Grease that won’t budge. Oven glass that turns smoky after every roast. You scrub, your shoulders ache, and still the streaks grin back. **Stop scrubbing.** There’s a quiet trick, hiding in the baking drawer, that costs about 60p and works while you sleep. No burners on. No fumes. Just time doing the heavy lifting.
07pm, a weekday that already felt too long. A tray of sausages had snapped and spat, searing fat into the oven door like amber. I grabbed the scourer. Paused. Then remembered the little cardboard tub I buy for banana bread and almost never finish.
We’ve all had that moment when the mess looks bigger than your energy. I shook a snow of white over the warm interior, mixed a quick paste, and shut the door. The kitchen went quiet. The house did too.
By morning the brown had turned soft, like a peel-off mask for metal. One wipe, and the glass flashed back at me. The trick cost 60p.
The 60p staple hiding in plain sight
That humble tub is bicarbonate of soda. Not baking powder, not a fancy gel, just the pure alkali most UK supermarkets sell from around 60p. It doesn’t smell of pine or promise miracles in neon. It sits there, unshowy, until you give it the one thing it needs more than elbow grease: time.
Left overnight on baked-on grease, it loosens the bond between burnt fat and the enamel beneath. In the morning, the grime gives up without a fight. **Bicarbonate of soda is the quiet hero of night-shift cleaning.**
I first clocked it as a cake ingredient and a fridge deodoriser. Then it started popping up in friends’ kitchens, on cleaning forums, in group chats after Sunday roast disasters. No splashy stats here—just the same small story repeating: sprinkle, paste, sleep, wipe. There’s a little thrill in that simplicity.
Here’s the calm logic at work. Grease is acidic; bicarb is a mild alkali. When you add a little water, it forms a paste that starts to break down those stubborn, polymerised oils. The grains give gentle abrasion, but the key is the chemical nudge plus moisture over hours.
Warmth helps the reaction along, so a slightly warm (not hot) oven is a friend. The paste clings, the overnight wait softens, and capillary action lifts the film from glass and enamel. No drama. No clouds of spray. Just patience in a bowl.
If you want even more oomph, a light mist of white vinegar over the dried paste creates a fizz that carries loosened residue away. Think of it as a slow-release clean, not a sprint. The paste does what frantic scrubbing can’t: it stays put and keeps working while you don’t.
Do it tonight: the five-minute set-up
Turn the oven off and let it cool to just warm—comfortably touchable. Mix 4–6 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda with warm water to a yoghurt-thick paste. Spread it with a spatula or gloved fingers across the glass and enamel, avoiding heating elements and vents.
For heavy build-up, sprinkle extra dry bicarb on top. Optional: mist lightly with white vinegar for a gentle fizz. Close the door and leave it overnight. **You go to bed; the paste does the graft.** Set it up in under five minutes, then leave the kitchen to get on with your evening.
Morning comes. Wipe with a damp microfibre cloth, rinsing often. Stubborn corners? Loosen with a plastic scraper or an old bank card, then wipe again. Finish with a clean, hot cloth to lift the last film and bring back that showroom gleam.
Common snags and how to dodge them. Don’t flood the door seals or soak the fan area; you want paste, not puddles. If your racks are gunky, take them out and paste them in the sink overnight, or soak in hot water with a scoop of bicarb and a squeeze of washing-up liquid.
Avoid bare aluminium trays—the alkali can darken the metal—stick to enamel, glass and stainless steel. Keep kids and pets out of the kitchen while the paste is on. Let’s be honest: nobody actually does this every day. Aim for after a messy roast or once a month-ish, and call it a win.
Skip the bleach combo. Bleach is for other days, other jobs. Here, time and a mild alkali are enough. If your oven has a self-clean cycle, this trick still helps for the glass between deeper cleans, with less heat and faff.
“It felt like cheating—like waking up to a favour I forgot I asked for.”
- What to use: Bicarbonate of soda, warm water, microfibre cloth, optional white vinegar, gloves.
- Where it shines: Oven glass, enamel sides, stainless racks (removed), door creases with a soft brush.
- What to skip: Bare aluminium pans, hot elements, mixing with bleach or strong acids.
- Quick reset: A second light paste after the first wipe brings up a gleam on heavy grime.
From mess to ritual
This isn’t a miracle so much as a tiny change of pace. Five minutes at night, a quiet kitchen, and the permission to let chemistry do the slog. You’ll wake to a small lift—a clear window onto last night’s roast potatoes without the blur of regret. That’s the kind of everyday magic people pass along at school gates and over coffee. And it spreads, because it’s cheap, kind to your wrists, and oddly satisfying. Share the trick with the mate who jokes about their “oven of doom”. Watch their shoulders drop when the glass turns clear again. A calmer home, one soft wipe at a time.
| Key Point | Detail | Interest for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| The staple | Bicarbonate of soda, widely available in UK supermarkets from around 60p | Affordable, easy to find, no special brand hunting |
| Overnight method | Warm oven, spread paste, leave overnight, wipe clean in the morning | Saves effort and time, works while you sleep |
| Safety and surfaces | Best on glass, enamel, stainless; avoid bare aluminium; don’t mix with bleach | Protects your kit and keeps cleaning low-risk |
FAQ :
- Is the 60p staple just baking soda?Yes. In the UK it’s sold as bicarbonate of soda. It’s not baking powder, which has extra acids and fillers.
- Will it scratch my oven glass?Used as a soft paste with a microfibre cloth, it’s gentle. Don’t scrub dry; keep it damp and let time do the work.
- Can I add vinegar for more power?Lightly misting vinegar over the dried paste creates a fizz that helps lift residue. Go easy—too much liquid turns paste to soup.
- Does this work on self-cleaning ovens?Yes for the glass and spots the cycle misses. Use the paste between deep cleans to keep things sane.
- How often should I do it?After messy meals or roughly once a month. Repeat on very stubborn build-up. There’s no judgement, only progress.
