Anyone in charge of their household chores knows how we’re always looking for ways to clean more efficiently and easily.
Whether it’s adding vinegar to the laundry or fixing tarnished silverware with aluminium foil, we love a good cleaning hack.
So here’s one more for your arsenal: cleaning the oven with dishwasher tablets!
How does it work? Dip a dishwasher tablet in some warm water so it’s just moist, then use it to scrub your oven – from the interior to the door. To clean oven racks or trays, soak them in hot water with dissolved dishwasher tablets.
This hack is great since it minimises the supplies and effort needed to clean your oven. That takes a load off your plate – and keeps your kitchen dish-tinctly clean.
Why Put a Dishwasher Tablet in Your Oven?
When cleaning an oven, there are several solutions people turn to, from baking soda to oven cleaner.
But there’s a new oven cleaning hack – a dishwasher tablet.
There are a few variations of this hack floating around, from heating a dishwashing tablet in an oven-proof dish to using the tablet as a scrubber.
The idea is that using tablets makes the cleaning process easier and more efficient, since you use fewer supplies (and ideally, less effort).
Can You Use a Dishwasher Tablet to Clean Your Oven?
Yes, you can! Dishwasher tablets are typically made of concentrated dishwasher detergent or similar cleaning ingredients.
The built-in cleaning properties remove grease and food grime from your dishes – so they should be able to cut through grease, baked-on food, and other residue in your oven.
It’s important to use pressed powder tablets to clean your oven interior and doors. The mildly abrasive quality can scrub away stubborn stains and oven grease – with minimal effort, according to the internet.
Finish Powerball Dishwasher Tablets are a popular online choice, but you can also use the plant-based, phosphate-free Ecostore Dish Tabs.
For cleaning oven racks, you can use other types besides pressed powder, such as Finish Quantum Dishwashing Tablets or Dropps UltraWash Dishwasher Pods.
Pros and Cons of Using Dishwasher Tablets for Oven Cleaning
Like all cleaning solutions, there are pros and cons to using a dishwashing tablet to clean your oven. Many people online swear by this cleaning method, but weigh it up for yourself.
However, if you want to use very minimal effort… just get a professional house cleaner to tackle your oven and the rest of your kitchen for you!
Advantages of using a dishwasher tablet
Dishwashing tablets are inexpensive, and if you already use them in your home, they’re cost-efficient!
You’re also exposed to less fumes and chemicals, since many commercial oven cleaners are aerosolised.
Plus, the hard powder tablets are just abrasive enough to remove baked-on food and tackle grease without scratching the oven’s interior surfaces or glass.
That makes them a great alternative for “tougher” solutions like a steel wool pad.
Disadvantages of using a dishwasher tablet
Depending on how dirty your oven is, this may not be the most effective cleaning method. The tablets are made for dishes, not ovens, so they might crack or crumble with forceful scrubbing or stubborn debris.
They may also leave a residue in the oven if you don’t rinse the surfaces completely, which can transfer to your food.
Moreover, the ingredients aren’t formulated for your oven – so check your owner’s manual for any restrictions, or test this cleaning trick on an inconspicuous spot first.
And of course, you may not want to use your dishwasher tablets for an oven! There are other solutions already in your home – such as baking soda or white vinegar – that are just as effective.
Then you can save your dishwasher tablets for their official purpose: washing the dishes.
How to Clean an Oven with a Dishwasher Tablet
There are two main ingredients to this oven cleaning hack: dishwasher tablets and warm water.
As a precaution, wear rubber gloves while working, especially if you have sensitive skin.
Dip the dishwasher tablet in warm water – just enough to dampen it! You don’t want it to start crumbling or this hack won’t work.
Then, keeping the tablet flat against the surface, use it to scrub inside your oven. Work in circular motions, paying extra attention to any food stains. Try not to use too much pressure or you could break the tablet.
If the tablet starts drying out, give it another quick dip in the water.
Once you’ve finished scrubbing your oven’s interior, wipe away the residue with a damp cloth. Then use a fresh cloth to dry your oven thoroughly.
How to Clean an Oven Door with a Dishwasher Tablet
Dishwasher tablets work to clean an oven door as well – just make sure you keep them consistently moist! If the tablet dries out, it can scratch the glass door.
Use the same process as the interior: dip a dishwasher tablet in some warm water. Keep the tablet flat as you scrub the oven window and surrounding metal.
Pay extra attention to any stuck-on stains and grease. If the oven glass is removable, slide the panes out so you can clean in between them.
Rinse the oven door with a wet cloth, then dry the glass thoroughly.
How to Clean Oven Racks with a Dishwasher Tablet
Cleaning oven trays and racks can be one of those chores you’d rather avoid if possible. The go-to solution is soaking them in hot water and vinegar, but a dishwasher tablet will also do the trick!
This method will work for both oven trays and the more fiddly oven racks.
To start cleaning oven trays with a dishwasher tablet, fill a sink, tub, or other large container with hot water – you want to be able to submerge the oven racks.
Dissolve 1-2 dishwasher tablets, then dunk the racks or trays. You can add half a cup of vinegar for extra cleaning oomph.
Soak the racks or trays for at least 2 hours – or overnight, if they’re particularly dirty. Take them out, then use a non-abrasive sponge or cleaning pad to scrub off any grease, food, and other gunk.
For extra-stubborn stains or grime, you can use the same trick with pressed-powder tablets – but it may be a bit difficult on the grills of a rack!
What NOT to Do When Cleaning Oven with Dishwasher Tablets
Never use the dishwasher tablet hack on a self-cleaning oven unless you do not plan to use the self-cleaning feature. The tablet’s ingredients might interfere with the internal mechanisms.
One variation of this hack involves putting a dishwasher tablet or two in an oven-proof dish with water, then turning up the heat to 100ºC (212ºF). It’s similar to the trick of heating a bowl of vinegar in a microwave to clean it.
This method is not recommended, though. Most dishwashers use hot water that’s at most 60ºC (140ºF). The excessive heat of 100ºC could scorch the dishwasher tablets or cause them to release harmful fumes.
Moreover, the steam released from this process would be ineffective at tackling baked-on grease and food. At most, this method would loosen surface-level residue, so you’d still need to do a lot of scrubbing to fully clean your oven.
Dish-cover Ways to Make Oven Cleaning More Efficient
The humble dishwasher tablet is a hidden powerhouse when it comes to cleaning, taking on ovens, rubbish bins, and even your toilet (or so the internet says).
Next time you’ve roasted a chicken or made a greasy mess in your oven, try reaching for a dish tablet to clean things up.
If it works for you, you’ve just found a cost-effective and efficient way to clean your oven – just save some for the dishes, too!
