How to Clean an Oven (2026): OTG, Convection Microwave or Built-In
Oven cleaning split by the oven you own, taken from each maker’s own manual, with the points where those manuals contradict each other.
Glen 35 L OTG SA5035BLRCMulti-function OTG, 2100W, oven toaster griller₹6,600Amazon, 8 Nov 2026★ 4.0Check price ↗
AGARO Marvel 48 L OTGOven toaster griller, motorised rotisserie₹7,000Amazon, 8 Nov 2026★ 3.8Check price ↗
LG 28 L Convection Microwave MC2846BVConvection microwave oven, Health Plus menu₹14,000Amazon, 8 Nov 2026★ 4.3Check price ↗
IFB 30 L Convection Microwave 30BRC2Convection microwave oven, 360 degree motorized rotisserie₹16,500Amazon, 8 Nov 2026★ 4.4Check price ↗The short answer. For routine cleaning, the manuals we read come down to a damp cloth and soap where needed. Past that, they split by oven type. Bosch’s manual for its HBF011BA1I built-in oven allows steel wool on heavily soiled areas and oven cleaner on the enamel once it is cold, though another page of the same manual says not to use hard scouring pads. The Prestige and Usha OTG manuals forbid metal scouring pads inside, and none of the 4 OTG manuals we read mentions oven cleaner or vinegar. Even first use differs: Bosch says run the HBF011BA1I for 1 hour at maximum, while Prestige’s OTG manual says wash the accessories and start cooking. Follow the manual for your model, not a general guide.
What we read, all accessed 30 September 2026:
- OTG manuals (4): Prestige POTG (the manual attached to the POTG 9 PC and POTG 19 PCR listings), Morphy Richards 60 RCSS, Usha OTGW (covers the 3619R, 3629R, 3635RC and 3642RCSS), Agaro Marvel 48L.
- Built-in oven documents: Bosch HBF011BA1I manual and spec sheet, IFB 656 ETC manual, IFB 656 MTC1 manual, a Bosch India support page on oven doors.
- Convection microwave: Samsung MC28A5013AK manual, plus the microwave sources named in that section.
Which oven do you have?
- OTG (oven toaster grill): a countertop oven. The four OTG manuals above apply.
- Convection microwave: a microwave with a convection (baking) mode. Skip to the convection microwave section.
- Built-in oven: fitted into kitchen cabinetry. The Bosch and IFB lines apply only to the models named.
Not sure which you have? See the difference between an OTG and an oven, and if you are still choosing, air fryer vs OTG.
First use: the burn-off run, maker by maker
A new oven can smoke or smell on first heating. Makers disagree on what to do about it, so never use one maker’s figure for another maker’s oven.
| Oven (type) | What the manual says to do before first use |
|---|---|
| Morphy Richards 60 RCSS (OTG) | Heat it for 10 minutes at 230 °C on the toast/convection setting; “A slight smell may be emitted.” |
| Usha OTGW (OTG) | “heat the empty oven and leave the door open for at least ten minutes” |
| Agaro Marvel 48L (OTG) | No run given. Light smoke on first use is normal; “After 5-10 minutes the smoke will disappear automatically.” |
| Prestige POTG (OTG) | No run given. Wash racks and pans “in hot soapy water or in dishwasher”, dry, reassemble, and “you are ready to use your OTG” |
| Bosch HBF011BA1I (built-in) | Top/bottom heating, temperature maximum, 1 hour. “Ventilate the room while the appliance is heating.” |
| IFB 656 ETC (built-in) | 250 °C for 45 minutes, with no trays inside |
Two of the four OTG manuals give a burn-off run and two do not, so there is no OTG-wide rule.
How to clean an oven step by step
Step 1: Switch off and let it cool
Prestige’s OTG manual: “Always unplug OTG and allow it to cool before cleaning”. The one exception in what we read is under “Hot or cold?” below.
Step 2: Racks, trays and the crumb tray
| Oven (type) | Accessories: what the manual says |
|---|---|
| Prestige POTG (OTG) | “Wash all accessories in warm soapy water or in a dishwasher.” Lift the grill rack and baking tray out with the Tray Handle, “as they might be hot and greasy”. No steel wool or abrasive cleaner on the drip pan, “as it may damage the enamel finish” |
| Usha OTGW (OTG) | “Wire rack and baking tray are dishwasher safe.” If heavily soiled, soak in warm soapy water or use a nylon scouring pad or nylon brush. Do not put trays in water immediately after cooking: “This may cause damage or breakage.” |
| Morphy Richards 60 RCSS (OTG) | “Removable wire rack, baking tray, crumb tray can be washed, as normal kitchenware.” For stuck food: a thick paste of washing powder and a little water, left for a while, then a sponge or nylon scrubber |
| Bosch HBF011BA1I (built-in) | Hot soapy water or oven cleaner; soak heavy soiling “and use a brush or steel wool.” “Enamelled accessories are dishwasher-safe.” |
Foil: Prestige’s OTG manual says “Do not cover the CRUMB TRAY or any part of the oven with metal foil. This may cause overheating of the oven.” IFB’s 656 ETC built-in manual says not to cover the grill pan with aluminium foil, calling it a fire hazard. The other 3 OTG manuals we read do not mention foil. For less mess, IFB’s 656 ETC manual suggests some water in the tray under the grill.
Step 3: Interior walls
- Prestige (OTG): “Wipe the walls of the OTG with damp sponge, cloth or nylon scouring pad and mild detergent”. No scraping with metal spoons.
- Usha (OTG): a damp cloth with mild liquid soap, then “Keep the oven door open to let it dry.” Clean acidic spills such as lemon juice promptly.
- Morphy Richards 60 RCSS (OTG): a moistened cloth, then a dry cloth.
- Agaro Marvel 48L (OTG): “All surfaces can be cleaned with a clean damp cloth”, then soap if stains remain.
- Bosch HBF011BA1I (built-in): for the enamelled compartment, hot soapy water, a “Vinegar solution”, or oven cleaner. The manual also names lemon juice for enamel residue.
- IFB 656 ETC (built-in): remove trays and grill, wipe with a soap-soaked cloth, then a damp cloth, then dry. “Do not use dry or powder cleaning agents.”
Step 4: Door glass
- Prestige (OTG): a clean damp sponge, then dry with a paper or cloth towel.
- Usha (OTG): “Never allow water to spill on the tempered glass door when it is still warm.”
- Bosch HBF011BA1I (built-in): hot soapy water; “Do not use a glass scraper or steel wool.” Door seal: “Do not remove or scrub.” Bosch India’s support page suggests “a standard glass cleaner/washing-up liquid and a soft cloth.”
- IFB 656 ETC (built-in): “Never drip water on and touch the glass when the oven is hot.” Use specialised glass cleaning agents.
Step 5: Dry before the next use
Prestige: “Dry all the parts and surfaces thoroughly prior to every use”.
Heating elements: do and don’t
None of the 4 OTG manuals we read tells you how to wipe or scrub the heating rods themselves. What they say is about keeping things off them. Usha: “Be sure that nothing touches the top or bottom elements of the oven during operation.” Morphy Richards warns not to touch the heating element when the OTG is in use and hot. Prestige warns that oversized foods or metal utensils “may lead to fire or risk of electric shock”.
Bosch’s HBF011BA1I manual goes further for its built-in oven: remove “the worst of the food residues and remnants from the cooking compartment, heating elements and accessories” before use, taking care not to touch the elements.
Scourers and oven cleaner: where the manuals conflict
This is the biggest split in what we read, and it follows oven type.
| Oven (type) | Scourers | Oven cleaner / chemicals |
|---|---|---|
| Bosch HBF011BA1I (built-in) | Allowed on heavy soiling: “use a brush or steel wool”; “a stainless steel spiral scourer” for stubborn interior residue. Not on door glass. The same manual also says “Do not use hard scouring pads or cleaning sponges.” | Allowed on enamel and accessories, cold only: “Do not use oven cleaner in the cooking compartment when it is still warm.” |
| Prestige POTG (OTG) | “Do not clean with metal scouring pads. Metal pieces can break off the pad and touch electrical parts causing a risk of electric shocks.” | No abrasive cleaners |
| Usha OTGW (OTG) | “Do not clean inside of the oven with metal scouring pads” | “Never use harsh abrasives or corrosive products to clean the interiors.” |
| Morphy Richards 60 RCSS (OTG) | Sponge or nylon scrubber on the tray | “Never use metal polish or coarse scouring agents for cleaning.” |
| Agaro Marvel 48L (OTG) | No sharp utensils | “Do not use abrasive cleaners or sharp utensils to clean the appliance” |
| IFB 656 MTC1 (built-in) | No “rough wire wool or hard tools” | No “caustic (corrosive) creams, abrasive cleaning powders” |
None of the 4 OTG manuals we read mentions oven cleaner. Oven cleaner is something Bosch permits for one built-in model, when cold, and Bosch gives the reason: “Using oven cleaner in a hot cooking compartment damages the enamel.”
Bosch and IFB built-in manuals also rule out steam cleaners. Bosch: “Do not use steam- or high-pressure cleaners to clean the appliance.” IFB 656 ETC: “Do not use a steam cleaning device with this appliance.” Bosch adds: “Never pour water into the cooking compartment when the cooking compartment is hot.”
Hot or cold? One IFB manual says both
IFB’s manual for the 656 MTC1 built-in oven says, on the same page, “The inside of enamelled ovens are best cleaned while the oven is warm.” and “WARNING: Switch off the appliance and allow it to cool before cleaning is to be carried out.”
The 4 OTG manuals we read all say cool first, and Bosch forbids oven cleaner in a warm compartment. Usha and IFB (656 ETC) both warn against water on warm or hot door glass. Outside that one IFB manual, cold is the instruction.
Self-clean and steam-clean programmes
- OTGs: none of the 4 OTG manuals we read describes a self-clean or steam-clean programme.
- Bosch HBF011BA1I (built-in): the spec sheet lists a “Hydrolytic” cleaning system. The manual’s “Cleaning aid”: add one drop of detergent to 0.4 l of water (not distilled), pour it onto the centre of the floor, set Bottom heating at 80 °C for four minutes, leave to cool for approx. 20 minutes, then wipe and dry.
- IFB 656 ETC and 656 MTC1 (built-in): no self-clean programme in the text we read.
Convection microwave ovens
Samsung’s MC28A5013AK manual: “Use a soft cloth in soapy water to clean both the inner and outer sides of the oven. Rinse and dry well.” To reach the top of the cavity, lower the top heating element by 45°, then put it back.
For stubborn grime the makers split. Samsung’s manual gives a cup of diluted lemon juice, 10 minutes at max power, in the empty oven. LG’s MC2846BG Steam Clean programme uses 300 ml of water with 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice. Bosch India’s support pages advise against both lemon juice and vinegar for microwaves, and say “Oven cleaner should not be used under any circumstances.” That Bosch advice covers microwaves only; its built-in oven manual lists a vinegar solution for enamel. The IFB 20SC2 and LG manuals both say not to remove the waveguide cover (the mica panel).
For everyday operation of a convection model, see how to use a microwave oven.
What we could not verify
- Wiping the heating rods: we searched the 4 OTG manuals and found no instruction for it.
- Oven cleaner and vinegar on an OTG: none of the 4 OTG manuals we read mentions either.
- Baking soda in an OTG or built-in oven: we could not source an oven maker’s instruction, so this page gives no method.
- Other brands: we could not access Elica or Faber built-in oven manuals or pages. We obtained a Wonderchef 60L OTG manual but did not read it (image-only), so nothing here applies to Wonderchef.
- Professional oven cleaning: this page gives no published price for it in any Indian city.
Buying a New OTG Oven? Start Here
The full comparison is in Best OTG Oven in India (2026): 13 Models Compared, the HomeVerdicts guide to OTG ovens. These are the first two products in that guide; the guide compares all of them.
Amazon India prices on 31 October 2026, rounded to the nearest ₹100 (prices change often). As an Amazon Associate, HomeVerdicts earns from qualifying purchases made through these links.
Glen SA5035BLRC 35L OTG
35 litre capacity, 2100 W
AGARO Marvel 9L OTG (item no. 33266)
9 litre capacity, 800 W
FAQ
What is the best way to clean the inside of your oven?
For an OTG, the manuals we read describe a damp cloth or sponge and soap for stains, with no abrasive cleaners and (Prestige, Usha) no metal scouring pads. For the Bosch HBF011BA1I built-in, hot soapy water, a vinegar solution, or oven cleaner when cold are all listed. Use your own model’s manual.
Can I clean my oven myself?
Yes. The OTG and built-in manuals quoted on this page give cleaning steps for owners. The limits are specific: no steam cleaners (Bosch, IFB), and Usha says “DO not immerse the oven in water or any other liquid”.
Is it better to clean the oven when it’s hot or cold?
Cold, in the manuals we read, with one exception: IFB’s 656 MTC1 manual says enamelled ovens are “best cleaned while the oven is warm” and, on the same page, to “allow it to cool before cleaning”. Never use oven cleaner in a warm Bosch HBF011BA1I.
Do baking soda and vinegar really clean ovens?
Vinegar: Bosch’s HBF011BA1I manual lists a vinegar solution for its enamelled interior and a vinegar-soaked cloth for limescale, while IFB’s 656 MTC1 manual says “Do not leave vinegar, coffee, milk, salt, water, lemon or tomato juice on the stainless steel for a long time.” None of the 4 OTG manuals we read mentions vinegar. Baking soda: we could not source an oven maker’s instruction. We do not suggest mixing cleaning agents.
Related reading on HomeVerdicts: Difference between OTG and oven · Best OTG oven in India · How to use a microwave oven
