I heard through the grapevine that Karen, a friend and DTBD reader, is having anxiety about cleaning her BIG. OLD. SCARY. GAS OVEN! Karen, don’t be scared—it’s easy to clean your oven. I’ll even give you two options:

(NOTE: Remember, all ovens are different. It’s always best to consult the owner’s manual for directions on cleaning, especially if your oven is self-cleaning or continuous cleaning.)

METHOD 1: THE OFF THE SHELF SOLUTION

1. Purchase an oven cleaner like EASY-OFF. They even make a fume-free formula.

2. Oven should be off and cool.

3. Wipe crumbs and spilled food out of the oven with a damp sponge or rag. Use something you are willing to throw away. This is a dirty job.

4. Place your cooktop grates inside your oven the oven rack(s).

DO NOT PUT OUT YOUR PILOT LIGHT DURING THE CLEANING PROCESS!

5. Spray interior oven surfaces evenly with your cleaner. Try to avoid spraying cleaner directly on the pilot light, electrical connection switches, light bulbs, heating elements or thermostat.

6. Most formulas can work in a few hours, but I suggest closing the oven door and letting it sit overnight.

7. Keep your rooms well ventilated—leave a kitchen window open.

8. The next day, remove the racks and grates from the oven and do an initial wipe-up of the oven using paper towels. This will be messy.

9. Fill a bucket or sink with warm soapy water and continue to wipe your oven clean with a sponge or rag. Also clean your racks and grates.

METHOD 2: THE HOME REMEDY

1. Oven should be off and cool.

2. Wipe crumbs and spilled food out of the oven with a damp sponge or rag. Use something you are willing to throw away. This is a dirty job.

3. Place your cooktop grates inside your oven the oven rack(s).

DO NOT PUT OUT YOUR PILOT LIGHT DURING THE CLEANING PROCESS!

4. Pour 1 cup of household ammonia into a bowl and place that bowl into the oven on the rack closest to the bottom.

5. Leave the oven door CLOSED overnight.

6. The next day, remove the bowl from the oven, then remove the racks, and grates.

7. Pour the ammonia from the bowl into a quart of warm water. Use this mixture to clean the racks, the inside of the oven, and the oven door with a rag or sponge. Don’t forget the grates.

8. Rinse with clean water and wipe dry.

Phew!

Here are a few ways to prevent dirty ovens from happening:

• Be aware of what you are putting in your oven. Will it boil over? If so, use a bigger pan.

• Place aluminum foil wrap on the bottom rack of your oven to catch any spillage. Change regularly.

• Bake pies and gooey stuff on a cookie sheet.

• When spills happen, clean the oven once it cools down.