After preparing food in your oven, then comes the ugly cleaning part.
Most people do not enjoy cleaning their microwave oven because they find it tedious. That is probably because they aren’t aware of the what steps to go through.
Getting burned smell out of your oven might seem like a daunting task especially if it is being caused by some droplets of food that got into the oven and got burned into the crevices.
For this, the food has probably dried up on the vents and nooks and will need to be carefully removed. As such, it is important that you learn how to make your oven smell better or you will have to think multiple times before opening to that horrendous odor.
Simply put, to make the oven smell better you need to investigate what is causing the bad odor and eliminate the cause. Once the cause is eliminated use vanilla extract, orange peels, baking soda, and lemon mixtures, as explained later, to remove any residual odor.
Also Read: How to Remove Yellow Stains from Microwave Oven?
What Causes Burned Smells in Oven?
A lot of things can cause burned smell in your microwave oven vent, but the two most probable causes are:
Food Dripping Into the Oven
This might be as a result of using the wrong or small container in your oven or if the food boils over, it might end up dripping in the oven and into the vent
Burning Food
In this case, the smell of the food permeates the microwave oven, you have to clean the whole expanse of space and not just a spot.
Either way, cleaning your oven as soon as it cools off is of utmost importance because it can dry off and leave extreme stains in your oven.
Read more: What is Microwave Safe Bowl
Does Leaving Oven Door Open Get Rid of Burned Smell in the Oven
If your food got burned in your microwave oven or regular oven and you can’t exactly see any stains or any spots that might require cleaning in the oven, the best option is to leave the oven door open. This way fresh air gets in and the burned smell can be expelled.
When you take out the burned food, simply leave the door to the oven open for 20-30 minutes.
While this might not totally eliminate the smell and you might want to consider other options like cleaning the oven with a wet washcloth, but this is bound to drastically reduce the smell.
How to Eliminate Bad Smells From the Oven
Put a small amount of non-scented detergent in a bowl of warm water, dip a clean washcloth in and use the washcloth to wipe the oven down you can do this multiple times until the burnt smell is totally eliminated.
You can also dip a sponge in warm water, when thoroughly soaked, squeeze a little, use to wipe the interior of the microwave oven till you’re thoroughly satisfied, leave the oven door open for a couple of minutes for maximum effect.
If you have burned food dried in the oven, you might want to add chlorine bleach to the warm water before you dip your sponge in, this helps to loosen the burned food so that it can be easily cleaned.
Read more: How to Soften White Sugar in the Microwave
How to Make Your Oven Smell Better?
Cleaning your microwave or regular oven and ridding it of burned smells is one thing while replacing it with a more tolerable smell is another. When you’re done cleaning your microwave or regular oven, you should not leave it closed, you want to replace that negative smell with something else.
Below are a few examples of how you can make your microwave oven smell better especially after it gets a burned smell.
Before you try out any of these methods, it is recommended that you wipe with a warm and damp washcloth or sponge for maximum effect
Vanilla Extract and Water
Add 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract to a bowl of water, bring to boil and leave to sit inside the microwave oven for 30 minutes or more after
Wipe down with a warm, wet washcloth again when you’re sure it’s no longer hot.
Orange Peel and Water

Put ripe orange peel in a microwave-safe bowl, pour in 1-2 cups of water, and bring to boil in the microwave oven. When the water is boiled, leave the bowl and microwave peel to sit in the oven for a couple of minutes, then take it out and wipe the oven down with a paper towel or a warm and damp washcloth.
Baking Soda and Water Solution
Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to a water-filled microwave-safe bowl, put in the microwave and bring to boil. When it boils, leave it to stand in the closed oven for a couple of minutes, this eliminates the bad smell.
Lemon and Water Solution

Squeeze a lemon into your microwave-safe bowl and put a cup of water, bring to boil in the microwave, turn off the microwave oven and leave the solution standing in the oven for the next couple of minutes. Your oven will soon have an amazing undeniable smell.
Baking Soda, Vinegar, and Water
Pour a tablespoon of all 3 into a microwave-safe bowl, fill with water and bring to boil inside your microwave oven, turn off and leave in your closed oven for a couple of minutes. It sucks out all the bad smells. You can wipe down with a warm damp washcloth after.
You can also add a few tablespoons of vinegar and baking soda to a warm sponge, wipe the insides of the microwave oven thoroughly. Repeat this till you’re thoroughly satisfied. Wipe again with a wet warm cloth.
Coffee and Water

Add 2 tablespoons of coffee to a cup of water, bring to boil inside the microwave oven, leave to sit in the oven for 30 minutes to 1 hour, repeat multiple times until your desired scent is achieved
Wipe the oven down with a wet washcloth when you’re sure it’s no longer hot.
Conclusion
To rid your oven from the burned smell or to make your oven smell better, you can consider any of the above-listed methods. You can also choose to try out multiple methods for more effective results.
Overall, getting rid of the burned smell from your oven is a gradual process, so you should not be disappointed when it doesn’t seem to work as fast as you expected. Repeating the process multiple times is the way to go.
Now that you know the process of how to make your oven smell better you can achieve it faster and without much confusion as to what to do next.
FAQs:
1. How do I get rid of the smell in my oven?
There are a few methods you can use to get rid of the smell in your oven. One is to use vanilla extract. Simply pour a little into a bowl and set it inside the oven. The other is to use lemon juice. Same as with vanilla extract, pour a little into a bowl and set it inside the oven. The last method is to use baking soda. Sprinkle some onto a damp cloth and wipe down the inside of the oven.
2. Why does my oven smell bad?
The most common reason ovens smell, unfortunately, is due to inadequate cleaning. There has been a mistake. For example, some deposits are apparent and easy to clean on glass surfaces. But the grazing residues and burnt foods may also be caught between ovens and plates. Therefore, when turned on, terrible smells can be a danger to flames.
3. Is it OK to smell gas from oven?
It is common to detect an unusual smell when starting the oven first. This is due to the gas burning in the burner and will disappear in one minute or two. But, it is not normal if you smell an unburned gas in your kitchen.
4. How can I prevent my oven from smelling bad in the first place?
Prevent your oven from smelling bad by regularly cleaning it. Grease and food particles can build up and cause the oven to smell bad. Be sure to clean the interior of the oven and the door seal with a mild detergent and water. Wipe down the exterior of the oven with a damp cloth. You can also prevent your oven from smelling bad by using an oven liner. An oven liner will catch any food particles or grease that may fall on the bottom of the oven.
5. What should I do if my oven starts to smell bad again?
If your oven starts to smell bad again, the first thing you should do is determine the cause of the smell. Sometimes, the smell is caused by something that's been cooked in the oven and left to bake on. Other times, it might be a sign that something is wrong with the oven and needs to be fixed.
If you determine that the smell is caused by something that's been baked on, you can try to clean it yourself using some baking soda or vinegar. However, if the smell is too strong or if you're not able to get rid of it, you might need to call a professional to come and clean your oven for you.
If you determine that something is wrong with your oven, you should call a professional to come and fix it.