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Ovens are one of those sneaky areas, which we don’t often think about cleaning unless something explodes; it’s tucked away and the door’s always closed so the mess is often out of sight and out of mind. However, what we don’t realise is tiny spillages and crumbs are always falling from our food and this can build up. This build up can burn and create that unpleasant oven smell. Therefore, once in a while, it’s useful to give the oven a deep clean as part of our usual kitchen cleaning routine, and make sure everything is running smoothly. If you’re not lucky enough to own an oven with a self-cleaning setting, here’s how you can clean your oven.1 – The HobThe hob is the best place to start. If you have an electric hob, wipe this down with a cloth, warm water and kitchen cleaning solution, making sure the hob hasn’t been recently used. However, if you have a gas hob, you’ll need to take it apart to clean it properly; take off the pan supports, burner caps, burner crowns and knobs. You should do this around once a week, depending on how often you use it. Soak each component in hot water and kitchen cleaner. Use a cloth or sponge to scrub off any stubborn stains or pieces of food. It’s wise to let these dry before replacing them on the hob so that water doesn’t get in any crevices and either prevent it from working or create a build-up of water, which can become greasy and spread.Wipe down the hob space with a cloth, warm water and cleaning solution before replacing each part and also wipe down the front of the oven, including handle, thoroughly.2 – Take out racksMoving inside the oven, the first step is to take out each of the separate racks from the oven. This will not only allow you to clean each section thoroughly, but will also mean you can get to the harder-to-reach areas easier. Soak these in a sink full of either just warm water, or warm water and washing up liquid, unless you have a special oven cleaning product. You can then wipes any stubborn crumbs off them easily later on. 3 – Inside the ovenWhen cleaning the inside of the oven, it’s usually safer to not use chemical products unless you have a specific oven cleaner. Warm water and a sponge should suffice, although, if not, vinegar or baking soda diluted in water can also break down stubborn food stains. The dirtier the oven, the higher the ratio of vinegar or baking soda should be. Focus on where the racks rest first and then move onto the top, bottom, back and sides of the oven. If you need to, squirt the solution inside the oven and allow it to soak for a while; this will loosen any burnt on bits of food and lift stains.4 – ScrapeBefore wiping down the inside of the oven again, use a scraping device, like an ice scraper, to chip off any larger parts of burnt on food. Allow the parts of carbon to collect in the bottom of the oven, then you can wipe this away when you’re done. Give the inside of the oven one more wipe down with a cloth and warm water to remove any leftover vinegar and pieces of food. 5 – The oven doorLastly, soak the oven door in your cleaning solution and allow this to soak. This can be a tough area, as this tends to be where food can splatter and where spillage can occur when taking food out of the oven. Therefore, don’t be shy to use plenty of solution. Then, use a clean sponge or cloth to wipe it down.