How to Use a Self Cleaning Oven?

by Taras Iarema

29/11/2022

One of the most frightening things for every housewife is cleaning the oven. In particular, the absolute nightmare is cleaning kitchen appliances that have been neglected for quite a long time while actively cooking various dishes. The best solution in this situation will be a self-cleaning oven – a real salvation for hostesses who do not want to spend hours removing traces of spills from cooked food, carbon deposits and other contaminants. It is easy to activate the function of cleaning the interior of the appliances. Self-cleaning oven instructions often involve a little preparation, patience for the process itself, and a quick, easy wipe-down after cleaning.

Self-cleaning oven: what it is and how it works

The self-clean oven is a modern find. Manufacturers have tried well to improve home appliances and equipped their models of ovens with a self-cleaning cycle. The cleaning option implies a relatively high temperature (about 470 degrees C), which allows food residues and oils inside the oven to decompose completely. The contaminants become ashes that need to be wiped down at the end when the cycle comes to an end. If you are wondering how to work a self-cleaning oven, you need to know that the door is locked for the cleaning cycle, which is 2-5 hours. It all depends on the oven’s model and the dirt’s intensity.

If you are wondering how to use self-cleaning ovens, you should also decide on the frequency. Often, experts recommend that you clean your appliances at least once every six months. Frequency depends on how often you use the technique, what food is cooked there, and other parameters. To achieve maximum cleaning quality, it is best to prevent the accumulation of residues of food and grease inside. Baked food and oils can provoke the transfer of flavours to other dishes in the oven. Also, during baking, residues can cause smoking. Over time, without cleaning, the oven will begin to emit an unpleasant aroma (even when nothing is cooking in it). At the same time, it is optional to activate the cleaning function after every cooking. Sometimes, you can wipe the surface with a sponge soaked in soapy water.

In addition, some people are afraid to run their own oven self-cleaning cycle too often because they are afraid of prematurely breaking the fuse on the appliance. In general, there is some logic in this statement, but not everything is so simple. The fact is that the oven during the self-cleaning option can warm up to the limit of 470-480 degrees C (it all depends on the specific model). This temperature regime must be maintained for quite a long time – up to 5 hours, at the same time, optimal air circulation must be ensured.

At this time, the equipment is experiencing a rather large load, so it is not surprising that a short circuit may occur at the moment. In certain situations, the control panel may even break. You should not take such a risk a few days before you plan to use the oven quite actively – before any holidays. For this reason, you do not need to abuse the self-cleaning mode and carry it out every week. In general, many ovens do an excellent job with this process, but it’s still worth saving the technique. If any contaminants can be removed manually, then do so.

Standard instructions for the correct use of a self-cleaning oven

Always read the manufacturer’s self-cleaning oven instructions and operating instructions. If you still need to get this manual, you can find it in virtual format on the brand’s website or online. The cleaning process can take several hours, so it’s worth scheduling when you won’t need the equipment. During this time, the door will be locked. It would help if you didn’t try to interrupt the cycle once it starts or open the door before it’s finished.

Before learning how to self-clean the oven, you must know how the technique will behave in principle during this mode. Under the influence of high temperatures, the oven will emit fumes and smoke, burning the food that remains inside. At this time, you should ventilate the kitchen ideally, removing the smoke and unpleasant odour. At the same time, you should keep the ventilation grate of the oven closed so that the air can circulate freely.

If you’re wondering how to use the self-cleaning oven, we suggest you read our step-by-step guide:

Step №1: Prepare the oven

Ensure there’s nothing inside the appliance – grates, utensils, trays, foil, and more. Find the instruction manual and read it carefully. It’s also worth removing the stainless steel racks before you start cleaning. During self-cleaning, air should flow unobstructed through the vents, so you should remove anything on top of the equipment – towels from the door, any objects on top, and things from the stove.

Step №2: Clean the seal on the doors

Take a lint-free cloth soaked in warm water to wipe the top edge on the inside of the door and around the door frame itself. The fabric should thoroughly remove dirt and crumbs, which may prevent the door from fitting tightly to the body. In doing so, you should be careful not to move the gasket or bend it.

Step №3: Make sure there is good ventilation

It would help if you turned on the exhaust hood to dissipate steam and excessive heat actively. It would be best if you also opened the windows in the kitchen. Turn on ceiling fans.

Step №4: Close the door tightly and put the appliance on self-cleaning

Many models of ovens can automatically lock the door after the cleaning process is activated. If it’s not provided, it’s worth locking it yourself. After that, you should set the self-cleaning cycle on the control panel.

Step №5: Remove any remaining debris

The oven door automatically unlocks when the temperature inside the appliance drops to a safe level. After that, you should open the appliance and wipe the inside with a lint-free cloth, wiping off any ash residue after the self-cleaning cycle.

Step №6: Put everything back in the oven

After cleaning, you can return the racks you took out before starting the cycle. In doing so, you should also rinse them in soapy water and wipe them down with a sponge. After drying, you can put them back in place in an oven that is already clean. After that, the technique is ready for use.

Step №7: Wash the outside of the appliance

When the oven is spotless on the inside, it’s also worth washing the outside of the oven as well.

How to set up a self-cleaning oven: best tips

In addition, if you’re wondering how to use the oven self-clean, it’s also worth checking out a few tips from the pros:

• Before you start the cycle, read the self-clean oven instructions from the equipment manufacturer and follow the steps. If you need help finding the manual, you can find a lot of valuable recommendations on the Internet.
• Remove all trays, baking moulds, pans and other utensils and grates that may be inside the oven.
• Do not do your cleaning of the appliance door gasket because otherwise, you could damage it.
• Do not simultaneously clean the oven’s surface with commercial cleaners as the cycle.
• Do not touch the appliance and keep small children away while the cycle is in progress, as the equipment heats up to critical temperatures where a person could get a severe burn.
• Run the cleaning option even before the contamination becomes relatively high. This option cannot handle reasonably thick layers of burnt food in 1 cycle.
• Be sure to wipe off spills on the surface as soon as the equipment cools down so it can be cleaned safely.

To solve the question of how to use a self-cleaning oven to the best advantage, the primary key to success is to choose the right timing and carefully study the instruction manual. Once you have intelligently planned the intervals of the cycles and started using the self-cleaning oven option safely, you will be able to keep your appliances optimally clean without any significant effort.