Yes, you can leave the house while the oven is self-cleaning, but there are some precautions you should take: Ventilation: Ensure that the kitchen is well-ventilated. The self-cleaning process can produce smoke and odors due to the high temperatures involved.
Never keep your racks in the oven during a self clean. They will expand and be hard to pull in and out from that point on. Also damage the side walls of oven due to that fact. SOS pads + chore boy + elbow grease gets them clean, rinse well.
Also, adding vinegar causes an exothermic reaction. In an oven, that's taking place in a partially closed space (the door can be open), so it's safest to simply ask people to stay away from it for a few minutes to avoid any exposure to heat/fumes.
Baking soda is non-toxic, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and remarkably effective on cleaning oven grease. Baking soda is alkaline, and oven grease made of food particles is typically acidic. Baking soda neutralizes acids and breaks down the grease, allowing you to wipe it up without a lot of elbow grease.
When cleaning your oven, we never recommend cleaning with bleach, ammonia, or a mixture of the two (this can create very dangerous, life-threatening fumes). Steer clear of chemical cleaners and try more holistic products and natural cleaners you can find in your own kitchen for a fraction of the price (i.e., free).
The best DIY way to clean the oven
Fill two pans with a gallon of water, 1/2 cup of white vinegar and a few drops of dish soap and bring to a boil on a back burner, suggests Mary Findley (GoClean. com), author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Cleaning. Place the pans on the top and bottom racks of your oven.
Spread the paste over all walls of the oven, but NOT on the heating elements. Leave the oven overnight for the best results. Wipe clean with a damp cloth to remove as much of the baking soda as possible. Using a spray bottle, spray vinegar onto the walls of the oven.
Sprinkle baking soda over them and spray with vinegar. Wait for the foaming reaction and then soak in hot water for a few hours. This will loosen any grease and grime which you can then scrub off more easily. Put the oven racks back in your sparkling clean oven and sit back with a much-deserved cuppa and a cake!
Spray the racks liberally with Easy-Off Pro (or your chosen cleaning product), then put them into a trash bag—pro tip: if possible, spray them while they are already in the bag to keep all of the cleaner in play.
If you're a frequent baker, it is recommended that you run the self-cleaning option at least once every four months. If you're an avid user of your oven for general cooking, then it's recommended you run it once every year.
If you accidentally inhale oven cleaner fumes, move to an area with fresh air immediately and seek medical attention if symptoms persist or worsen. Inhaling oven cleaner fumes can be harmful to your health, as these fumes may contain toxic chemicals such as lye or ammonia.
First and foremost, don't leave your oven unattended during self-cleaning. You should plan to be in your home for the entire duration of the cleaning cycle to keep an eye on it and make sure everything is operating as planned. The next most important rules for oven self-cleaning involve ventilation.
Avalanche is used by professionals as deep clean industrial oven cleaner. Avalanche is safe to use on most-surfaces, however because of its caustic nature we that it should not be left on aluminium or stainless steel surfaces for more than a few minutes to avoid marking.
For discolored oven racks, place racks in the sink, spritz them with white vinegar and sprinkle baking soda all over them. Watch the mixture fizz, and let it sit for several minutes until the grease dissolves.
If you want to clean your oven without oven cleaner, you can DIY a natural cleaner using baking soda, vinegar, and water. "We say skip the chemical oven cleaner and use a safe and simple solution that still gives you awesome results. A great homemade oven cleaner is a combination of baking soda and water.
Baking soda is a base, and vinegar is an acid. When they're combined, acids “donate” protons to bases; in this case, it's acetic acid lending a hydrogen proton to the bicarbonate. When bicarbonate gains a hydrogen proton, it forms carbonic acid (or H2CO3) which is unstable and eventually decomposes.
Cleaning with natural products such as baking soda, white vinegar and lemon is a great way to remove oven grime without harsh chemicals. Plus, you can use your oven immediately after cleaning with natural products, as long as you ensure you have removed all the residue.
Stir together 3/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup warm water. If you add any essential oils, you can do so here (two to three drops should suffice, but you may add more if desired). A large oven may require more paste. Use a 3:1 ratio of baking soda to warm water if you need more.
This method is not recommended, though. Most dishwashers use hot water that's at most 60ºC (140ºF). The excessive heat of 100ºC could scorch the dishwasher tablets or cause them to release harmful fumes. Moreover, the steam released from this process would be ineffective at tackling baked-on grease and food.
All-Purpose Cleaner: Combine 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle and shake well. Add essential oil for fragrance if desired and add 1 teaspoon borax for extra cleaning power.