Cleaning the oven: how to do this and how frequently, to keep your oven in tip-top condition

If you use your oven for baking or roasting your food, you'll know that the internals of this appliance get quite dirty over time. To maintain good hygiene standards, it goes without saying that the oven much be cleaned regularly. But how often should you do this chore? And what's the best way to go about it? Well, keep reading to find out:

How to clean the oven, step-by-step

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Cleaning the oven as soon as you notice grime ("on-the-fly", so to speak), can be easy: as soon as the oven gets cold, you can spray your preferred cleaning product on the grime, allow let it act and then wipe off. And if it's the grills, you can remove them and wash them in the sink by hand, using regular dishwashing liquid. For stubborn grime, put a cup of white vinegar or lemon juice into a still-hot/warm oven (which is turned off, of course), and keep the door closed until the oven cools down completely: the liquid will be turned into a vapor and will soften the grime (which can then be removed as described above).

It is always essential to ventilate the area properly when using any oven cleaning product, be it a chemical or all-natural one.

For a thorough, deep cleaning, you can use one of two methods: either using a specific cleaning product product recommended by the manufacturer (and which is usually a spray left on for 20-30 minutes before rinsing off and drying), or; a DIY cleaner using common household ingredients.

For the DIY approach, you will need: white wine vinegar, water and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Additionally, you will need gloves, several soft cloths, aspray bottle and a magic eraser.

First step: remove the grills

Remove the grills that are not fixed in place. Soak these in hot water with a dash of dishwashing liquid and a cup of white vinegar. You can do this in the the sink (if it's big enough).

Second step: make a baking soda paste

In a small bowl, mix baking soda and water (add the baking soda slowly, in small doses). You are looking to create a creamy, homogenous paste (that is not too liquidy), and which you can spread on the internal surfaces of the oven.

Wait 20-30 minutes for the paste to act on the grime. In the meantime, you can wash the grills (see above).

Third step: vinegar spray

Pour white vinegar into the spray bottle. It can be neat or diluted with a little water. Spray generously all over the insides of the oven, coating the baking soda paste (which will start to bubble).

Fourth step: rub all surfaces clean

When the reaction between baking soda paste and vinegar has subsided, take a damp sponge or cloth and remove the residue. For any remaining grime, use the magic eraser on them (which must be dampened first). Use the eraser only where needed as it abrasive action could damage the oven's surfaces.

Rinse off and dry thoroughly.

These cleaning instructions also apply to oven's glass. However, if grime has gotten between the double-glass sheets (which most oven doors have), dismantle these and wash them like you did for the grills.

How often should you clean your oven?

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For ideal oven maintenance, "on-the-fly" cleaning must be considered separately from deep cleaning.

• On-the-fly cleaning should be done as soon as you notice spots of grime appearing. Don't procrastinate doing this and tackle individual dirty areas as soon as the oven has cooled down.
• For deep cleaning, it is advisable to do this every 3-4 months (and more often - perhaps once a month - if you use the oven a lot).

How do you usually clean your oven?