Cleaning the oven

[Deleted User]

Why is this necessary?  This something I don't understand.  We have a self cleaning one, and I'm doing it now.  However, I don't know what the purpose is.  Is it just for looks?  Does it flavor foods differently if it isn't done? 

TIA!

EVA116

I have no idea. My DH just said we need to clean ours but we have no idea what to clean it with. Is there oven cleaner? Can I use that while pregnant?

argonne

Self-cleaning ovens burn off all the burnt on crap.  I usually clean my oven 1-2 times per year.  Having all that char in your oven can alter the taste of food, plus I like my oven to look nice and pretty.

MandaPanda518

I tried using the self cleaning feature once, and I felt we were all getting poisoned because it smelled so bad. Maybe I did something wrong, but I will never do that again.

eta: typo 

chiualover

I hate the self-cleaning feature, it uses so much energy.

Plus the smell.

My mom would put a bowl of ammonia in a hot oven,

turned off of course. Let it say in there, and the grime

loosens and wipes off. This is my favorite way.

[Deleted User]

Oh.  Well my oven isn't very dirty, no spills or gunk or anything.  Maybe I should cook with the oven more often??  Or be messier. 

Arnegard

I also self cleaned once.  I cleaned it a few weeks ago using baking soda and vinegar.  We had drops on the bottom of the oven that would set the smoke alarm off when I was baking.  So annoying!

sevans1975

I dunno...I tried to do the "self-clean" on our oven once when I was home alone.  I had to scrap the whole thing when the smoke alarm went off and I was running around opening windows trying to get the miasma of doom out of my house.  I think it was January and way cold...too cold for such shenanigans.

tracieanchris

I wish there was a self cleaning stovetop. Ranks right up there with cleaning the bathtub. I hate cleaning it with a passion. At least the oven is closed so no one can see if its dirty.

Sonadora

I tried to use the self clean feature once. It started a freaking fire with giant flames inside my oven. I turned it off because I was really scared it was going to burn my house down.

 

My new method of cleaning the oven involves getting a new one in the next few years as our current one is beige and I hate it, until then, it stays dirty. 

argonne

Sonadora:

I tried to use the self clean feature once. It started a freaking fire with giant flames inside my oven. I turned it off because I was really scared it was going to burn my house down.

 

My new method of cleaning the oven involves getting a new one in the next few years as our current one is beige and I hate it, until then, it stays dirty. 

It's okay if it burns.  The oven should be devoid of enough oxygen to keep the fire from breaking the containment of the oven. 

[Deleted User]

Mackalien13:

I thought cleaning the oven was a euphamism.