House cleaning is, in general, something we will gladly avoid doing – that’s until we notice dirt and mess are taking over our lives and we realise that we really have to do something about it. For most of the people out there, house cleaning is time-consuming, nerve-wrecking and very frequently simply unpleasant – and that’s quite normal considering the fact that we are not all obsessive-compulsive about the cleanliness of our homes. Of all the house cleaning chores though, one of the most difficult and nerve-wrecking ones is the oven cleaning. The amounts of hardened grease and food leftovers that can gather in there is mind-babbling, especially if you are the type who likes cooking in the oven quite often.How do you do it then? How can you clean the oven and make it look brand new again? We have gathered some of the best tips of advice our pro’s use as well. Read on and find them out! 1.    Self-cleaning ovens When hearing about “self-cleaning” ovens, most people think the job is easy with them. Sure, it is much easier than with normal ovens and you will have to spend much less time cleaning it, but that doesn’t mean that there are no secrets to make this even better. The number one thing to keep in mind is removing the racks. Even if some of the instructions tell you that you can leave the racks in the oven during the cleaning process, it may be safer for you not to do that. Take them out and soak them in water and dish soap and clean them separately. Also, try to wipe off any trace of spills as soon as they happen (obviously, after the oven has cooled off). This will help you keep the cleaning sessions as few and far between as possible. 2.    Baking Soda You will find lots of oven cleaning products on the market, but if there is only one thing they have in common, that is the fact that baking soda is among all of these products’ ingredients. Baking soda can be successfully used for oven cleaning because it will soften the hardened spills. Simply mix water and baking soda in a spray container and apply it over the entire surface of the oven. Leave it to soak for about 30 minutes and then wipe off the dirt. Repeat this process as many times as necessary. 3.    Vinegar, Baking Soda and Salt Vinegar has a huge number of great uses for the household – so it should not surprise you that it can help cleaning the oven as well. Sprinkle some baking soda over the troublesome areas of your oven and moisturise it by spraying vinegar over it. Leave it like this overnight and then scrub off the dirt. If you want your scrubs to be even more efficient, sprinkle some salt over the baking soda and vinegar you have previously applied and then start scrubbing by using a rag. 4.    The Oven RacksAs mentioned before, the oven racks should be removed even when your oven has a self-cleaning feature. Soak them in dish washing detergent and water and scrub off using steel wool. If this doesn’t work, you may have to use ammonia. Soak the racks in a tub of ammonia for about 15 minutes and then wash them thoroughly. Also, keep in mind that wiping off the spills once the oven is cooled off will help you maintain your racks cleaner for a longer period of time and it will make things easier for you when you clean the entire oven.