How to Clean Oven Door Glass

Oven door glass gets the worst of it—baked-on splatters, grease buildup, and heat-darkened film that makes it impossible to see what's cooking inside. Most people ignore it until the glass looks permanently clouded, then assume it's ruined. It's not. The trick is using alkaline chemistry instead of elbow grease. Baking soda dissolves burnt-on residue overnight while you sleep, and you finish the job with basic tools you already own. You're not scrubbing; you're just helping the chemistry do the work. This job takes about fifteen minutes of active time spread across two days, costs almost nothing, and leaves the glass clear enough to actually use. It works on single-pane and double-pane glass, and the method won't scratch or damage either one.

1. Clear the oven and let it cool. Remove any racks, thermometers, or other items from inside the oven. Let the oven cool completely—at least two hours if you've been using it, or do this project when the oven is already cold. You're working with caustic paste, so you don't want heat involved.
2. Make a baking soda paste. Pour half a cup of baking soda into a small bowl and add water one tablespoon at a time, stirring until you get a thick, spreadable paste that looks like wet sand. You want something that sticks to vertical glass without running off. If it's too thin, add more baking soda. If it's too thick, add water by the teaspoon.
3. Spread the paste on the glass. Using a plastic or silicone spatula, spread the paste across the entire glass door. Don't worry about being neat—coverage is what matters. Get it into the corners and work it around any burnt spots. You want a layer thick enough to see, roughly the consistency of peanut butter on the glass.
4. Let it sit overnight. Leave the paste on the glass for at least eight hours, ideally overnight. The baking soda is alkaline and it slowly breaks down the bond between burnt residue and glass. There's no time limit on this step—you can leave it for twenty-four hours without any problem.
5. Wipe away the dried paste. Take a damp cloth and start wiping the glass in circular motions. The dried paste will come away as a gray smudge at first. Keep wiping and rinsing the cloth. Most of the residue will come off easily. Switch to a clean, wet cloth and do a final wipe-down to remove all the baking soda dust.
6. Scrape stubborn spots. If burnt-on spots remain after wiping, use a plastic scraper or old credit card held at a shallow angle against the glass. Gently scrape the stubborn spots. The glass itself is harder than the residue, so light pressure is all you need. Don't gouge at it.
7. Final polish with vinegar. Spray the glass with white vinegar and wipe it dry with a clean cloth. The vinegar cuts any remaining film, neutralizes any baking soda residue, and leaves the glass streak-free and clear.