How to clean a self cleaning oven glass door

Q: There is a grungy coating on the inside of my oven door — brown, streaky, raised lines on the glass facing the oven. It's a glass-top Whirlpool range (model WFE710H0AS) installed in 2013. I've tried to be careful with the cleaning products I've used, and nothing has worked. The cleaning instructions in the user manual don't say anything about the inside of the oven door. How do I remove this crud?

Table of Contents Show

Cleaning Oven Glass Tutorial
Items Needed:
Directions for getting oven glass clean:
Cleaning Between Oven Glass Layers
Cleaning inside the oven door
Get Organized!
Reader Interactions
How do I get my oven glass clear again?
How do you clean an oven that is self
How do you clean a self

Northwest Washington

A: Your model is discontinued, as might be expected, given its age. But some appliance-sales websites still list it as a way of directing potential shoppers to current models that are similar. And the manual for your range is available online.

These indicate that your range has a self-cleaning feature that Whirlpool calls AquaLift technology — a capability to use steam to help dislodge stubborn spatters. The recommended steps: Pour two cups of water onto the bottom of the oven, close the door and start the 40-minute clean cycle. When the machine beeps at the end of the cleaning and cool-down cycle, immediately open the door and wipe down loosened soils with a sponge or dry cloth.

Whirlpool’s website says the process works because a coating on the oven activates with water and heat, allowing cleaning at a lower temperature than typical self-cleaning cycles, which can go up to 800 degrees. But Katie Sadler, kitchen brand manager for Whirlpool, said the process is intended to clean the oven cavity, where the finish has the coating, not the glass, which is not coated. And people should clean as soon as possible after spills or spatters develop, she said.

Online, you can find reviews from grumpy customers who say the procedure doesn’t clean ovens that are really spattered. There is even mention of a class-action lawsuit.

The manual for your model warns against using commercial oven cleaners or metal scouring pads for fear of damaging the porcelain surfaces on the oven interior.

What’s left? Sadler recommends mixing a paste of baking soda and water, then smearing it on in a thick layer and leaving it for 20 minutes to work on softening the deposits. Scrape off the softened crud with a plastic scraper, and wipe the glass down with white vinegar to neutralize any remaining baking soda. You may need to repeat this process several times. Whirlpool’s Affresh Cooktop Cleaning Kit ($12.21 on Amazon) includes a scraper, or you can use a scraper sold for cleaning pots, such as the 2½ -by-2½ -inch nylon scrapers from webstaurantstore.com ($2.59 for a pair).

If the glass still isn’t clean, you might want to scrape the glass with a razor blade, just as you would clean a stubborn spill on a glass cooktop. Use a single-edge blade, secured in a holder if you have one. Dampen the glass first, and make successive, slightly overlapping passes across the glass. Keep the blade at a low angle, and avoid tipping the blade sideways, which could cause a corner of the metal to dig in and scratch the glass.

If you don’t want to try this or can’t get the glass clean, hiring a professional cleaner might be an option. But ask questions first to ensure you will get something you haven’t already tried. For example, Spekless Cleaning (571-882-2712; spekless.com) tackles ovens as part of what it calls targeted cleaning. For $50 an hour with a minimum of two hours for two people (so $200 to start), the crew will spray the oven with a glass cleaner, let it sit, then wipe the surfaces. If crud remains, they will tell you the rest is not removable. But that’s it. They don’t scrape or use abrasives. You are free, though, to ask the team to clean other items during that two-hour window.

A final option, perhaps one to hold in reserve if you do scratch the glass, is to replace the inside piece of glass on the door. The website appliancepartspros.com lists part AP6019100 for your range ($117.49). You could hire an appliance-repair person to make the switch, or you could probably do it yourself with guidance from YouTube videos. Search for an appropriate tutorial by doing a Web search for “inner glass replacement on Whirlpool oven door.”

Or you could just live with the scratches, which surely would be less noticeable than the spatters are now. Scratched glass on an oven door is not a safety hazard, Sadler said.

Last updated: Aug 24, 2022 by ·

Finally, get your oven sparkling clean with this step by step tutorial for how to clean oven glass, including those stubborn interior stains!

You know those nagging to-do list things that never seem to get done? Motivating to clean oven glass has always been one of those things for me. We just moved into our home six months ago so my glass wasn't too bad but it was bad enough that I noticed it every time I opened the oven (and I may or may not have hung multiple tea towels on the handle to cover it up from the outside!)

Because this is one of the cleaning questions I get asked the most I wanted to share my full step by step tutorial showing how to clean oven glass with you today.

Cleaning Oven Glass Tutorial

For tackling the entire oven, see this tutorial on how to clean your oven.

Items Needed:

white vinegar or other glass cleaner
½ cup baking soda
scouring pad
paper towel

Directions for getting oven glass clean:

Spray outside glass with vinegar and wipe down with paper towels.
Clean inside of the oven glass with a scouring pad using the "hack" below.
Sprinkle inside oven glass liberally with baking soda.
Use a damp scouring pad to create a paste and rub into the oven glass.
Leave the paste up to twenty minutes to allow dirt to loosen.
Wipe oven glass with a damp paper towel to remove paste.

Here is what I was working with (don't judge!)

I held the tea towel behind it so that you could see the grime. Pretty gross, right? I wiped down the exterior with white vinegar and that surface came clean easily. Next, I wanted to clean the interior of the glass-this is one that challenges a lot of people. There are two ways you could go about it depending on your commitment level.

Cleaning Between Oven Glass Layers

Option 1: First, you'll see screws on the inside of the door-depending on the brand of oven you may need a special tool to open it which you can easily find at any hardware store. I recommend taking a picture of your screw and showing them at the store so they can direct you to the proper tool-I've seen star-shaped screws, square, etc.

*Update 2018-a reader comment below mentioned someone breaking their oven glass trying to remove it with the screw method, so I recommend trying the hack method first if possible to avoid undue risk!*

Option 2 (preferred): If you don't want to go through the trouble of opening it or if you're like me and your interior glass isn't terribly dirty you can go the "hack" route. Open the bottom drawer of your oven and feel along the bottom edge-there are openings along there.

Using a long wooden skewer-attach a scouring pad, wet rag, or sponge to the end and stick it up in there to clean it out. I used a damp natural scouring pad and it worked fine, but as I said I just moved into my home 6 months ago and mine was not very dirty.

Be careful if you do this method with a metal coat hanger, I've seen tutorials with them online that seem like they could easily scratch your glass if you aren't careful.

Cleaning inside the oven door

Next onto the interior of the oven door-this is where the worst of the gunk is baked on. But that's okay because we have the best cleaner out there-baking soda! Sprinkle liberally across the glass.

Use a wet scouring pad to create a paste and scrub the glass thoroughly-this takes a little elbow grease but I prefer that to stinky chemicals any day! If your oven glass is very dirty you can leave the paste on the door for twenty minutes. This will allow it time to work it's magic!

Finally, wipe the door clean with damp paper towels. Voila! A clean oven door!

See the difference?? (I held the towel under it again to see the contrast with the picture at the top of the post.)

before
after

That's it-you're all done. It only took me about 10 minutes from start to finish and makes a world of difference in the glass!

Now you can brag to all your friends that you know how to clean between oven glass! You're a cleaning superstar!

You might also like these cleaning tips:

Clean and Prevent Fingerprints on Stainless Steel
How to Fake a Clean Home in 10 Minutes
Clean Your Whole House in One Hour

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Reader Interactions

How do I get my oven glass clear again?

Instructions.

Pour hot water all over your oven glass..

Sprinkle baking soda until it's all coated. ... .

Form a ball with tin foil and scrub in circular motions for 1-2 minutes..

Use a damp paper towel and wipe off the excess..

Baking soda streaks will start to show so wipe it again with water..

How do you clean an oven that is self

Basic Instructions for Self-cleaning Ovens.

Remove all pans and foil from inside the oven before you clean. ... .

Clean up as much baked-on food or grease as you can easily remove. ... .

Lock the oven door. ... .

Time the cleaning using the controls provided. ... .

Let the oven cool after the cleaning cycle..

How do you clean a self

Make a paste with baking soda and water and coat the oven. I leave mine overnight. The next evening (I clean after work!) I'll wipe out as much of the dried paste as possible and then use water to wipe out more.