Cleaning the oven came out as the least favorite household job in a May 2009 survey by Mintel in the UK. It’s mucky and takes ages. So just how can you make it easier?

1. If you’re buying a new oven, make sure it’s a self cleaning or continuous cleaning one. But you’ll still need to clean the racks, hob and grill pan.

2. Try to clean up as you go.

3. Line the grill pan and the bottom of the oven with aluminum foil which you can simply replace now and then.

For a standard oven that isn’t self-cleaning (and for the racks and grill pans of most ovens) you have three basic choices. These are:

THE GENTLE GREEN APPROACH Smear the inside of your oven with a thick paste of bicarbonate of soda and water. Leave it for several hours or overnight then scrub off the residue with warm water and a scourer. To give this method a bit of a boost, use a mix of baking soda and lemon juice or vinegar.

This method requires plenty of elbow grease but is fairly successful on a mildly dirty oven. It’s also non-toxic, and so is ideal if you have pets or children, if you are pregnant, or if any of your family have respiratory problems such as asthma.

THE SOCK-IT-TO-THEM APPROACH This involves caustic chemicals which can burn the skin and create harmful fumes – so you need to use them really carefully. You can use a solution of ammonia bleach and water or a branded oven cleaner containing caustic ingredients.

Whichever one of these you choose, you need to make sure your room is well ventilated and wear a face mask, goggles, thick rubber gloves and old clothes. Put plastic sheeting and plenty of old newspapers round the oven.

To clean with ammonia (available from some chemists and hardware stores) mix a mug of ammonia and a mug of water. Use some to spray the racks and leave them outside in a black plastic bag for at least two hours. Then hose them down thoroughly. Put the rest in an ovenproof bowl in a warm oven for at least a couple of hours. Then open the door, wipe down and rinse well. It’s messy and creates lots of fumes – but it’s very cheap.

The best known branded caustic oven cleaner in the UK is called Oven Pride. Before using it, read the instructions carefully. In a nutshell, you sponge or brush the thick liquid on the bits of your oven that need cleaning and you put the racks with some of the liquid in a giant plastic bag. You’ll need to leave it for a couple of hours before wiping it down. The smell isn’t too bad though and one pack should do two cleans. Oven Pride currently (June 2009) costs £3.47 at Sainsbury’s supermarket (the cheapest price I could find).

For a biodegradable option that is still caustic, try Lakeland’s Oven Mate. It’s a clear gel that you spread on with the nylon brush provided and wipe off after anything from half an hour to three hours. My mum swears by it and it has very little smell. It costs a somewhat hefty £7.82, plus p&p if you’re not near one of their shops (June 2009) but you should be able to get at least two cleans from one bottle.

These two products come out the best in consumer reports and reviews – but not everyone is happy to use something caustic with strong chemicals.

If you need stronger cleaning power than bicarbonate of soda but, like me, don’t want to use caustic chemicals, you could try this method. It works for me. It doesn’t take too long and isn’t too messy

Put all your racks and your grill pan into the bath. Line the bath with some old towels to prevent scratches – particularly important if your bath is acrylic or plastic. Add a generous dose of biological washing powder (the powder works much better than the liquid for this particular job) – about two washes’ worth – and plenty of hot water. Leave to soak for a couple of hours or overnight. The mucky residue should now come of easily with a plastic or wire scourer.

For the oven itself, either make a paste from biological powder and water or use a strong solution of washing up liquid and bicarbonate of soda. Lay the mixture on the oven floor and use a brush to spread it onto the other oven surfaces (remember don’t use it on continuous cleaning oven panels). Leave it for an hour or two then wipe off thoroughly.

Fiona Katherine Goble
Website: http://www.getacleanhome.com
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