Tripod member fab59 asks:
I live in an apartment that has an old gas stove so you have to light the oven (like a bbq). How do you clean an oven like this without worrying about fumes or the oven cleaning foam getting into the lighting element?

Handy Girl Bernadette suggests:
Clean an oven? Hmm. There's a concept.

It seems to me, with the job that oven cleaners do, they just HAVE to be somewhat dangerous. Have you checked out the warning labels on those things? My sister-with-young-children pointed out to me the cleaning powers of baking soda. It is really effective and completely innocuous. It cleans well and leaves no offensive odor or residue. Use it like any other powdered cleanser. It takes a bit more elbow grease than your scrubbing bubble type cleansers, but just consider it part of your workout routine. Another product we like, which can also be used everywhere, is a cleanser called SIMPLE GREEN. It is non-flammable and biodegradable. This one's scent is a bit strong, (I think it's sassafrass based) but harmless. It can be purchased at just about any home center and at some grocery stores. If you still don't feel safe, just take out the appliance's light bulb. Sometimes it's all about illusion.

More Handy Girls Answers | Ask the Handy Girls