Cleaning ovens would have to be one of the most dreaded housework jobs for most people. No one likes the scrubbing or the fumes that comes with harsh chemicals needed to bring a crusty oven back to it's former glory.
I have two ovens that are used on a regular basis for baking bread, biscuits and cakes as well as cooking casseroles and pasta bakes to name a few. When my ovens were installed 6 years ago I vowed I'd keep them clean and never use harsh oven cleaners again.
Having new ovens was like I'd been given another chance to look after them. To this day they still look new and it's because of these 5 tricks I use.
* Wipe out your oven including the door after every couple of uses ( unless there's a big mess ). This helps prevent grime build up which can be hard to remove or requires harsh chemicals. Use a damp microfibre cloth to wipe your oven out. For slightly tougher marks, a little detergent on a scourer will do the trick.
* Use Magic Eraser to remove the little splatter marks. I've found this works really well when nothing else does. Try to wipe them off on a regular basis before they are baked on hard.
* Use the correct sized dish, pan or tray for cooking and baking to prevent spill overs.
* Put a baking tray on the next shelf down from whatever you are baking / cooking to catch any spills if there is liquid involved. I do this when baking a self saucing pudding.
* Use a lidded roasting dish or a piece of foil over your roast when cooking. This will help prevent the fatty splatters that seem to go everywhere. Use a lidded casserole dish for meals that contain liquid.
I'm not suggesting the use of oven liners at the bottom of the oven. Some manufacturers do not recommend this in their instruction booklets.
I once lived in a house with two ovens, neither of them self-cleaning. My solution was to use the upper oven for "clean" baking, such as cookies and re-heating, and the bottom oven for "dirty," such as roasting meat, pies that might boil over, etc. The door of the bottom oven just lifted out, which made cleaning much easier. I use the self-cleaning feature on my current range and don't worry too much about repairs.
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