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First of all, naturally if every time something spilled over we took a nice warm and wet rag and wiped it clean
we wouldn't have to clean the oven, but then we don't do that very often, so here are a few thoughts.
First of all, the control knobs: just take them off and wash and dry gently. You shouldn't have to soak these, maybe once a month take them and clean them. Then insert them in place.
Most ovens on the doors, etc. have a porcelain enamel finish that is essentially glass fused on steel at high temperatures and is breakable if misused. It is acid-resistant, but if you do spill any acid food (such as lemon or other citrus fruit juices, or mixtures containing tomato or vinegar) you should wipe these foods up immediately. To wipe up spills on the oven doors, use dry paper towels or a cloth dipped in warm water, perhaps a little liquid detergent. Avoid using cleaning powderes, harsh abrasives, or steel wool pads which may scratch the surface.
If you have a stainless steel surface on the oven, wash, rinse, then dry with a soft cloth. To remove brown discolorations, use a powder cleaner such as Samae, which you can purchase in your local hardware store. Over a period of time be aware that stainsteel surfaces may darken a little.
Now for those pesky broiler pans, do not let the soiled pan and rack stand in the oven to cool. First drain the fat, cool the pan and rack slightly, then add detergent to a pan of warm water, spread a cloth or paper towel over the rack. Let it stand till you finish the meal you have served to your family. Drippings should have loosened enough to wash with a sponge dipped in hot sudsy water. If not, use a detergent filled scouring pad, rinse and dry. If the pan is not made of anodized aluminum it can be washed in hte dishwasher.
If the grid is lined with aluminum foil be sure that slits are made to follow designs of the grid. If the pan is lined with aluminum foil, cleaning will sure to cut to a minimum.
Preventive maintenance is the best way to keep an oven clean. Food spatterings that are allowed to reheat and bake on will be difficult to remove. Clean regularly with detergent and water to remove reasy soil. An all purpose household cleaning detergent, especially those containing ammonia, will remove most of the burned-on soil and grease. To loosen baked-on soil, place a saucer filled with a small amount of undiluted ammonia in the oven for several hours or overnight. If the oven is heavily soiled, use a commercial oven cleaner, following those container directly exactly. Be sure to use rubber gloves.
If you have a self cleaning oven the soil is reduced to a light ash during a separate heat cycle, the remaining soil can be removed with a damp cloth.
Now clean the door liner only outside the gasket, using a detergent filled scouring pad, if necessary.
Rinse well before cleaning. Avoid rubbing or getting any cleaning materials on gaskets. Simply remove cooking utensils and set the controls to lock hte door and clean the oven according to the manufacturer's instructions.
On continuous clean models oven soil is gradually reduced to a presentably clean condition on specially treated surfaces during normal baking or roasting operatiosn. Wipe up any spills immediately. Clean all other surfaces as you would regular ovens.
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