Instructions for How to Use a Self Cleaning Oven

Use the self-cleaning feature on your oven for hassle-free oven cleaning.

A self-cleaning oven takes the hard work out of oven cleaning. Ovens with a self-cleaning feature use extreme heat temperatures---upward of 600 degrees---to remove food and carbon buildup from the inside of the oven. Self-cleaning ovens are easy to use and require very little work to clean.

Things You'll Need

• Rags
• Water

Instructions

1. Remove everything from inside of the oven, including coils, drip pans and broiler pans. Remove anything sitting on top of the stove and take out the bottom drawer on the stove, if your oven has one.

2. Wipe up any large, fresh spills from inside the oven. Make sure the oven is cool. Use a damp rag to remove any spills or large chunks of food.

3. Set the oven to the self-cleaning cycle. Most ovens will give you a choice of a three or four hour cleaning cycle. Choose the three hour cycle for moderate cleaning and the four hour cycle for heavy-duty cleaning.

4. Open the windows in the kitchen and turn on the exhaust fan. The self-cleaning process can produce a strong smell as the heat burns everything inside the oven to ashes.

5. Wait for the entire self-cleaning cycle to complete. The oven door will lock during the cleaning cycle to prevent burns from the extreme heat. Most ovens will also remain locked for at least 30 minutes after the cleaning cycle to allow the oven to cool down.

6. Wipe down the inside of the oven with a damp rag once it has cooled. Wait at least one hour after the oven door unlocks to wipe down the inside of the oven to prevent injury from burns. The food and carbon will have turned to ash, leaving a whitish-gray powder on the bottom of the inside of the oven. This ash is easily wiped up with a damp rag. Wipe down the inside glass of the oven with the damp rag as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Be mindful that the exterior of the oven will be hot during the self-cleaning cycle. Do not leave children unattended near the oven during cleaning.

References

• Naturally Savvy: How to Clean a Self-Cleaning Oven
• Asian Recipes: How Does a Self-Cleaning Oven Work?