Ok, we've reached critical-mass, tell me how to clean my oven...

[StarSpangledPants]

I can't open the oven door when it's working, I suspect, because of the amount of stuff that's stuck to the ceiling inside. It sends a cloud of smoke up which sets the fire alarms off. I think it's to do with a roast I made recently. I've never cleaned the whole oven before, just a cursory wipe over the glass I really don't want to fork out for someone professional to do it although the idea appeals immensely. So what are your top MN tips to do the job quickly & easily?

(I tried the dishwasher cube thing once but it scratched the internal glass so I won't be doing that again.)

Best thing I have ever used is the astonish stuff from Poundland. It was brilliant! Spray on, leave, then wipe off!

Get a scraper from Amazon. And some oven pride.

Leave the latter to work overnight on insides and door, with shelves in the bag.

Tackle the door with the scraper. It'll come up great.

Get the oven mate stuff from Lakeland. Paint on with supplied brush. Sit down with a book and a bottleglass of wine for 3 hours. Come back and wipe off with paper towels. Done, with no elbow grease

Lakeland oven cleaner. Amazing!

Ditto Astonish!
Also bicarb and warm water helps a bit too

Get an oven cleaning specialist in. My once filthy oven was like new once he’d finished. Definitely money well spent!

I recently for my oven cleaned professionally for £45 and he told me all he did was use fairy liquid and a scraper.

Get a man in to do it. Men have their uses!

Fairy wouldn't touch mine - it needs something with nuclear power. I've just shone a torch inside & I can see why it's smoking now. The ceiling's covered with black curly bits and the heating element hangs just below this. It'll be difficult to clean the ceiling with the element in the way.

Oven pride is great for inside oven and shelves but don't use on the glass door as it can cause it to weaken and shatter.

Scraper and elbow grease for the glass door. Most over doors come off and come apart to help with cleaning.

I've never cleaned the elements, I just put them on full heat with door open to burn anything off.

Sounds like your only option is to buy a new one.

Ovenpride from poundstretcher (2.99) or tesco (about 4 quid).

Works really well, put it on overnight. Suggest basin of hot water next to you in front of oven, couple of old cloths you're happy to throw out afterwards (better still an old towel torn up into 12" squares to do the first stage of mopping up the dissolved crud, and straight to bin).

Move house?

Get a professional in. £40 and mine is like new. Sooooo worth it

If it’s as bad as you say then get a professional in to clean it.

Afterwards to keep on top of it use oven pride, it’s amazing stuff.

Get someone in to do it! £50 and mine is shining like it's brand new, and it was not in very good nick before that. No toxic chemicals or pissing about with those bags full of god knows what. We used Ovenu.

The oven in our new house had never been cleaned by the previous owners in the nine years they’d lived here.
It was worth £50 having it professionally cleaned, it was like new when finished.

£50 to get a company in. They even get the glass like new.

OVEN MATE!!!!!!!! Honestly mine was like yours and I did it before Christmas for the first time in 6 years. It’s amazing!! I’ve never been so excited & proud 😂😂

I got the gel kit, smeared it all over, included the doors and left it from 9-3pm. I got the kit for the racks (big plastic bags you put the stuff in & I left for 24hours.) Then got a roll of kitchen roll and newspaper and just scooped the treacle coloured stuff out :) It was amazing - I have a brand new oven. I’m utterly amazed!! And no effort on my part

just pay someone to do it and then maintain it yourself afterwards

When you do get it cleaned, use oven liners - they are life changing!

Replace it with a self cleaning oven. Pays for itself in no time as you just set the pyro going and never have to pay the oven man. Door glass goes in the dishwasher. Mine were about £500 and are AEG.

Lakeland oven mate. I recommend buying really good thick extra long oven gloves though.

The oven cleaning company I used once used the astonish tub of oven cleaner! Tbh it was easier that time to pay him than do it myself but that stuff is excellent. And cheap.

Failing that I've also used a home made bicarb and washing liquid paste and, when it was on offer, the oven pride stuff.

Leaving it on long enough is definitely the key so either over night or get a takeaway in.

We rent, and when we moved in the oven was manky. I did this:
www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-an-oven-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-201191

It worked as well as any of the commercial oven cleaners I've used in the past.