Thursday, October 11, 2012

Teach me about self-cleaning ovens

I only recently noticed (after living here for five years) that my oven is self-cleaning.  And just the other day I spilled a significant amount of food in it (turns out "bake uncovered" doesn't mean "bake covered"!)  So I'm considering using the self-cleaning feature.

Anything I should know?  I know that it heats the oven up really hot until the spilled food apparently just flakes right off or something.  Do I need to supervise it?  Does it get smelly?  Any does or don'ts?

7 comments:

laura k said...

In my experience, self-cleaning ovens still need you to use oven cleaners to work - and oven clearn is hugely toxic.

Maybe your self-cleaning oven is truly self-cleaning and doesn't need that horrible stuff. In which case I am no help. I bet M@ knows.

You may already know this, but just in case, if you use oven cleaner, wear a mask, keep the window open, and DO NOT have any skin exposed. I once got some on my arm - I was using rubber gloves but wearing short sleeves - and I instantly got a very bad chemical burn.

laura k said...

* clearn = cleaner

impudent strumpet said...

I've never actually used oven cleaner. I've only cleaned an oven like three times in my life (I rarely use the oven, and, surprisingly, don't spill most of the time), and baking soda has always done the job.

I found the instruction book and it says you should have the window open, so maybe I should try baking soda while waiting for the weather to get less cold.

laura k said...

I would love not to use oven cleaner, as it's totally disgusting. But I've found that the kinds of things I cook in the oven spill, bake on, and won't come off. Cheese from (previously frozen) pizza, rice with stuff in it (like arroz con pollo).

Next time we need to clean the oven, I'll try baking soda. Maybe I'll be surprised!

impudent strumpet said...

Update: with baking soda it came off quickly and easily even though it was a large spill, so no self-cleaning for me! It took two rounds (first round removed about 80% of the spill), but that's still faster than the self-cleaning function.

The trick to baking soda is you have to let it sit. Cover the stain with a generous amount of baking soda and then sprinkle water on top so the whole thing is enveloped in a thick paste, then walk away. Watch TV, play on the internet, go grocery shopping, basically forget that you even started cleaning the oven. Then when you've completely forgotten about it and come back into the kitchen and wonder why you left the oven door open, scrub at it with a pot scrubber. It might take some time to get the whole thing clean, but there's always visible progress so it isn't too annoying.

laura k said...

Thanks for the tip!

I can do all of that except leave the oven door open, because doggies would be very curious about an open oven door, and stick their heads inside - which might end up cleaning the oven, but would probably make them ill. I'll try a giant note - OVEN CLEANING - so we don't forget and bake the baking soda in.

impudent strumpet said...

You could leave the oven light on instead/as well. Someone will probably notice at some point that there's a light on that isn't usually on.