. Enamel is smooth and non-porous, which means grease penetrates less deeply than it would on a standard steel interior. As a result, the lemon method is often more than sufficient with regular use, and intensive cleaning with baking soda is only necessary when there is heavy soiling.
Ideally, clean your oven after every use or at least every two to three baking sessions. This prevents splashes and grease from burning on – and saves you a thorough deep clean further down the line.
Browse the available models in the bakeVIA mini oven collection, from the compact 25-litre version to the spacious 60L mini oven with rotisserie. bakeVIA sells these models directly through its online shop.