Looking to find plumbers in your area? Unless you always diligently line the oven with aluminum foil, every home cook will occasionally need to clean the oven. Even a self-cleaning oven isn't a self-sweeping oven. It just burns off spilled food at extreme temperatures. The charred remains (and typically some of the stuck spilled food) will still be in the oven.According to the supermarket cleaning aisle, you will need an expensive special product just for cleaning the oven, and it likely contains harsh chemicals that may even linger in the oven and ruin the flavor of your food. Instead of buying an oven cleaner, we tried three do-it-yourself oven cleaners. All three worked, to varying degrees. For a fair comparison, we split the bottom of the same oven into three sections and cleaned up several months' worth of drips and spills from pies, casseroles and more. Starting with the most effective method, here are our results.1. Baking soda paste: Martha Stewart suggested cleaning the oven with baking soda and water.

We were pleasantly surprised to find it was both the simplest (you don't need to make a macramé cleaning elf or anything like that) and most effective way to clean the oven. You simply coat all the oven surfaces with a paste of baking soda and water, then let it work overnight. Presumably to keep your hands spotless for serving hors d'oeuvres, Martha recommends donning gloves and scraping off the resulting grime with a plastic spatula. This takes some muscle, and fails to remove the baking soda residue, so we found an old sponge easier and more effective (albeit messier).2. Salt, vinegar and heat: The Organic Authority didn't quite live up to its name with its oven cleaning method. The ingredients are certainly organic, but they don't provide an authoritative solution. OA Writer Jill Ettinger suggests turning on the oven to just 125 degrees (she doesn't specify Fahrenheit, but even if she meant Celsius, it would only equal 257 degrees Fahrenheit, which is still a relatively low oven temperature).

Then spray water or vinegar on the oven surface, and salt onto any spills and grime. Once the oven is cool, wipe out the salt and grime. We used vinegar, and tested the OA method on the right side of the oven floor, which had fewer total spills, but sported a couple of challenging, thick, caked-on spills. It failed to completely clean the worst spots, and the rest of the area required more elbow grease to clear up than did the baking soda method. To be fair, the Organic Authority did suggest a vinegar and baking soda solution for more serious messes, but it is pretty similar to Martha's method.  3. Soap and baking soda: Surprisingly, the most complex DIY oven cleaner also was the least effective. Tipnut, a clearinghouse for homemaking and craft ideas, suggested sprinkling dry baking soda directly onto the oven floor. Then mix three teaspoons of Borax, ¼ cup vinegar and 1/8 cup liquid dish soap with two cups of hot water in a spray bottle, and spray on the baking soda. Leave the mixture overnight, and wipe away.

While this seems like it would be at least as useful as the simple baking soda paste, the soapy solution took more effort to scrub away, and left more residue.We should probably clarify that Networx is in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Arm & Hammer, but we have proven once again that baking soda can clean or deodorize almost anything. where to spray air intake cleanerIn fact, we used generic baking soda for this test - to great effect. electronic air cleaner home depotNext time you need to clean the oven, save some money and spare the chemicals. ultra classic air cleaner coverFollow Martha's lead and use a baking soda paste. Looking to find plumbers in your area?One of the big advantages of a self-cleaning oven is that it lets you avoid oven cleaners, which are among the most toxic of household cleaners.

If you use them, any residue of oven cleaner left behind might release dangerous fumes during the self-cleaning cycle. Oven cleaners contain lye and solvents, which they need to attack burned-on oven grime [source: Di Justo]. The directions for these cleaners will tell you to use rubber gloves and avoid contact with your eyes or skin. Today there are less toxic cleaners labeled "safe for self-cleaning ovens." These are based mainly on baking soda. Are retro kitchens making a comeback? How can I get the most out of my kitchen appliances? How to Hook Up a Water Line to a Refrigerator How to Defrost a Freezer Don't use metal scrapers, scouring pads or wire brushes on self-cleaning or steam cleaning ovens. These can damage the interior walls and make the self-cleaning process less effective. You'll want to avoid using either oven cleaners or abrasives on continuous cleaning ovens for the same reason. All you'll need to clean your self-cleaning oven is a damp cloth or sponge to wipe up the powdery residue after the cleaning cycle and some mild detergent or baking soda for cleaning the areas around the door and the exterior surfaces.

A water-and-lemon-juice mixture is good for removing light grease stains. Never scrub or put cleaner on the fiberglass gasket around the oven door to avoid damaging the oven's seal [source: Urman]. When you use the self-cleaning cycle, turn on the fan in the hood that's attached to outside vent. Open windows in the kitchen for ventilation. You could put a fan in the window if needed. This will get rid of any smoke or fumes as well as some of the heat. It'll help keep your smoke detector from sounding an alarm, too. Don't leave the oven completely unattended while cleaning. You'll want to avoid touching the outside of the oven, as it can get hot. Always keep children away. And be aware that birds are highly sensitive to toxic gases and smoke. If you have pet birds, put them in a room with good ventilation while the oven is cleaning [source: KitchenAid]. A quality self-cleaning oven should give you years of happy baking and eliminate one of your least favorite household chores.