Why put a dishwasher tablet in your oven?

modern kitchen with dark cabinetry, white worktops and double oven

(Image credit: Olive & Barr)

last updated 19 May 2022

Dishwasher tablets often appear in TikTok cleaning videos, be it a shower cleaning hack or a trick attested to leave the grimiest of oven racks gleaming. But why put a dishwasher tablet in your oven?

When it comes to how to clean an oven, a number of cleaning fans say dishwasher tablets are their secret weapon. This abrasive, compressed detergent is said to take the elbow grease out of the dreaded household task. After all, they do a great job on our dishes...

dark blue kitchen with open shelving and oven

Why put a dishwasher tablet in the oven

The most common version of this TikTok hack we've seen uses a standard dishwasher tablet dipped in warm water. If there's a plastic film around the outside of your tablet, this will need to be removed.

After dipping the tablet into the warm water, you can then rub it on the bottom surface of your oven and on the glass door. It also helps to remove burnt-on grime from oven racks and trays.

You can see how the hack works in the TikTok clip by @littlesuburbanfarmhouse below — the results are pretty impressive.

@littlesuburbanfarmhouse
♬ INFERNO - Sub Urban & Bella Poarch

Although it takes some scrubbing, this TikToker says the hack really does work. Others have said they find steel wool pads, available at Amazon, much easier to use because they shape themselves around the surfaces of the oven.

Previously, we tried out the dishwasher tablet shower cleaning hack, and we weren't successful. Using a tablet on our bathroom tiles and metal shower fittings proved ineffective and expensive compared to using our arsenal of the best cleaning products.

Many dishwasher tablets contain toxic substances, so we'd be wary of using them in the oven. Even if you rinse the oven thoroughly, there could be some residue left over.

Plus, there are lots of more eco-friendly and 'clean' alternatives like white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda that you can use. If you want to give the trick a go, the best dishwasher tablets, or eco-friendly dishwasher tablets, will make the task easier.

Cleaning the oven is one of the least pleasant Christmas cleaning chores. But along with defrosting the freezer, it's one of those tasks that are good to get out of the way before festivities begin.

Would you try this hack at home?

Millie joined Real Homes in early 2021 as a homes news writer. When she isn't writing about trends, makeovers and houseplant care, she spends her free time making tweaks to her rented flat in North London. Her next project is a very basic armchair reupholstering job to help create a cosy reading nook in her living room. She loves browsing antique centres, tending to her small front garden, and is never without some fresh flowers at home.