Out of sight, out of mind is not always beneficial, especially when it comes to the inside of your oven. This spot is most easily forgotten at cleaning time, since you can shut the door on it as soon as your delicious dish comes out. Unfortunately, putting off a deep cleaning will only delay the inevitable, and increase the amount of elbow grease needed to remove layers of baked-on food debris in the future.

An oven envelopes your food entirely with dry heat produced at a very high temperature. As the contents cook, they tend to sputter, sizzle, bubble and boil. Some cooking methods result in heavier or more frequent staining, such as broiling meat with high fat content or spilling acidic foods.

Not only is the leftover grime in your oven a fire hazard, it also influences how your food cooks and tastes. Clean ovens distribute heat more efficiently, which both reduces the amount of fuel or energy needed to power the oven and cooks your food more evenly.

Some ovens come with an auto cleaning function, which turns up the heat to a point where anything left inside is burnt to a crisp. Depending on how long it's been since your oven was last cleaned, this could both stink up your house and set off your smoke detectors. Plus, letting your oven run at an extremely hot temperature for hours on a hot day is no fun for anyone.

You may be inclined to reach for a commercial oven cleaner to do this dirty work for you, but these are often a harsh cocktail of various chemicals, including lye and petroleum distillates. Some highly recommended natural cleaners like white vinegar and lemon juice, lack the surfactants needed to help penetrate, loosen and lift soils, meaning you're pushing dirt around instead of actually cleaning it up.

Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner breaks down grease, deep cleans, and won't leave behind flammable residue or fumes that can linger long after you've finished cleaning.

If you use your oven regularly, you'll want to clean the inside every three months. If you only rely on it, say, during the holiday season, once or twice a year should suffice.

Directions for Cleaning an Oven:

How to Clean the Inside of the Oven:

1. Prep your oven. Remove the racks.
2. Wet. Wipe the inside down with warm water in a spray bottle or on a damp cloth.
3. Apply Simple Green. Spray full strength Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner all over the inside of the oven.
4. Let the cleaner sit for 5 minutes. Use this time to clean your oven racks. For directions, click here.
5. Scrub. Scrub troublesome spots with a stiff, non-metallic bristled brush or non-abrasive pad. This will loosen stuck-on food and grease stains.
6. Rinse. Rinse by wiping the surface with a damp microfiber or cloth.
7. Dry. Dry with a clean microfiber or cloth. You can also leave the door open for a while to allow the inside to air dry.

How to Clean a Glass Oven Door:

1. Open the door. Open the oven door so it lays flat.
2. Wet. Wipe the inside down with warm water in a spray bottle or a damp cloth. Do not over-wet or let water seep into the seal of the door. Put a wad of paper towels or a rolled towel around the seal to stop this from happening.
3. Mix your Simple Green solution. Mix 1 teaspoon of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner into 2 cups of water in an empty spray bottle.
4. Apply solution. Spray the solution directly onto the inside of the door. Again, do not over-wet or let liquid seep into the door's seal.
5. Wipe. Wipe with a clean, damp, microfiber or other lint free cloth or towel.
6. Dry. Buff to shine with a clean dry cloth, microfiber pad or paper towel.

If streaks or residue remains, which will sometimes happen when using tap water, use a dab of toothpaste or baking soda on your damp cloth, rub in a large circular pattern, then rebuff to shine.

How to Clean the Outside of the Oven:

1. Wet. Wipe the outside down with warm water in a spray bottle or a damp cloth.
2. Apply solution. Spray the same Simple Green solution from the previous section onto the door's exterior.
3. Wipe. Wipe with a clean, damp, microfiber or other lint free cloth or towel. Don't forget to wipe down the handle to get all those pesky fingerprints.
4. Dry. Buff to shine with a clean dry cloth, microfiber pad or paper towel.