How to clean the oven door seal in 5 minutes

You can buy the most elegant home appliance, made with metal only found in a cave in northern Asia, that kind of household appliance only CEOs from large corporations who change the names of—ehem—some Social Media platforms have at home… but you need to follow some steps to maintain them in the best conditions, anyway. When it comes to ovens, every time we use them we probably leave some food and other residues in places we can’t see, which can cause them to work less efficiently. One of those unexpected places is the seal (or gasket) around the door. So, here’s how to clean the oven seal so it works like the very first day. Well, almost—because let’s be honest, you don’t work with the same energy as you did on your first day at work either, but you’re still doing fine!

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Why Is It Necessary to Keep the Oven Seal Clean?

We often neglect basic maintenance for household appliances, including cleaning. In the case of ovens, dirt that accumulates on the seal between the oven and the door causes some failures, reducing the appliance’s lifespan. Moreover, keeping the seal clean is essential for hygiene when preparing meals, as residue build-up can lead to unpleasant odours and food contamination. If the oven seal isn’t clean, you may find issues like these:

• Heat insulation failure: The oven’s heat escapes, leading to unnecessary energy consumption.
• Inaccurate oven temperature: Heat leakage prevents the oven from maintaining the desired temperature as it no longer seals properly.
• Unhygienic cooking conditions: Last Christmas’s roast lamb’s residue might still lurking there in August.

Oven Self-Cleaning: How far does this feature go?

The self-cleaning function available in some oven models offer an efficient and effective way to keep your oven in excellent condition. These systems can use heat-based methods, such as pyrolysis, or lower-temperature water-based processes like Hydroclean®. This approach provides a more professional and quicker cleaning than standard methods and, yes, it requires much less effort—press a button and wipe it down with a cloth. If you’re not familiar with these systems, we explain how Teka ovens work with both pyrolysis—click here—and the exclusive Hydroclean® system.

Both systems focus on keeping the inside of the oven clean. If we talk about external elements like the doors—great music band, by the way—, you can maintain them in great condition—almost as good as new—with regular periodic cleaning. Find in these links guides about how to remove the doors and glass panels from our ovens for simpler cleaning in just a few minutes.

Steps to Clean the Oven Seal

This is a simple process and maintenance task that should be done depending on how often you use your oven and the type of cooking you do. For example, a steam oven will accumulate less grease overall compared to other types of cooking methods. In any case, you don’t need any specialised products to clean the oven seal, just common cleaning items you likely already have at home.

What do you need:

• A clean cloth or rag.
• Neutral soap or the dishwashing liquid you normally use. It can be liquid or bar soap. Do NOT use abrasive products.
• A container for water to dampen the cloth.
• A clean cloth to dry.

Steps to Follow

1. The first and most important step: the oven must be turned off—unplugged, better—and completely cold before you start cleaning. Once that’s done:
2. Mix the soap with water in a container.
3. Dampen the cloth or rag and wring it out—if you’re using bar soap, wet the cloth first and then rub it on the soap. You won’t need much product.
4. Gently wipe the damp, soapy cloth over all the external and internal edges of the seal. Ensure you reach all the corners without over-stretching the seal.
5. For a thorough rinse, use a damp cloth to wipe away any remaining residue, including soap.
6. Finally, a dry cloth is used to clean the entire surface of the seal.
7. A couple of useful tips:
8. Warm water helps remove dirt more effectively.

Remove the oven glass if it makes the job easier. Generally, it’s not necessary to remove any components to clean the seal, but it might help in your case.

Performing small maintenance tasks like cleaning the oven seal will allow you to enjoy your appliance in excellent condition for a longer time. Additionally, remember that it’s possible to replace the seal when worn, further extending the life of your oven—but we’ll cover that in another blog post.