Cleaning Tips: How To Clean An Oven

Everyday, it's hard to imagine having the discipline to wipe out the oven after every use, but deep down you know it makes sense. Just think about never having to do a deep oven blitz again. Cleaning a dirty oven requires either natural materials and elbow grease or a pretty scarey chemical attack.

The non caustic method is of course, you guessed it, bicarbonate of soda, mixed with thick paste and smeared all over the inside of the oven. Leave overnight, then brace yourself for some serious scrubbing with water and a scourer.

The caustic method requires less graft, but more preparation. You need a solution of ammonia, bleach and water, a respiratory face-mask, thick rubber gloves, protective clothes and the surrounding area needs to be well protected too.

Take the oven shelves outside, spray them with your solution and seal them within a bin-bag. Spray the oven with the bleach...