An oven is one of the best appliances you can have in your home. Holidays are merrier with a delicious roast turkey or making that delicious casserole or lasagna. You can also eat healthier by baking dishes instead of frying them. And who doesn’t love fresh-baked bread or cookies?
The only downside to having an oven is cleaning it. This is one of the hardest jobs you’ll do in your kitchen. You can lessen the agony by investing in a self-cleaning oven. Do you already have one but are afraid to use this feature? Read on and learn how to clean a self cleaning oven.
What is a Self-Cleaning Oven?
A self-cleaning oven is an oven with a pyrolytic cleaning feature. You can find the setting for the self-cleaning mode on your oven’s control panel. You should also check the knob with the other settings as some models have included it there.
The oven heats up to a very high temperature once the self-cleaning mode has become activated. The intense heat burns away any food residue and splatters. Any food remnants turn to ash, which can then be wiped away with ease. If you choose to do the cleaning yourself, you’ll spend hours trying to scrub away the burned food. You’ll also expose yourself to fumes from chemical cleaners since this is such a small enclosed area. Your best bet is to use the self-cleaning feature on your oven.
How to Clean a Self Cleaning Oven
Many people are reluctant to use the self cleaning function on their oven because they are afraid of the extreme heat and the smoke that comes out. Others don’t like the strong smell, but these are not anything to be afraid of.
You can have a housekeeping service deal with oven cleaning. But you can save time and money by doing it yourself. Here’s how you can clean your self-cleaning oven:
· Read the Instructions
You will gain confidence in trying new things by having the right information. The best practice is to read the instruction manual before using any appliance. It will tell you what you should and should not do. You’ll learn how to use it and care for it, plus it will also ensure your safety.
· Check Your Ventilation
You must make sure that your kitchen is well ventilated. Check it before you use your oven’s self-cleaning feature. Open the windows and door. Turn on the overhead fan. Your kitchen is about to get very hot. There might even be a bad smell or a bit of smoke coming out of the oven. This often happens to very dirty ovens.
You don’t want the smell to linger in your house or the smoke to trigger the alarm. Making sure the area has proper ventilation will prevent this. You shouldn’t stay in the kitchen, but you must be nearby. This is a simple precaution.
· Strip It
Remove everything inside your oven. Take out the racks, foil, and even the drawer underneath. Leaving metal racks inside will cause them to become discolored. It’s safe to leave enamel-coated racks inside though.
You can place the racks in a tub or sink. Let them soak while the oven is self-cleaning. You can scrub them later with a soft sponge and a liquid cleaner.
· Clean Up the Food Residue
Your oven will have food residue sticking to the walls or on the bottom. These are the oil splatters or spills from your food baking. Try to remove as much of it as you can before you start the self-cleaning process. Use a tool that won’t scratch the surfaces.
· Run the Self-Cleaning Process
Set the self-cleaning cycle. You can do this using the oven’s control setting. The oven door will lock once the process starts. New models have an automatic lock. You might need to use a lever to ensure the door stays closed in an older model. This is for safety purposes. You don’t want to get blasted by the intense heat of the cleaning cycle.
The cleaning process takes several hours. It depends on how dirty it is. A light cleaning will only take two hours. But it might take as long as four hours if your oven is very dirty.
Everything inside the oven will turn to ash from the high heat. The oven door will remain locked even after the cleaning cycle is over. It will open once the oven has cooled down to safe levels.
Wipe It Down
Wipe the inside of the oven with a damp microfiber cloth. This will remove the ashy residue. Make sure you wipe it from top to bottom. You might have to do the process several times to ensure a thorough cleaning. Put back the racks and drawer once you’re finished. Your oven is ready to use again!
You might notice that the glass facing the inside of the oven is a little dirty after the cleaning cycle. You can clean this with no problems. Most cleaning service companies will sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the glass. They will sprinkle a small amount of water. This will create a paste mixture. Rub it over the glass. Let it sit for 30 minutes before wiping it off with a wet sponge.
Leave the House Cleaning to the Experts
There’s an art to cleaning. Don’t worry if you’re not quite the artist. PCT Clean has the skills you’re looking for. We are one of Atlanta’s top cleaning companies. We are ready to help keep your office or home in pristine condition. Our cleaners are well trained and reliable. We offer home and office cleaning services at your convenience. Our services also include deep disinfecting and move-in, move-out cleaning. You can reach us at (770) 422-5326. You can also request a quote here.
