Gone are the days you have to scrub and scrub... and scrub to get your oven to shine like new. The self-clean feature, first introduced by Thermador in 1963, was added to both
gas ranges and
electric ovens solely to make cleaning easier. And, though once regulated to high-end models, it’s now a near-universal setting on household ovens. Show
So whether you dropped an entire pie in your oven while trying to remove it, the cheese on your pizza bubbled over, or you’ve just let too many crumbs accumulate over time, it's time to let that self-cleaning button on your oven work some magic for you. What type of self-cleaning oven is best?There are two different types of self-cleaning ovens: Those that clean with steam and those that clean with high heat, or “pyrolytic”
cleaning. Both save you from heavy-duty elbow grease — they just function a bit differently:
How often should you self-clean your oven?For most, a thorough self-clean every four to six months is plenty to keep your oven sparkling, says Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Appliances & Cleaning Products Lab. Ultimately though, how frequently you need to self-clean your oven depends on how often you use your oven — and how diligently you manually clean it between uses. “Some consumers use self-clean monthly, whereas others use it only once or twice a year,” said a brand rep from Thermador in an interview with Good Housekeeping. Frequency also depends on the consumer’s cooking habits. “For example, Thermador consumers who utilize the Sabbath Mode feature on their ovens
sometimes use self-clean more often to make their ovens suitable between cooking meat or dairy products (ideal for those keeping Kosher)." How long does self-cleaning take?Though exact timing varies depending on the brand and type of oven you own, it’s safe to bank on a couple hours. You can always stop the self-cleaning feature mid-cycle if you need to: For specifics, consult the manufacturer’s instructions. Is it safe to self-clean your oven when home?Though you may have heard otherwise and that burning plastic smell may spook you, it’s perfectly safe to run the self-clean feature whether you and your family (yes, babies included) are home or not, says Thermador. In general, self-cleaning ovens do not pose a threat to typical household pets like cats and dogs, either. According to Molly Maids, the fumes self-cleaning ovens produce are harmful only to tropical birds. If you have this type of pet, arrange for them to be out of the house before proceeding with a self-clean. That said, odors are common, particularly with ovens that clean using heat. For this reason, many consumers opt to ventilate (opening windows or running the hood) concurrently. And, if the smell is overpowering, you can always go into another room while the oven works its magic. How to use your oven's self-clean featureNo matter which method your oven’s self-clean feature works on, here are the general steps you’ll need to follow:
Note: Never use any household cleaners along with the self-cleaning feature. How to maintain a clean oven between self-cleaningsThough self-cleaning is undoubtedly convenient, your best bet to keep your oven in good, working condition is to give it a little TLC in between more major cleaning sessions. If you really want to stay on top of things, wipe it down once a month or when it begins to look dirty, says Forte. Here’s how:
Brigitt is a writer, editor and craft stylist with nearly 15 years of experience. She specializes in creating SEO and e-commerce content across a variety of lifestyle topics, including home, health, parenting, beauty, style, food, entertaining, travel and weddings. She also has significant experience creating native and branded content. Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal. Can you clean a selfIf you prefer to only hand clean the oven, a scouring pad (steel wool or plastic) may be used. Rub soiled areas lightly to prevent scratching into the oven liner surface. Do not use scouring powders. Household ammonia can also be used when manually cleaning a Self-Clean oven.
Can you leave the racks in when you selfWe do not recommend leaving the oven racks in the oven during the self-clean cycle. The racks may warp and discolor due to the extreme heat created during this cycle. The racks can also damage the rack guides of the porcelain oven cavity due to expansion and contraction.
Can you clean a selfFor how to clean a self cleaning oven without using the self cleaning feature, wipe the paste on the mess on the bottom of the oven. There's no need for high heat, hard scrubbing, or elbow grease. Wait at least 30 minutes for the baking soda to work, then take a paper towel or two and wipe up the mess. What is this?
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