Despite the crumbs, dust bunnies, and dirt hiding down there, few people want to go through the hassle of moving their range to wipe down the floor beneath it. Thankfully, there’s a simpler way to clean under the oven that you might not know about — and best of all, you won’t have to move the appliance a single inch.
The Bottom Drawer Trick
Instead of pulling the entire range away from the wall, just slide out its bottom drawer. (If your model doesn’t have one, don’t worry — we’ll address that shortly.) Because most ranges are open at the base, removing the drawer gives you direct, unobstructed access to the floor underneath.
While removing the bottom drawer works similarly across most oven brands, let’s look at how it’s done on GE appliances as an example. Pull the bottom drawer out as far as it will go. Next, lift the handle a few inches to tilt the drawer upward. This allows the drawer stops to clear the track guides so you can pull it straight out.
Once the drawer is out, go ahead and vacuum, wipe down, or clean the floor however you see fit. When the area is dry, reinstall the drawer by placing its rails back onto the track guides. Push the drawer in until it stops, lift the front so the stops clear the track guides, then lower the front and slide it all the way closed.
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Moving the Entire Range
If your oven lacks a bottom drawer, you’ll likely need to remove the entire appliance to clean underneath and behind it. The steps are different depending on whether your model is gas or electric:
Gas models: First, find the gas shutoff valve. It’s typically in a nearby cabinet or on the wall behind the oven, so you may need to pull the appliance forward slightly to reach it. Shut off the gas by turning the handle 90 degrees so it’s perpendicular to the pipe, then unplug the power cord. If you haven’t already done so, slide the oven out gently, stopping as soon as the flexible gas line begins to tighten. These hoses typically have enough slack to allow you to clean the area without disconnecting them. When you’re done tidying, turn the gas back on and move the range into place, ensuring the flexible gas line doesn’t kink or get caught under the unit’s feet.
Electric models: Start by turning off the circuit breaker to your range at your electrical panel. Next, pull the appliance forward and unplug the power cord. Since there’s no gas line attached, you can slide the unit out as far as needed to clean. Once the area is spotless, plug the cord back in, carefully slide the range into place without crushing the cord, and switch the breaker back on.
