Keeping your oven clean is important for both hygienic reasons and also to allow it to operate efficiently. Over time, spatters, drips, and spills can bake onto the interior surfaces leading to a buildup of grease and grime that is difficult to remove. Using a good oven cleaner regularly can help prevent this buildup and keep your oven sparkling.

One of the most popular and effective oven cleaners is Comet cleaner. Comet is an abrasive cleaner that uses chlorine bleach and other cleaning agents to cut through tough baked-on messes. When used properly, it can make cleaning the oven a much easier task. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Comet to clean your dirty oven.

Gather Your Supplies

Before getting started, make sure you have the following supplies ready:

  • Comet powder cleaner or Comet spray gel
  • Steel wool pads
  • Old cloths or paper towels
  • Rubber gloves to protect your hands
  • Eye protection like goggles (Comet products can irritate eyes)

You’ll also want to check if Comet is safe to use on your oven by checking the oven manual. Generally Comet is oven-safe, but it’s always best to verify.

Prepare Your Oven

Start by removing everything from your oven including racks, trays, foil, etc. It’s easiest to clean the oven when it’s completely empty.

Next, give the oven racks and trays a wash separately in the sink using dish soap and steel wool. For especially grimy racks, let them soak for a while in hot water before scrubbing.

Finally, make sure the oven and door have been given plenty of time to cool completely before cleaning. Attempting to clean a warm oven increases the risk of burns and breathing in unpleasant fumes.

Apply the Comet Cleaner

If using Comet spray gel, apply it directly onto the oven surfaces you want to clean following the product directions. Pay special attention to any stubborn baked-on stains.

If you are using the Comet powder, sprinkle it generously on the dirty areas of your oven. You can use either a dry or slightly damp cloth or paper towel to lightly spread and work the powder onto the grime and residue.

Let It Soak

Once you have applied Comet onto all the problem areas, allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes. For ovens that haven’t been cleaned in a long time, letting it soak overnight is best. This gives the powerful cleansing agents time to penetrate and break down the messes.

Scrub Away the Grime

After letting it soak, grab your steel wool pad and start scrubbing! Apply firm pressure as you scrub to remove all visible stains and residue. The gritty texture of the Comet combined with the abrasive scrubbing motion of the steel wool will slough off the grime with ease compared to using abrasives alone.

Make sure to get into crevices around the oven door seals and hinges where gunk loves to accumulate. Use dampened cloths for hard-to-reach spots. Thorough scrubbing is key to eliminating streaks and ensuring your oven comes out clean!

Rinse Your Oven

When satisfied with the scrubbing job, take a clean damp cloth or paper towels and give all the interior oven surfaces a thorough wipe down. This will remove any Comet cleaner residue and dissolve any remaining loosened food debris.

If there is still residual staining or there are spots you missed, do another quick scrub with Comet on those areas before rinsing again. Your oven should then be left shiny and spotless!

Dry Your Oven

Finally, take some fresh dry cloths and wipe out all moisture left over in your oven. It’s important not to leave standing water or dampness anywhere. Afterwards, replace the racks and other accessories. You can run the oven empty at a low temp (200 F) for 20 minutes to completely dry it out and evaporate any lingering moisture.

And that’s it! By using Comet cleaner to regularly clean and de-grime your oven, you’ll save time on intensive deep cleans in the long run. No more dreading having to scrub a messy oven when Comet powerful formula cuts through all that burnt-on gunk with ease!