A self-cleaning oven is one of the heights of modern cooking technology. These devices are meant to clean themselves with the touch of a button. But are you experiencing that nagging itch to clean your oven the old-fashioned way?
Before you reach into your cleaning cupboard, there are a few things you have to know: Can you use oven cleaner on a self cleaning oven? Will using an oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven actually damage the construction? Can you trust the oven’s built-in cleaner?
Well, keep reading and we’ll tell you everything you need to know!
What Is A Self-Cleaning Oven?
Self-cleaning ovens were developed after many decades of people struggling to clean their ovens, often using highly corrosive cleaning products and yet they are still notoriously hard to clean. You can be certain that there are crumbs at the back of your oven that will be hard to reach. Add to that the food matter that will harden and be almost impossible to clean off.
How Do Self-Cleaning Ovens Clean Themselves?
There are two methods that self-cleaning ovens use to clean themselves with minimal intervention:
High heat cleaning – In this method, the oven uses a high level of heat (up to 1000 degrees!) to burn off all the food waste matter that will stick to the inside of your oven. A lot of people with self-cleaning ovens have reiterated how successful this method is.
This method is one of the best hand-off methods, as it will involve absolutely no elbow grease whatsoever.
Most ovens available on the market use high heat to clean themselves.
Steam cleaning – This is another very effective way self-cleaning ovens work. Although this will not remove the need to wipe it down to get rid of the excess moisture afterward.
Can You Use Oven Cleaner On A Self Cleaning Oven?
The short answer to that question is no, you can’t use oven cleaner in a self-cleaning oven. This is because the chemicals in a lot of oven cleaners are incredibly corrosive.
Over time the corrosive chemicals will damage the special lining of your oven and it will no longer be able to self-clean effectively.
How To Prep For Self-Cleaning
You should make sure that all spillages are mopped up from the inside of your oven are mopped up before you switch on the self-cleaning function.
You’ll need to make sure that the lock function is in effect when you are using the self-cleaning feature. This will automatically kick into effect when you are engaging the self-locking feature.
Once you have run the self-cleaning feature, you’ll probably have to wipe down the inside of your oven.
Maintaining Your Oven
If you are maintaining your oven properly, then you will reduce the need to clean it on a frequent basis.
Wipe up spills – you should always make sure that you wipe up any spillages when they happen. This will stop them from drying and forming sticky stains on the inside of your oven.
Take out the racks and clean them – you should frequently remove the racks in your oven and place them in the sink or even in the bath with detergent.
Wipe down the door – Make sure that you are cleaning the door regularly, as this will be a place where a lot of food matter is splashed against the front of your oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Oven Cleaner So Toxic?
It is recommended by a lot of oven cleaning manufacturers that you should wear goggles and gloves when handling this stuff as it is so toxic.
You should also wait until your oven is completely dry of oven cleaner before turning it on again. We would actually recommend that you wipe this down with hot water after you have applied it and it has dried.
How Often Should You Use Your Oven’s Self-Cleaning Feature?
Like with all cleaning, the more often you do it, the more effective it will be.
How Long Does It Take To Self-Clean Your Oven?
How Safe Is A Self-Cleaning Oven?
You may experience an odor when you are using your self-cleaning oven. Make sure all the windows in your kitchen are fully open when you are running the self-cleaning feature of your oven.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has helped you understand how your self-cleaning oven works, and why you should never use oven cleaner on it.
For more information on self-cleaning ovens, have a look at this video from Angela Brown Cleaning.