5 Signs Your Oven Needs a Professional Clean

Most people don't wake up one morning and decide it's time to have their oven cleaned. Usually, it's the oven that starts dropping hints.

Maybe it's smoking every time you turn it on. Perhaps there's a burning smell that wasn't there before. Or maybe you've stopped being able to see your food through the oven door.

If any of that sounds familiar, your oven is probably overdue a professional clean. Here are five of the biggest signs to look out for.

1. Your Oven Smokes When You Open the Door

A little steam from your dinner is perfectly normal. Smoke isn't.

If smoke or a hazy cloud escapes when you open the oven door, it's usually caused by baked on grease and food residue burning inside the oven.

Grease splashes on the roof, sides and base of the oven become carbon over time. Every time you heat the oven, that residue burns a little more, creating smoke and unpleasant smells.

Not only is it annoying, it can also set off your smoke alarm just as you're trying to get dinner on the table.

2. There's a Burning Smell Every Time You Cook

If your food smells fine but your oven doesn't, there's a good chance grease is the problem.

Old food residue and grease continue to burn every time the oven heats up. Over time, that can create a persistent burnt smell that fills your kitchen and, in some cases, can even affect the flavour of your food.

If everything seems to have a faint burnt taste, even when you're following the recipe, your oven may be the culprit rather than your cooking.

3. You Can See Grease and Carbon Build Up

Sometimes the signs are impossible to miss.

Take a look inside your oven. Can you see dark brown or black deposits on the walls? Greasy splashes on the roof? A layer of burnt on residue around the fan or heating element?

Now look at the glass door.

If it's difficult to see your food while it's cooking, or there's a cloudy brown haze between the glass panels, your oven is telling you it needs some attention.

At MINT, we dismantle the door where possible so we can clean between the glass panels, something that's almost impossible to do at home.

4. Food Isn't Cooking Like It Used To

If you've noticed meals taking longer to cook or browning unevenly, don't automatically blame the oven itself.

Heavy grease and carbon build up can interfere with how heat circulates around the oven cavity, making it work less efficiently.

While a dirty oven isn't always the cause of uneven cooking, it's certainly one of the first things worth checking before assuming there's a mechanical fault.

5. You Can't Remember the Last Time It Was Cleaned

This is probably the biggest clue of all.

If someone asked when your oven was last professionally cleaned and your answer was:

"I've no idea."

"...or maybe never."

Then it's probably time.

For most households, we recommend a professional oven clean every six to twelve months, depending on how often you cook.

Regular cleaning helps prevent heavy carbon build up, keeps your oven looking its best and makes it a much nicer place to cook.

Why Choose a Professional Oven Clean?

Household oven cleaners can help with light maintenance, but they're rarely able to tackle years of baked on grease and carbon.

At MINT, we remove shelves, racks and removable parts before cleaning them in our specialist dip tank. We also clean areas that are difficult to reach at home, including between the oven door glass where possible.

The result is an oven that not only looks fantastic but is a pleasure to cook with again.

If you'd like to see everything that's included, take a look at our services and pricing.

Recognise Two or More of These Signs?

If your oven is smoking, smelling or simply looking worse for wear, we'd love to help.

Book your oven clean online in just a couple of minutes and we'll take care of the dirty work.

We cover homes across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, with prices starting from £65 for a single oven.