We all dread it at one time or another – cleaning the oven. We all love baking those brownies and baking a chicken but when something spills over we hate to clean it. If you're one of those who decides that you'll come back later and clean it then you may be bringing even more heartache on yourself. The longer that something sits, the harder it will be to clean it up. Baked on grease, spills and splatters can make housecleaning a thing to constantly put off.



Cleaning your oven is usually a big job and can be very time consuming. Over time with spill after spill, the mess is just mounting up. We all know that cleaning up the mess immediately is the best way to go but that sometimes just isn't possible.

When cleaning your oven you have several options to choose from:

Self Cleaning – If you have a self cleaning oven, this option is a great one to choose. All too often though, we forget about this feature. You simply need to remove the racks from the oven and clean those by hand. Then lock your oven using the locking feature and turn on or hit the self cleaning button. The oven then simply does the magic for you. It's just that easy. The inventor of this method was a blessing in disguise.

Traditional Oven Cleaning – If you are forced to do the dreaded deed of cleaning your oven by hand, relax, it's going to be alright. The task can still be done with ease. You first want to set a side the time to do it. Since most often you need to let the oven cleaner set and then return to clean it. So set aside a time to do it so you can get it done. Then choose an oven cleaner that will work best for your needs. You need to ask yourself:

• How long do I have to clean my oven?

• Do I want to use a cleaner that sits overnight?

• Do I want to use a quick clean method that takes less than 30 minutes?

The depth of build up will determine the method you choose. Sometimes letting the product sit overnight is the best way to let the chemicals get deep down and break down the spill or buildup. Be sure that no matter which method you choose that you use rubber gloves to protect your hands. Often these oven cleaners can be really harsh on your skin. There are several recipes for homemade oven cleaners as well that can be tried. Be sure when cleaning your oven that you get the cleaner out from all the cracks and corners. If you don't then your food will end up tasting like oven cleaner and no you can't pass that off as gourmet.

Oven cleaning is something that has to be done but with so many products on the market, it is a job that can be done quickly and easily.