Best oven cleaning method?

[CommonCents]

I made bacon wrapped pineapple* this weekend for an appetizer when friends were over.  Foolishly, I used a baking tray without sides, and the bacon fat ran into the oven.  Now, the oven smokes madly when I use it.  Best tips for cleaning the oven?  I assume the oven has a self-cleaning mode, although I haven't used it since I moved in a year ago.  Or some chemicals [which ones?] that aren't going to kill me?  Chemicals+lots of elbow grease?

*Made three varieties to see what tasted best: plain, brown sugar rolled and homemade BBQ sauce.  The homemade BBQ sauce won by everyone but my husband.  Quite a hit.

[grantmeaname]

The self-clean is probably not brilliantly effective if it's anything like mine, but it'll likely do a good-enough job. Just take out any pizza stones or anything and let the oven incinerate the last of the fat over a three-hour or so cycle. Way easier and safer than using lye or the equivalent.

[ZiziPB]

If a lot of your sauce dripped out, I would try to scrape any thick drips out first, then run a self-cleaning cycle.  Remove the racks or they will get damaged by the high temps.  Open the windows wide - you will get a lot of smoke if you have a lot of drips ;-)  After the oven cools down, wipe down the interior (you are likely to get a lot of ash). 

[jacksonvasey]

I saw somewhere you could mix baking soda with water and make a thick paste, paint that paste in the oven and let it sit overnight.  Then the next day wipe out what comes off easily, then spray whatever remains with some diluted vinegar and wipe clean.

[Drifterrider]

and the bacon fat ran into the oven.  Now, the oven smokes madly when I use it. 

Warm oven.  WARM not hot.  Wipe up grease.

For burned on grease either:
oven cleaner (harsh, lye, odor)
Steel wool (elbow grease)
Soap, water and elbow grease.

[Rural]

and the bacon fat ran into the oven.  Now, the oven smokes madly when I use it. 

Warm oven.  WARM not hot.  Wipe up grease.

For burned on grease either:
oven cleaner (harsh, lye, odor)
Steel wool (elbow grease)
Soap, water and elbow grease.

Warm oven, wipe up puddles. Then clean with rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. No lye and virtually no elbow grease required.

[Sibley]

The self cleaning function basically cooks everything to ash. You do need to watch that the racks can take the heat. With grease though, that level of heat can start a fire (personal experience). It's best to get up the worst of the grease first.

If you don't have self-cleaning, the oven cleaner will basically kill you. Turn on the fan, take frequent breaks to breathe, etc.

If you ever cook a duck - prepare for a grease spattered oven and really fun clean up :(