Specialist oven cleaners outperform vinegar on stubborn grease

A household comparison of cleaning methods found that specialist oven cleaners are significantly more effective than white vinegar for removing stubborn, baked-on grease and food residue.

In a test involving three products—Oven Pride Complete Oven Cleaner, Elbow Grease Oven Cleaner, and diluted white vinegar—Oven Pride delivered the best performance. The product, priced at £3.45, quickly loosened dirt on oven glass and interiors, requiring less physical effort to remove heavy buildup.

Elbow Grease, costing £2, performed better than vinegar but left some baked-on grease behind even after scrubbing. Diluted white vinegar was found to be the least effective for deep cleaning, removing only a small amount of grease and leaving older stains intact. The results suggest vinegar is better suited for routine maintenance rather than intensive cleaning of long-term residue.