There are two types of oven cleaner, spray-on lye and spray-on ammonia (well, triethanolamine, which is just substituted ammonia). These are strong bases that will saponify (turn into soap) all of the baked on grease and fat that has evaporated and deposited onto the oven walls. These aren't really environmentally unfriendly, you can dump the oven rinse water into the septic tank or the compost pile and other than a temporary pH rise, there won't be any long lasting problems and the microbes will eat it up.

The only way to do it without chemicals and major work is to have a self-cleaning oven, one that has an 'incinerate' setting which gets the oven up to 600 or 700 degrees and carbonizes all the baked on grease and fat. Then all you have to do is wipe up the residual ash with a wet paper towel. If it is not a self-cleaning oven, you might be able to do it by hand with a blowtorch, but that would take a little skill -- too hot and you damage the oven wall, not hot enough and you don't get it clean.

I'm afraid anything besides the self-cleaning setting is going to be labor intensive

But....since I have no skill with that, it is probably not a good idea. Of course, this is not a self-cleaning oven...dang it.

Thanks for the info though.

She merely tossed the used dishes out the window... How many times have I been tempted...If money is no object, you could take the same approach to the oven....LOL

However, it seems as though even the older ovens I've had in those homes I've owned or rented in past decade were self-cleaning. Are you sure yours is not? I know my sister never realized hers was until I was helping clean up after a big celebratory dinner and suggested we run it.

It is one of the ovens that is supposed to clean itself continually, but that only works so far. It has something to do with the material that the sides are made of. But the door and the bottom are not that material, and do get gross.

It's an overnight process, but it worked well for me. You can try it on a small part and see if it works for you.

Just make a paste of baking soda, water and a little soap. Apply liberally. Put a piece of plastic wrap over the area to keep it from drying out and let it set. The next day, the burned on food should be soft enough to come up easy. If not, let it set a little more.

Caution: if you have an electric oven, do not get the mixture on the heating element.

I will have to try this. And since I go weeks without using the oven, I have plenty of time for it to set. Thanks.

It is toxic to them.

are really terrible. I will wait until next spring and try again.

They have delicate respiratory systems (lungs and air sacs). The fumes will get them.

My reply then (a few weeks back) was a steam cleaner. I have a Shark EuroPro. It's amazing what comes off easily with hot, pressurized steam. Love it. Costs around $75-$80, widely available. Mine is something along these lines:


http://www.amazon.com/Shark-Premium-SC630D-Portable-Pocket/dp/B003KKHC6C

It looks like it might be a good idea for the oven, but I hate to have something at that price for just the oven once every ten years .

I have one other idea that seems good for this and that is under the vent at the stove. Ick.

Tried a little test spot on an inconspicuous place on my vinyl siding -- that melts!

Seriously, any kind of heat-resistant surface. I love it for walls, windows, bathrooms, you name it. I don't use it on the toilet or near the toilet, because the thought of using it anywhere else afterwards would gross me out, even though intellectually I know it sterilizes itself.

It's especially great for walls and windows, though, two jobs I just hate doing. I've also used it many times in the fridge and when I emptied out my freezers last summer -- if anything spills and hardens on, it cuts it really fast.

I use it a lot, and found it great investment. I also bought the steam mop for the floors.

It does sound like one of those gadgets that I might like!!!

Haven't tried it on an oven, but out camping it is (or was) pretty common to dump some ash from the fire into a used pan: The ash reacts with the fat to make a crude soap, and also acts as a gentle scrub.

Might rank too high on the hard work scale, though.

I am not exactly lazy, but I do like to find the easiest way to do things.

I wish I had known this technique to clean pans when I camped!!! I ended up using dirty pans until I got home to clean them with more than boiling some water in them. These days, if there ain't a bed and a bath, I ain't going! Camping was fun, but it got old as I did. I have become a prima dona anymore!