When the cycle is finished, let the oven cool down. Then loosen dirt using a scrub brush or nylon scouring pad. Soak up any remaining water with a sponge or cloth and leave the door open to air-dry the oven. If you have a continuous cleaning oven, wipe up residue at least weekly.
You'll still have to wipe up any residue, drippings, and other “goodies” that are left over after the self-cleaning finishes. When you start your self-cleaning oven, it is going to get hot. Very hot! The goal is to create enough insulated heat to turn any grease, fat, and anything else that's been leftover into ash.
After the cleaner has done its job, thoroughly rinse the interior and the racks with a damp cloth or sponge. Ensure all traces of the cleaner are removed. If you want to take an extra step, use a 3:1 water and vinegar solution to wipe the entire oven, then pat dry with a paper towel.
We 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.
Additionally, users run a risk of inhaling harmful carbon monoxide during an oven's self clean cycle. . As we mentioned with the fumes, keeping some windows and doors open can help limit this risk. It's also a great idea to always have a working carbon monoxide detector in your home, just in case.
When standard oven racks have been cleaned in a self-cleaning oven, not only will they discolor to a deep gray, but they often become difficult to slide. You can put some vegetable oil on a soft cloth or paper towel and rub onto the left and right edges of the rack to make it easier to pull out and push in.
“The self-cleaning mode heats your oven up to 900 degrees and incinerates everything in the oven,” explains San Angelo. “This includes on the glass—you may still need to wipe the glass after the self-cleaning cycle is done, but always make sure your oven is fully cooled.”
How do you get a self-cleaning oven smell out of your house? I clear the smoke by opening a kitchen window and aiming a pedestal fan to sweep the kitchen air out of the house as quickly as possible. This is pretty successful at preventing the smoke from getting to the rest of the house, too.
Additionally, always preheat the oven with the door open to allow any remaining fumes to dissipate fully before cooking. If you have any concerns about residual cleaner or odors, you can run a short self-cleaning cycle or wipe down the oven interior with a mild detergent and water before use.
Your oven will beep and turn off when the self-clean cycle is complete.
However, the smell isn't dangerous. Although the fumes from self-cleaning ovens can be harmful to some tropical birds, they are not harmful to humans, despite popular belief.
Door is locked during the Self-Clean cycle
The oven will need to cool to approximately 200°F (95°C) before the door will open. Allow the oven to cool, for approximately 30-90 minutes, move the latch arm to the left to unlock the door.
Self-Cleaning Oven Do's
Make sure your kitchen is properly ventilated by turning on the hood fan and opening the windows. Reduce smoke by wiping out loose debris. Wipe down the oven window before running the cycle. Stay home while the self-clean cycle is running.
If you ran the self-clean cycle, but the oven doesn't seem to be clean, consider the following: White ash, white spots, or even white film on the interior is normal. Food soil can leave deposits in the oven after it has burned off but can be removed with a water and vinegar solution and a sponge or cloth.
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.
Chemical oven cleaner
If you're wondering if it's safe to cook in an oven after cleaning with it, it's best to leave the oven at a high heat for around 20 minutes before you use it. This should burn away any trace of the cleaner.
If your oven catches fire, the safety lock will make it impossible to open the oven until it completes its cleaning cycle. This means that the fire will be contained in the oven, and without oxygen, it will eventually burn out. Remember, do not try to put out an oven fire on your own.
Stopping the Self-Clean Cycle on a Range or Wall Oven
To cancel the self-clean cycle on models with electronic controls, press the Cancel or Clear/Off pad. To cancel the self-clean cycle on models with mechanical timer controls, turn the "Stop" knob to the current time of day. The knob should pop out.
The special enamel coating on self-cleaning ovens should make it easy to wipe clean. If any scrubbing is required, use only mild, non-abrasive cleaners like dish soap and water or vinegar diluted in water, or other cleaning solutions allowed per your owner's manual.
Clean Magic Eraser Kitchen With Dawn is Mr. Clean's best way to clean oven glass. The tiny micro-scrubbers inside lift away grease buildup from hard-to-clean places, like your oven's glass door.
You can remove brown stains and streaks from your glass oven door by applying a paste of baking soda and water directly to the stain and letting it sit for at least 20 minutes, then remove the paste with a wet microfiber cloth. If the stain remains, you can gently scrape it away with a plastic scraper.
It is possible to salvage oven racks left in during a self-cleaning cycle, but it may be difficult. The racks may be warped or discolored from the high temperatures. If the racks are made of sturdy material, such as cast iron, they may be able to be straightened or sanded down.
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Durable works well for removing grease and burnt-on food from stovetops, and it ought to do the trick on your oven racks, too.