How to Deodorize an Oven

Co-authored by Amy Mikhaiel

Last Updated: February 25, 2023 References

If you cook a lot at home, you may find a questionable odor coming from your oven. Luckily, there are many different solutions to this stinky problem. Whether you’d like to freshen up your conventional oven or your microwave oven, you can deodorize by using lemon, vinegar, vanilla extract, or another substance.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Deodorizing a Conventional Oven

1
Wipe down the inside of the oven with vanilla extract. Put a few drops of vanilla extract on a clean cloth. Then thoroughly rub down the inside walls of the oven. When you turn the oven on next, it will emit a pleasant vanilla smell.
- When using this method, it’s best to make sure the oven is clean beforehand.
2
Heat a baking dish of vanilla extract and water in the oven. Fill a baking dish with water until it’s about 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep. Then add 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of vanilla extract to the water. Place the dish in the oven and turn the oven on and set the temperature to 350 °F (177 °C). Leave the dish in the oven for about an hour.^{[1]
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- You can also do this with lemon juice and water, or fill the dish with only white vinegar.
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3
Bake citrus peels in the oven.^{[2]
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Research source} Turn the oven on and set the temperature to 350 °F (177 °C). Put a baking sheet of orange and/or lemon peels in the oven for 30 minutes.^{[3]
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4
Scrub the oven with baking soda and vinegar. Your oven may need a good scrub with a natural, nontoxic solution.^{[4]
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Research source} Fill a spray bottle with two cups (480 mL) of white vinegar. Sprinkle about a cup (240 mL) of baking soda into the bottom of the oven. Let it sit for as long as possible and then scrub the oven with steel wool and wipe everything out with a clean cloth. Finally, rinse out the oven with hot water.^{[5]
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- To deodorize more thoroughly, spray the baking soda with the white vinegar to create a paste, spread the paste on the side walls, and then spray more vinegar on the side walls.
- If you only have vinegar, pour some into an oven-safe dish and heat it on the lowest setting in your oven for 20 minutes. The vinegar will absorb any bad odors.^{[6]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Amy Mikhaiel
  Professional House Cleaner
  Expert Interview. 3 February 2019.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Deodorizing a Microwave Oven

1
Heat lemons and apple cider vinegar in the microwave. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with a couple of sliced lemons and ¼ cup (60 mL) of apple cider vinegar. Then, fill the bowl the rest of the way with water and put it in the microwave. Microwave the mixture for 2-3 minutes and then let it sit with the door closed for another 10. Then remove the bowl and wipe out the microwave with a damp sponge.^{[7]
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2
Wipe the interior with a sponge and baking soda. Wet a sponge with water and sprinkle baking soda on it. Use the damp sponge to thoroughly wipe out the microwave. Then rinse it out with clean water.
3
Keep baking soda in the microwave between uses. To freshen up your microwave, leave an open container of baking soda in it when you aren’t using it. When you need to use your microwave, simply take the baking soda out, cook your food, and then put it back in.
4
Heat a bowl of lemon water in the microwave. Fill a microwave-safe bowl halfway with water. Squeeze the juice from one lemon into the water. Put the bowl in the microwave and heat it up for 5 minutes. Let the bowl sit for another two minutes or so with the door closed. Clean out the microwave with a sponge.
5
Heat a vinegar solution in the microwave.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Amy Mikhaiel
Professional House Cleaner
Expert Interview. 3 February 2019.} Fill a microwave-safe bowl halfway with water and add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of white vinegar. Heat the bowl in the microwave for about 5 minutes, remove the bowl, and wipe the microwave with a sponge or cloth.
- The heated vinegar will absorb any bad smells in the oven.^{[9]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Amy Mikhaiel
  Professional House Cleaner
  Expert Interview. 3 February 2019.}
6
Warm up wet paper towels in the microwave. Dampen a handful of paper towels with fresh water. Place the paper towels in the microwave and then heat them up in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Wipe out the inside of the microwave with the damp paper towels.
7
Warm up a bowl of soapy water in the microwave. Put a squirt of dishwashing liquid into a microwave-safe bowl full of warm water. Heat the bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Clean out the microwave the with a damp sponge, and then leave the door open for a few minutes.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you remove the smell of oven cleaner?

Amy Mikhaiel
House Cleaning Professional
Amy Mikhaiel is a cleaning guru and the CEO of Amy's Angels Cleaning Inc., a residential and commercial cleaning company in Los Angeles, California. Amy's Angels was voted Best Cleaning Service by Angie’s Lists in 2018 and was the most requested cleaning company by Yelp in 2019. Amy's mission is to help women achieve their financial goals by establishing empowerment through cleaning.

Amy Mikhaiel

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

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Fill an oven-safe bowl with white vinegar and place it in the oven. Then, run the self-clean setting, or turn the oven to the lowest setting for 20 minutes. The white vinegar will absorb any bad odors.