Whenever it comes to choosing an oven, we prefer self-cleaning ovens. Because it can save us time and effort in cleaning ovens. Moreover, cleaning a dirty oven is not always easy. So, a self-cleaning oven is pretty convenient.
But sometimes, self-cleaning ovens are not cleaned well. You might want to clean the oven again manually.
So, you might be confused about whether you can use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven or not. Well, you have to know the details about the safety and consequences of using oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven.
Can you use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven?
You should not use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven. Generally, self-cleaning ovens clean themselves efficiently. So, you don’t need to add extra elements. Moreover, an oven cleaner can discolor and etch the surface. Continuous use of oven cleaner might minimize its efficiency.
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However, when it comes to cleaning, some of us are stubborn. We try to clean different appliances for hygiene issues. So, you might also feel the need to clean ovens regularly.
Generally, self-cleaning ovens have the feature of cleaning the ovens automatically. But sometimes you might not be satisfied with the automated cleaning. Moreover, cleaning might not be sufficient. So, you might want to clean the self-cleaning oven manually.
So, you might have thought of using oven cleaner. But you should not use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven. Because oven cleaners are pretty harsh chemicals. These cleaners might clean the oven properly, but they can harm the oven surface too.
If you use oven cleaners to clean self-cleaning ovens, the chemicals might etch the oven surface.
Moreover, the oven cleaner will discolor the self-cleaning oven surface. If you use oven cleaners continuously, the regular function of the self-cleaning oven will not work properly.
So, if you use oven cleaners over and over again, the self-cleaning feature will not be efficient anymore. But sometimes, self-cleaning might not be enough to clean the stubborn stains. Then you can use safe oven cleaners for the time being.
But you should not do it continuously. Moreover, you should not keep the oven cleaner on the self-cleaning oven for a long time. You should spray and wipe off immediately. Otherwise, the cleaner might damage the surface.
Is Easy-Off oven cleaner safe for self-cleaning ovens? Do you use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven?
Easy-Off oven cleaner is pretty safe for self-cleaning ovens. Generally, using commercial oven cleaners is not recommended for use on self-cleaning ovens. But Easy-Off cleaner is not unsafe for self-cleaning ovens because it has fewer harsh chemicals.
The easy-Off cleaner is fume free. But it can start working within 30 seconds. So, you don’t need to keep the oven cleaner on for a long time. You can just spray the cleaner and wipe it off. Moreover, Easy-Off cleaner doesn’t produce any caustic fumes.
But you are not supposed to use oven cleaners on self-cleaning ovens. Self-cleaning ovens are supposed to be cleaned on their own.
So, you don’t need to do anything else. Sometimes, the stains and grease are so stubborn that the self-cleaning cycle might not clean the oven efficiently.
So, you can clean with a safe cleaner. But you have to remember that continuous use of cleaners will damage the surface. Moreover, you should not leave the cleaner on the surface for a long time.
Why can’t you use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven?
Now that you know you can’t use oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven, you might want to know the reasons behind it. So, let’s see why you can’t use oven cleaners on a self-cleaning oven.
Etching:
If you use an oven cleaner on the self-cleaning oven, it might not do any harm immediately. But if you continue cleaning with oven cleaners, it will etch the surface. The surface of the coating will be damaged.
Moreover, the underlying metal will be exposed. So, etching can also make the oven unsafe to cook in. So, you should not clean the self-cleaning oven with an oven cleaner.
Discoloration:
Cleaning a self-cleaning oven with an oven cleaner can also discolor the surface. Because oven cleaners contain harsh chemicals. These harsh chemicals might help remove stains from the surface.
But if you use oven cleaners continuously on the self-cleaning oven, the surface will be discolored.
Misbalance the self-cleaning cycle:
Every self-cleaning oven has a cleaning cycle. So, when you apply the additional cleaner to clean the self-cleaning oven, the regular self-cleaning cycle becomes misbalanced.
This might not happen instantly. But the misbalance will develop over time. So, if you want to clean the oven with a self-cleaning cycle, it will not work effectively.
So, you have to depend on the manual cleaning of the oven. Thus, the overall process of self-cleaning will be unusual. That’s why you should not use oven cleaners on self-cleaning ovens.
How long does it take for an oven to self-clean?
How long it takes for an oven to self-clean depends on different brands. But on average, 3 to 6 hours might be needed for self-cleaning the oven. Generally, the whole process is automatic.
The door of the self-cleaning oven will open and lock automatically. After locking the door, the cleaning will continue automatically. After the cleaning process is over, you don’t need to open the oven yourself.
Moreover, you have to wait sometime after the cleaning process is over. Because opening the oven door of a self-cleaning oven after the cleaning cycle is not safe. So, you have to wait from 30 to 90 minutes after the oven has cleaned itself out.
Then you have to open the oven and wipe out the oven. If you don’t let the cleaning process continue on its own, the cleaning cycle might be interrupted.
How do you clean a really dirty self-cleaning oven?
Generally, you don’t need to do much manually when you want to clean the oven with a self-cleaning cycle. But sometimes the oven gets too dirty. So, you have to clean the oven with your effort. Let’s see how you can clean a really dirty self-cleaning oven.
Preparation:
Before cleaning the oven, you have to make some preparations. For example, you have to disconnect the electric plug and let the oven cool. Then you have to remove all the trays from the oven and everything from the top of the oven.
Moreover, you have to wipe off the large residues from the oven.
Cleaning the outside of the oven:
You have to clean the outside of the oven manually. For this, you can take a damp cloth and soak it in a mild detergent. Then you have to wipe the oven with the cloth and then wipe it with a dry cloth afterward.
But don’t try to remove the control buttons while cleaning the control panel. For cleaning the glass door from the outside, you can use a glass cleaner. After cleaning all the edges, wipe them off with a dry cloth.
Cleaning with the self-cleaning cycle:
After cleaning the exterior of the oven, you can clean the oven with a self-cleaning cycle. To do this, you have to plug in the oven’s electric connection again and turn on the self-cleaning mode.
When the cleaning cycle is on, the temperature will reach up to 200 degrees centigrade for a catalytic oven. Then the grease and residue will burn off. After the process is done, you have to wait to let the oven cool down.
But if the oven is pyrolytic, it will take 3 hours and the oven will be deeply cleaned. After the cycle is over, open the oven door after an hour and wipe it off with a damp cloth. You can use the oven again after it is clean and dry again.
What product can I use to clean a self-cleaning oven?
You should not use any commercial product to clean the self-cleaning oven. Moreover, commercial products might be unsafe for the oven. But if you still want to use any product, you should use the safer ones. Let’s see some products that you can use to clean a self-cleaning oven.
- Easy-Off Oven Cleaner
- Zep Oven & Grill Cleaner
- Carbona Oven Cleaner
- Krud Kutter Oven & Grill Cleaner
- Diversey Break Up Oven & Grill Cleaner
- Goo Gone Oven and Grill Cleaner
- Astonish Oven and Cookware Cleaner
- GP66 Green Miracle Cleaner Concentrated soln.
- Fantastik Max Oven and Grill Cleaner
- Household ammonia
Final Thoughts
Cleaning a self-cleaning oven with an oven cleaner is not recommended. Because commercial oven cleaners contain strong chemicals that can etch and discolor the surface of the oven and ruin it. Moreover, the self-cleaning mode of the oven might get misbalanced.