What To Do When You Spill Grease All Over Your Oven

A couple weeks ago I was roasting some cauliflower for dinner and I used the wrong baking sheet, too much olive oil, and all at a rather high temperature. A good amount of oil ended up spilling in my oven and my apartment quickly flooded with smoke and an awful smell. There were no flames to speak of, but it was still concerning. After I turned off the oven and I could see through the smoke, the question became now what.

After consulting with a few people and doing some research online, I made a game plan. I first let the oven cool down completely. Then, I took everything out of the oven that could be removed, including the racks and the lid on the bottom of the oven (if you have that), and soaked up all the oil with a paper towel. After I was sure I had cleaned up most of it, I turned on my oven without anything in it and let it run until there was no smoke or smell to speak of.

If you have time to do a deep clean of your oven, you could also scrub the oven with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar.

Has this ever happened to you? What was your solution?