Can You Really Clean Your Oven with a Pumice Stone?

An expert weighs in on whether this popular #CleanTok hack can help or hurt your appliance.

Recently, a viral #CleanTok trend caught our eye: Professional cleaners and ordinary homeowners alike have been taking to social media to show off their sparkling clean ovens, scrubbed with the small but powerful pumice stone. Otherwise known as a scouring stick, pumice stones have long been a popular callous remover, but they can be used for more than just the soles of your feet. They’re known to clean anything from fixtures and fabrics to tools and pools, so we decided to find out if the viral oven cleaning hack is worth trying.

We asked an appliance repair technician to reveal whether or not this method is effective and—more importantly—safe for your oven. Depending on your oven, you may want to skip this viral trend altogether. But don’t worry, we have alternative oven-cleaning solutions you can try instead. Here’s everything you need to know.

Related: How to Clean an Oven to Keep It Sparkling

How to Clean an Oven with a Pumice Stone

If you search for this hack on social media, you’ll find a variety of methods demonstrating how to use a pumice stone on ovens. Some creators, such as this one, simply use a pumice stone dipped in water to remove stuck-on gunk. Others, like this one with over 160K views, require a bit more elbow grease.

The latter explains that you should spray the oven interior with a solution of water, vinegar, and dish soap before wetting the pumice stone and scrubbing. The creator also uses a scraper on the glass prior to rubbing the stone and insists that it won’t scratch the surface. Not only that, but she also reminds viewers that the process is natural. The end result is a squeaky clean oven, but are there any risks involved with performing this hack regularly? We turned to the experts to find out.

Related: Can You Clean Your Oven with Lemons? What to Know About This Non-Toxic Method

Is It Safe to Use a Pumice Stone on Your Oven?

Despite plenty of social media claims that it won’t harm your oven’s finish, that might not be entirely true. According to Aaron Nichols, appliance expert for Frontdoor, trying this trend is not a smart idea. “While a pumice stone is excellent at removing baked-on, stubborn stains, it can permanently damage the internal porcelain or painted surface of your oven,” he says. Most ovens are made of porcelain, meaning yours is likely at risk. “Once that protective surface is damaged, exposure to heat will cause it to rust in no time,” Nichols says.

“While it may be safe to use once or twice, prolonged use would likely wear your oven liner thin, impacting the longevity of the oven,” he warns. A major appliance like an oven is a significant investment, so it’s best to do all that you can to avoid prematurely damaging it.

Nichols suggests checking your oven’s use and care manual. “If it advises against abrasive cleaners, which it likely does, pumice stones should not be used for cleaning,” he says. Not only do you run the risk of damaging the oven liner by trying this method, but you may inadvertently void the warranty.

Related: Should You Scrub Your Oven with Aluminum Foil? Cleaning Experts Say Yes

Alternative Oven Cleaning Methods

Fortunately, plenty of other natural, non-abrasive ways of cleaning the oven exist. One of them includes ammonia, a powerful ingredient for cutting grease. Nichols explains how to achieve an immaculate oven interior with this household staple.

Note that while ammonia is considered a natural cleaning product, it is also highly potent. It should always be used in a well-ventilated area and not in conjunction with bleach, as it will result in toxic fumes. “If you don’t want to deal with ammonia fumes, another effective oven-cleaning technique that won’t go against manufacturers’ recommendations is one that involves common household ingredients: Baking soda and vinegar,” he says.

“In conclusion, I recommend steering clear of using pumice stones to clean the inside of your oven,” Nichols says. “While they can work great to clean metal oven racks, using them on a painted surface will wear down the protective coating over time, shortening the life of your appliance.”

How to clean the oven with ammonia: Place a dish of water on the oven’s bottom rack and another with one cup of ammonia on the top shelf. Close the door and leave both inside overnight. In the morning, open the oven door and remove both dishes (but hold onto the ammonia). In the morning, open the oven door and remove both dishes (but hold onto the ammonia). While allowing the oven to air out, add a couple of teaspoons of dish soap and water to the bowl with the ammonia. Dip a heavy-duty scouring pad into the mixture and use it to clean the inside of the oven.

How to clean the oven with baking soda and vinegar: Sprinkle baking soda on the stained surfaces inside the oven, and then spray with a solution of water and white vinegar. Let it sit for fifteen to twenty minutes. Wipe any stains (and the baking soda) away with damp paper towels until the oven is spotless. For particularly tough splatters, apply a thick paste of baking soda and water and scrub them away with a non-abrasive sponge.

Related: The Best Methods to Cleaning Appliances, Step by Step

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