Question about the "self clean feature" on the oven...

So I realized earlier when making dinner, just how horrible the bottom of our oven has become (I've never used the self-clean feature, Sept 1st will be two years we've been in the house).

My problem is, I remember reading a post from Woody around Thanksgiving, about how many fires they respond to around that time because of people using the "self clean" for the first time in a year or more.

What would be the best course of action on getting the over clean? I'd really prefer to NOT end up calling the fire department and/or causing smoke damage or worse to my house.

PS, any good interval suggestions on using the self-clean?

Easy-Off, rubber gloves, a scrubber?

Just make sure that there are no cutting boards or bags of potato chips stored in there, scrape off the big/greasy stuff with a plastic putty knife, and then use the self clean. Don't do it just before bed. Expect your smoke detectors to go off. Open the windows and run a fan.

Woody said:

Just make sure that there are no cutting boards or bags of potato chips stored in there, scrape off the big/greasy stuff with a plastic putty knife, and then use the self clean. Don't do it just before bed. Expect your smoke detectors to go off. Open the windows and run a fan.

Gotcha, I figured we'd need multiple fans. So the fires were caused by other stuff being in the oven when the self-clean was used? But this means we will have to wait awhile before we do it. 

Not leaving the windows open for hours in summer in Oklahoma. :)

Dr. Hess said:

Easy-Off, rubber gloves, a scrubber?

I've never used it. My understanding is that it's absolutely horrible stuff.

z31maniac said:

Dr. Hess said:

Easy-Off, rubber gloves, a scrubber?

I've never used it. My understanding is that it's absolutely horrible stuff.

Wait, you are suppose to use it on your oven? I thought Easy-Off was for cleaning rear axles. I rebuilt the 8.8" in my old Lincoln and Easy-Off gave me a squeaky clean starting point.

z31maniac said:

Dr. Hess said:

Easy-Off, rubber gloves, a scrubber?

I've never used it. My understanding is that it's absolutely horrible stuff.

Dont get it on your hootus. 

Or in your eyes.

Or armpit.

Or breathe the fumes from inside the oven right after spraying .

I use it regularly to strip anodized finishes.

Easy off is a mix of sodium hydroxide (lye) and ethanol. Ph of 11 so about the same as ammonia.

It can burn you if you got a lot on you and waited a while to wash it off, but it isn't necessarily a scary thing. Wipe down with vinegar after cleaning to ensure it is neutralized but water is usually enough.

Yeah I thought ez off was for stripping wheels. Today I Learned. 

What temp does self clean get to? How can we use this for garage purposes. 

 

Don't use Simple Green unless you've got some time to kill.

I unknowingly lost a cookie from a flat sheet tray, found the cookie in the bottom of the oven on the 3rd or 4th batch, when I wondered to myself, "where's that smoke coming form?"

I had guests coming over, didn't have time for the oven clean cycle.  I looked around for what non-toxic cleaners I had, and Simple Green was it.

It cleaned the oven, but it took forever to get rid of the Simple Green smell.  I lost count of the rinse and heat cycles I did.  The house smelled like simple green for at least a week.

I didn’t think you were supposed to use any cleaners in a self cleaning oven, especially Easy Off.  

If you can wait, its worth waiting for a time when you can have the windows open and its cool enough outside that you may be running the heat instead of the AC.  I do it about once a year and just use hot soapy water to get up what I can before running it. Expect smoke, but not damaging amounts. Think "not really great at using a frying pan" amounts of smoke. 

z31maniac said:

Woody said:

Just make sure that there are no cutting boards or bags of potato chips stored in there, scrape off the big/greasy stuff with a plastic putty knife, and then use the self clean. Don't do it just before bed. Expect your smoke detectors to go off. Open the windows and run a fan.

Gotcha, I figured we'd need multiple fans. So the fires were caused by other stuff being in the oven when the self-clean was used? But this means we will have to wait awhile before we do it. 

 

Not leaving the windows open for hours in summer in Oklahoma. :)

Not always. Sometimes it's an accumulation of grease, but you need enough to create heat for extension. You're probably okay, but use your head. Self cleaning ovens have a thermal lock, so if it catches fire inside, you can't open it to hit it with an extinguisher. We often have to disconnect the burning oven and carry it outside. But it will smoke up your house through the vent. The pro trick is to hit the lock area with a CO2 extinguisher to cool it enough to open, and then put the fire out. But homeowners don't generally have CO2 extinguishers.

Apexcarver said:

If you can wait, its worth waiting for a time when you can have the windows open and its cool enough outside that you may be running the heat instead of the AC.  I do it about once a year and just use hot soapy water to get up what I can before running it. Expect smoke, but not damaging amounts. Think "not really great at using a frying pan" amounts of smoke. 

Oh yeah, that's what I was implying with "not leaving the windows open in Summer in Oklahoma." This will have to wait until the fall when it cools down.

Woody said:

z31maniac said:

Woody said:

Just make sure that there are no cutting boards or bags of potato chips stored in there, scrape off the big/greasy stuff with a plastic putty knife, and then use the self clean. Don't do it just before bed. Expect your smoke detectors to go off. Open the windows and run a fan.

Gotcha, I figured we'd need multiple fans. So the fires were caused by other stuff being in the oven when the self-clean was used? But this means we will have to wait awhile before we do it. 

 

Not leaving the windows open for hours in summer in Oklahoma. :)

Not always. Sometimes it's an accumulation of grease, but you need enough to create heat for extension. You're probably okay, but use your head. Self cleaning ovens have a thermal lock, so if it catches fire inside, you can't open it to hit it with an extinguisher. We often have to disconnect the burning oven and carry it outside. But it will smoke up your house through the vent. The pro trick is to hit the lock area with a CO2 extinguisher to cool it enough to open, and then put the fire out. But homeowners don't generally have CO2 extinguishers.

Excellent info, thanks!

Bottom line:

Scrape out the big E36 M3 first.

spitfirebill said:

I didn’t think you were supposed to use any cleaners in a self cleaning oven, especially Easy Off.  

This might be the wrong forum, but when all fails read the manual.

When the oven is really messy, as well as scraping with the putty knife mentioned previously I'll get a tub of  the hottest water possible, soak towels in the water, and then the towels go in the oven. With luck more of the crap can be wiped/scraped up.

Rons said:

spitfirebill said:

I didn’t think you were supposed to use any cleaners in a self cleaning oven, especially Easy Off.  

This might be the wrong forum, but when all fails read the manual.

When the oven is really messy, as well as scraping with the putty knife mentioned previously I'll get a tub of  the hottest water possible, soak towels in the water, and then the towels go in the oven. With luck more of the crap can be wiped/scraped up.

Unfortunately, the house had been thoroughly renovated and somehow the manuals for the new dishwasher/microwave/range weren't left behind. 

In reply to z31maniac :

Manuals can be found online...

Edit - aren't you a technical writer? C'mon man!

Robbie said:

In reply to z31maniac :

Manuals can be found online...

Edit - aren't you a technical writer? C'mon man!

I'm gonna take the typical cop out answer, "It's easier to just ask here!"

Easy Off is handy for lots of things.  I use it to get crud off of the shower stall.  Soap scum falls to the orange hand cleaner, but sometimes there's a crud that won't come off, and hitting it with the oven cleaner and letting it sit over night takes care of it.  Also handy for removing the oil from a gun stock.  Gotta be cheaper than running an oven on a cleaning cycle.

We used the self cleaning feature for the first time a few years back. Within days the oven was dead. I diagnosed a faulty temp sensor. When I went to the shop to buy the part they said “so, you used the  self-clean feature, didn’t you?”  I said yup. They said the temp sensors in ovens are not designed to handle the heat of the SC feature. She said they sell LOTS of temp sensors for every brand of oven. 

Don’t use the self-clean feature. 

If oven starts with an o and a v, why isn’t “of” spelled ov????

In reply to DrBoost :

Came here to say this, I've been told by many handymen not to run the self clean as the components aren't really designed for the heat. I'm sure a newer oven may survive a few cycles but Id bet money it shortens the life of the ofen.

DrBoost said:

We used the self cleaning feature for the first time a few years back. Within days the oven was dead. I diagnosed a faulty temp sensor. When I went to the shop to buy the part they said “so, you used the  self-clean feature, didn’t you?”  I said yup. They said the temp sensors in ovens are not designed to handle the heat of the SC feature. She said they sell LOTS of temp sensors for every brand of oven. 

Don’t use the self-clean feature. 

If oven starts with an o and a v, why isn’t “of” spelled ov????

Why does this not surprise me? Thanks for the tip. Kind of pisses me off companies are allowed to do stuff like this. 

"Hey we included this great new feature, but if you use it, it will probably break your product."
 

We've never had problems with using the self cleaning. Before busting out the harsh chemicals you could try boiling water and putting that in a roasting pan, and then pan of water in a 250 oven for an hour or so. Once the oven is cooled down enough to work see if steaming has loosened up more crud.