Oven Cleaning Costs

Introduction to Oven Cleaning

If there's one cleaning job that nearly everyone universally hates, it's cleaning the oven.

Oven cleaning is a mucky task often overlooked. It can be a tiresome job and one which we sometimes try to overlook - reluctance is overwhelming.

We turn a blind eye to oven cleaning, as it is a job that we cannot find time for in our busy lives.

Luckily there are professional oven cleaning companies that can come to the rescue. It is a very popular service with those who work long, hard hours and don't want to waste valuable time scrubbing out ovens.

Search for oven cleaning services or oven cleaning near me, and you should find lots of companies to help you out.

How Much Does It Cost to Clean an Oven?

Oven cleaning services are usually very reasonable, and the companies will usually bring their oven cleaning products with them.

Why not combine the cost of oven cleaning with one of the other services on offer, such as cleaning and extractor fan or cleaning a ceramic hob?

Cleaning oven racks usually come as part of the price and will leave your oven looking like new.

Professionals will quickly take out your oven and install it again with a minimum of fuss. Services include cleaning a range cooker, cleaning a double oven, cleaning and extractor fan, and even cleaning a self-cleaning oven! The cost involved is usually well worth the expenditure!

This guide will help you find the best price for professional oven cleaners by looking at the average cost in different regions.

If you're fed up with your oven looking dirty, or you're moving out of a rented property – why not get your oven cleaned professionally and avoid all the hard work?

There will be local oven cleaning experts available to do the dirty work for you, so you can focus on enjoying cooking using an oven that looks brand new.

Using a professional oven cleaning service in the UK for a single oven will cost around £50.

However, several factors will affect the price, such as:

• Size and style of the oven
• How dirty the oven has become
• The extent of the required clean (it will cost more to include the hob and extractor)
• The location of your property (oven cleaning is cheaper in some parts of the country than in others)

Regional Oven Cleaning Costs

Your location will affect the average cost of an oven clean as costs do tend to be higher in Greater London, Wales and the East of England than in Scotland or the North West.

It's worth getting several quotes to find the best price from a professional oven cleaner near you.

What's Involved in Professional Oven Cleaning?

Professional oven cleaners are equipped with tools and products to provide the best oven cleaning service. In most cases, the service will include:

• Cleaning the interior cavity, door, glass and racks of your oven.
• Removing parts of the oven such as doors and racks, soaking them in a specialised cleaning solution.

If required, they will use biodegradable, fume-free, non-caustic and other eco-friendly products.

Professionals can clean all oven makes and models within 3 hours, including:

Single Oven

The majority of British homeowners have a single oven in their kitchen, 60cm tall and either slotted under the kitchen countertops or positioned in a tower unit.

Cleaning a single oven is the cheapest option and the most straightforward.

Double Oven

A double oven is s designed for family cooking and entertaining and offers great versatility. Double ovens are commonly installed into a tower unit and measure 90cm high.

Double oven cookers are fairly straightforward to clean, but they can take slightly longer and cost more because of their size.

Range Cooker

Typically bigger than a standard oven, a range cooker combines an oven and hob in on. Many range cookers feature two ovens, a separate grill, and sometimes a warming drawer, and some even offer built-in storage.

Because they are bigger and more complex structure, cleaning range cookers will take longer and costs more than standard ovens.

Hobs

The average hob cleaning cost is £15-£20. The cleaning process should generally be completed in 1-3 hours, depending on the hob you have.

The types of hob available to homes in the UK are ceramic, gas, electric and induction. Cleaning processed will vary depending on o the chosen hob type.

Benefits of a Professional Oven Cleaning Service

It might seem obvious but having your oven cleaned professionally means it gives you a sparkling, freshly cleaned oven, which is a joy to use.

Several other benefits justify the cost of a professional oven cleaning session.

For example:

• Professionals will have the correct equipment and knowledge to take your oven apart and give it a thorough cleaning, quickly and easily.
• They will often pass on some useful tips and advice for you to use going forward.
• A clean oven is safer to use, as burnt-on food and grease increase the risk of a fire in your home.
• Clean ovens offer better energy efficiency because burnt-on residue requires more energy to heat the oven.
• A clean oven door means it's necessary to open it to check your food, and you can view it through the glass.
• You can save time by letting a professional clean your oven. They will complete the task much quicker and more thoroughly than if you did it yourself.
• Food will taste better when cooked in a clean oven because it's not taking on old food residue flavours.
• A clean oven will save you money through improved efficiency. This will lower your energy bills.
• Using professionals will avoid the hassle and mess of the cleaning process and the potentially messy clean-up afterwards.

Additional Costs

There are some additional costs to consider, on top of cleaning the main oven unit itself.

You'll probably want a professional cleaning service to clean the hob and extractor fan/hood at the same time as cleaning your oven. Remember to include that in your quote.

Here is an average additional oven cleaning price list:

• Cleaning a ceramic or glass hob: £17.50
• Cleaning a gas or electric hob: £15
• Oven hood/extractor cleaning cost: £15

Always speak to your local oven, cleaning experts for up-to-date advice and accurate prices before making a booking. Ask if they offer eco-friendly or chemical-free oven cleaning services.

Request a detailed quote of what the oven cleaning prices will include, for example, whether the quote includes cleaning the racks, hob, hood, etc. Before hiring a professional tradesperson, check their credentials to ensure they hold the necessary licenses and correct insurances.

Enquire as to the timescale of the job and how soon you can use your oven after cleaning. Shop around to get the best competitive quotes for the work you need.

Types of Oven Cleaning Methods

Normally you have used an array of pungent chemicals and some good old fashioned elbow grease to get your oven sparkling again. You can scrub the oven yourself, but there is an array of self-cleaning ovens on the market. These are normally split into two types, which are:

Catalytic Cleaning

Special catalytic liners treated with special chemicals and materials line the oven cavity, so they absorb grease.

The self-cleaning programme needs to be carried out every month or so, depending upon the manufacturer's advice.

During a cleaning cycle, the oven has to 200ºC or higher, burning off and softening excess grease deposits. Then you wipe away any residue with some soapy water.

For the liners to be effective, you must heat your oven to high temperatures regularly. You won't need to remove the liners for cleaning, and it is advised that you heat the oven to 220ºC for 30 minutes once a month to keep the liners in good working order. When used correctly, the liners will last for the lifetime of the oven.

Be aware, though, that the entire oven cavity may not be fitted with catalytic liners. Sometimes, just a few sides are fitted with the liners, so the other sides will need cleaning the same way as a normal oven.

Pyrolytic Cleaning

Pyrolytic cleaning is tougher on food residue than catalytic. A pyrolytic cleaning program heats the oven to extreme temperatures of over 400ºC.

Food deposits are turned into ash which you sweep away once the oven has cooled. When the pyrolytic function is running, the oven door locks to avoid accidents. Only open the oven door once the cycle has been completed and the oven has cooled.

Pyrolytic cleaning will take a few hours to complete compared to 30 minutes for a catalytic clean. You can set the pyrolytic program to run overnight or at a time when you won't be using the oven.

What Does Cleaning an Oven Involve?

Few people look forward to cleaning an oven, but sometimes the thought is worse than the cleaning itself.

With some knowledge and basic tools, oven cleaning needn't be an overwhelming chore. For signs that it may be time to clean your oven, look at:

• The general appearance. Has a crust or residue appeared on the oven floor?
• The door may be coated or splattered in grease or grime?
• When you turn on your oven, does it smell?
• Is there any sign of smoke? Smoke wouldn't appear from a clean oven, so smoke or smouldering can signify grease and dirt buildup.

Remember to pay attention to the signs listed above, and don't put off cleaning because you can't be bothered. Regularly cleaning your oven will improve the quality of the food you cook in it.

If your oven has a self-cleaning option, remember to remove the racks first and clean those yourself. The self-clean cycle will take between two to four hours, depending on your oven type.

It's a good idea to stay at home while the oven is cleaning, just in case anything goes wrong. When the cleaning cycle has been completed, there will be white ash at the bottom which will need to wipe away once the oven has cooled.

DIY Oven Cleaning

You do not need any planning permission or building regulations permission to clean your oven yourself! You will not need to get the job signed off by a contractor either.

It's unlikely that you'll be able to reach the same level of cleanliness as a professional. You may not have the right tools or cleaning products to do as thorough a job.

Bear in mind that mistakes can be made when cleaning the oven yourself. Most mistakes won't result in a kitchen fire or damage to your appliances, but it's still good to keep them in mind.

We're not as perfect as we'd like to think we are, and mistakes happen occasionally. Human mistakes apply to many areas of life – from work through professional and personal relationships. Here are a few best practice suggestions that could prevent unnecessary mistakes in your kitchen:

• Try using cooking sheets
• Remember, if setting a timer, listen out for them.
• Clean up any spills straight away.
• Use green and eco products whenever possible.

Although commercial kitchen cleaners work really well, try to use natural alternatives whenever possible. If you clean your oven regularly, you shouldn't need to resort to store-bought chemically based solutions.

Use natural cleaning products such as vinegar, baking soda and lemons as they are not only good for the planet but are much safer to use and much cheaper than most oven cleaners on the market.

There are several shop-bought cleaning products available. Remember to choose your cleaning product with care, though, as oven cleaning products can be acidic and a skin irritant.

Shop-bought oven cleaners are the easiest, fastest process. They will remove serious amounts of grease and grime, but if you're sensitive to harsh chemicals or prefer an all-natural approach, choose other natural products.

Cleaning Your Oven with Shop-Bought Products

1. Remove everything from inside your oven.
2. Put newspapers or paper towels on the floor under the oven.
3. When cleaning an oven, use heavy-duty rubber gloves with some safety glasses to protect your eyes.
4. Spray the oven cleaner inside of your oven, covering the back, sides, bottom, top, door, and any corners and crevices.
5. Don't spray the heating elements if your oven is electric. Instead, simply lift them and spray underneath. If your oven is gas, don't spray the nozzles.
6. Close the oven when you're finished spraying.
7. Leave the product to work for the time listed on the label, usually around 20 - 30 minutes.
8. Take your oven racks outside and spray them liberally with the cleaner. Place them in a large plastic bin bag with the top securely closed. Leave the racks outside in the bag for the time suggested on the cleaning label.
9. After this time, open the oven and wipe down all surfaces using a damp cloth or rag. For stubborn sticky spots, use wet scouring pumice, microfiber sponge or another abrasive tool to remove all the dirt. Make sure not to leave traces of dirt or cleaner behind. Take the racks from the bag and rinse them with hot soapy water in your sink. Use pumice, sponge or other abrasive tools to remove any crusted-on grime. Dry the oven racks and place them into the oven.

Cleaning Your Oven with Baking Soda and Vinegar

1. Firstly, remove everything from your oven.
2. Put some newspapers or paper towels on the floor beneath your oven to avoid any spills or splashes from acidic cleaners.
3. Taking 1/2 cup of baking soda, mix together with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to make a spreadable paste.
4. With gloves on, use your fingers to spread the paste around the inside of your oven. Make sure to cover the entire interior of your oven. If you have an electric oven, avoid the heating elements. If you have a gas oven, avoid the gas faucets.
5. Close the oven door and let the paste sit for 10 - 12 hours, or, preferably, overnight.
6. Place the racks in your kitchen sink or bathtub. Sprinkle baking soda onto them, then pour vinegar on top of the baking soda. This combination will foam, and when it stops foaming, plug your sink or bath, running the hot water until the racks are submerged.
7. Allow racks to sit in the bag for 10 - 12 hours or overnight.
8. After 10 - 12 hours, again wearing gloves, using a damp cloth or rag, open the oven and wipe down all surfaces. Use a sourer on any stubborn spots.
9. If any areas of paste are reluctant to come off, spray the areas with vinegar. The ingredients in the vinegar will react with the baking soda, and the mixture will start to foam. Wipe off all of this foam with a damp cloth.
10. Remove the oven racks from the water and scrub them with a cloth or rag until all grease and grime are gone. Then, use a scourer on any stubborn spots. Dry the racks thoroughly before slotting them back into the oven.

Cleaning Your Oven Using Lemons

1. Fill a medium-sized, oven-proof bowl with water, and slice two lemons in half. Place them into the bowl and heat your oven to 250 degrees.
2. Place the bowl inside the oven on one of the shelf racks, leaving it inside for at least an hour.
3. Switch the oven off and pull open the door to let it cool down and avoid burning yourself.
4. Then wipe down the interior surfaces using a damp cloth. Use wet scouring pumice or other abrasive tools to remove any extra sticky spots. Wipe thoroughly to remove any remaining grease and grime.

Potential Problems and Pitfalls

Ovens, like most appliances, get dirtier with time. As dust and dirt accumulate, small pieces of food can burn off and stick to the oven's insides. Oil and grease can escape your cooking trays, so clean your oven frequently.

There is, however, a particular part of the oven cleaning process that is often overlooked – Human error. And while most of these mistakes won't result in a kitchen fire or damage to your appliances, it's still good to keep them in mind.

Here are some general tips to consider when it comes to oven cleaning:

• Regularly clean your oven.
• Pick a good time for cleaning your oven.
• Let self-cleaning ovens do their work!
• Try to prevent dirt and grease buildups.
• Use the right oven cleaning products.

Frequent Oven Cleaning is Crucial!

Periodic cleaning can lead to problems as you're letting grime and dirt buildup, affecting the taste of your cooking, and you're shortening the overall lifespan of your oven. You're putting your kitchen at risk of oven fires.

Clean your oven regularly, as the more often you clean it, the less time and effort cleaning it will take to finish the job. Cleaning your oven at least once a week or giving it a quick wipe-up after each cooking session will shorten cleaning times.

Oven cleaning timing is key.

Most oven cleaning techniques take time and usually require the oven to be kept on for longer. During that time, you can't cook anything, and you want to keep everyone out of your kitchen as long as possible.

Self-Cleaning Oven Problems

The first self-cleaning oven was sold by General Electric in 1963. But because there have been some causes for alarm, many homeowners who have an oven with a self-cleaning option choose not to use it.

Self-cleaning functions can’t replace a full-fledged oven cleaning session, but they can help. A self-cleaning oven needs time to work, and precautions do need to be taken during the process.

Self-cleaning involves your oven heating up to extreme temperatures to burn away the dirt and leftovers inside. Open windows to promote better airflow and ventilation inside your kitchen. The cleaning process can emit chemicals, and some smoke or ash may be generated.

If you haven’t used a self-cleaning oven before, read the instructions for your specific model. The "self-cleaning" oven feature can be confusing.

Self-cleaning ovens heat up to 900 or 1,000 degrees to burn food particles. The cleaning cycle can take 3-6 hours to complete, and the effectiveness ranges from model to model and price range.

The self-cleaning mode can produce smoke that sets off your fire alarm. Open windows and use the extractor hood. Fumes, including carbon monoxide, can emanate from a self-cleaning oven.

Some appliance technicians have reported that non-responsive electronic control panels and burned-out calrods (the tubular elements that convert electricity into heat) can break during the extreme heat of the self-cleaning cycle.

A lot of energy is used to heat an oven to 900 or 1,000 degrees for hours at a time. The self-cleaning feature consumes 8kWh of electricity or about as much energy as they usually drew from their oven in a month of normal usage.

The special insulation that self-cleaning ovens come with makes them more energy-efficient than regular ovens. However, if you use the self-cleaning feature more than once per month, you will use more energy than using an oven that does not have the self-cleaning feature.