DIY Oven Cleaning Paste
The inside of an oven accumulates the most stubborn grease in the kitchen — carbonised fat that has been baked on at high heat, sometimes for years. This paste needs time, not elbow grease: spread it cold, leave it overnight, and the alkaline chemistry does the work while you sleep. It's one of those recipes where the result feels genuinely surprising the first time you try it.
HERO INGREDIENT — Washing Soda
Washing Soda is sodium carbonate — significantly more alkaline than Bicarbonate of Soda, which is what makes it effective against carbonised, baked-on grease. That alkalinity breaks down the complex fatty acid chains in burnt food residue into compounds that can be wiped away with a damp cloth. Handle it with gloves — it's strong enough to irritate skin.
WHAT ELSE IS IN THIS RECIPE
Bicarbonate of Soda (Food Grade) — adds volume to the paste and provides gentle abrasive texture for scrubbing any residue that hasn't fully dissolved
Liquid Castile Soap — binds the paste and provides surfactant action to lift loosened residue away from the oven surface
Lemon Essential Oil — optional — cuts through residual grease odour and leaves the oven smelling clean after the wipe-down
I RECOMMEND TRYING IT WITH LIFT
Oven cleaning is one of those jobs where the scent matters as much as the result — you're working in a confined space with a strong formula, and Lift keeps it from feeling oppressive. The Peppermint and Eucalyptus open things up; the Lemon finishes it bright once the residue is gone.
All ingredients used in this recipe are available at homemadehaven.com.au
Small Batch • Handcrafted in Australia • homemadehaven.com.au
