8 Best Oven Cleaners, According to Testing

We updated this article in August 2022 to add more information about each featured product, based on extensive testing done by the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care and Cleaning Products Lab. We also added a new pick for oven windows, more information about how we test oven cleaners and answers to frequently asked questions.

As the summer season comes to an end and we move our cooking indoors, our ovens will likely be used more often than they have in the last couple of months. Casseroles and pies will inevitably bubble over and the oven will again require more frequent cleaning. If you have a self-cleaning oven, you likely will not need an oven cleaner at all. A self-cleaning oven works by heating the oven up to a very high temperature to burn off the leftover food and spills inside. Most appliance manufacturers do not recommend using any oven cleaners to clean your self-cleaning oven and doing so can even void your appliance’s warranty. Even if the oven cleaner label says it is safe to use, it’s always best to follow your oven manufacturer’s recommendations. Instead, use a wet sponge to wipe up spills as soon as they happen (and your oven is at a safe temperature to reach inside) to minimize the messes your self-cleaning oven will have to clean up later.

If your oven isn’t self-cleaning, tackling it can be one of the toughest chores in the kitchen, especially if you haven’t been wiping up spills immediately. However, the right oven cleaner can make this task effortless. At the Good Housekeeping Institute we test hundreds of cleaning products each year, putting together guides for the best stainless steel cleaners, grill cleaners, oven cleaners and more, to tackle all of your cooking messes. Many oven cleaners also double as grill cleaners so we test them by applying layers of barbecue sauce onto oven and grill grates and allowing it to burn. Then, we evaluate how quickly, thoroughly and easily it cleans and how neat or messy each cleaning product is to use. We also assess the label for completeness of the directions and any required safety precautions based on the ingredients. To get your oven spotless and cut through baked-on residue, see our top picks below.

Our top picks:

You can read more about our expert picked oven cleaners, how we test oven cleaners and more below. You might also be interested in our guides for how to clean your oven, how to clean your toaster oven or how to clean your microwave oven and the best grill cleaners to give your grill one final, good clean before packing it up for the winter.