9 Oven Tips Before Using Self-Cleaning
If you plan on cleaning your oven, you shouldn’t be too quick on grabbing that damp cloth and start wiping down on everything. The same goes for using the self-cleaning function of your oven if it has one. There are several things that you should know before you self-clean your oven. Here are 9 things that you should consider:
1. Knowing the right time to self-clean the oven
For those who don’t know, the self-cleaning functionality of an oven basically burns off any residue or spills during the cooking process with the use of extremely high heat. Homeowners should know that it is necessary to clean the oven manually when there are spills on the sides and at the bottom. Using the self-cleaning functionality will cause the spills to cake and make them harder to remove. The self-cleaning feature is best used when there are residue odour or soil buildup after cooking.
2. How often you self-clean depends on oven usage
It is not necessary to use the self-cleaning function after every cooking. If there isn’t any bad smells or soil buildup, using the self-cleaning functionality will only be a waste of energy and time. You should determine whether there is reasonable gunk. It is best to use hot, soapy water and wipe down the oven to give a nice, clean surface.
3. Knowing what type of self-cleaning your oven has
In general, there are two types of self-cleaning varieties - one variety uses heat while the other one uses steam. And some models have both options in one single unit. Either way, self-cleaning has its parameters and limitations. Read the user manual for more information. As a rule of thumb, always remove larger food debris before using the self-cleaning function.
4. Take out those oven racks first
Before you set your oven to self-clean, take out those oven racks.
Since self-cleaning deals with high temperatures, the oven racks could lose their sheen. Aside from that, they wouldn’t normally glide right in, like they used to. If the racks do become a little rough to slide in, use a little olive oil to let it glide easily.
5. Know more about high-temp self-cleaning
Older ovens that have self-cleaning functions use high temperatures to burn off food debris. The debris then turn to ash, which could be easily collected that the bottom of the oven. Temperatures could reach as high as 400-500°C, and the process takes anywhere from 2-4.5 hours. As a precaution, never leave anything on top of the range during a high-temp self-cleaning session.
6. Odours produced during self-cleaning can be dangerous
During the process of high-temperature self-cleaning, be sure to have the windows opened the whole time. The odours produced during the process can be harmful to animals and to people as well. Carbon monoxide is produced during the process, which could also pose a threat to humans. The traditional self-cleaning cycle will produce more dangerous fumes that ovens that use steam for self-cleaning.
7. Know more about steam self-cleaning
Unlike high-temperature self-cleaning, the process that uses steam is faster and produces no fumes. It is generally necessary to have a high frequency of self-cleaning if steam is being used. Also, after the self-cleaning process, the dirt accumulated at the cavity of the oven needs to be cleaned with a sponge.
8. Don’t use cleaners in a self-cleaning oven
If it’s labelled as a self-cleaning oven, there’s no use for cleansers at all. Not only will it interfere with the self-cleaning functionality, but it would also leave some nasty chemicals behind as well. Heavier food particles must be cleaned out before self-cleaning.
9. Don’t self-clean before a holiday or a dinner party
Despite being a function built into the oven itself, self-cleaning can be tough on some of the components of the oven. And sometimes, the oven may break down after using self-cleaning. So if you’re planning on having a big dinner party, don’t self-clean beforehand to avoid any inconveniences.
