How you clean your oven will depend on the type of oven you have.

Uncategorised / By

Self-cleaning
These ovens have an inbuilt ‘self-cleaning’ cycle that turns all burnt on grease and spills to a hot ash residue that can simply be wiped away with a damp cloth. The oven gets very hot during this time – up to around 400 C – and the door automatically locks to prevent serious burns. An advantage of a self-cleaning oven is added insulation that will save you energy in the long run. Most new ovens sold today come with a self-cleaning feature.

‘Continuous cleaning’
A chemically-treated porcelain surface burns off food during the normal cleaning cycle to prevent spills from drying. They are especially effectively on fat-based spills but need very high temperatures to work on dairy spills.

Non-self-cleaning
This is the standard oven type. The oven does not help in the cleaning process. You will need to use a chemical cleaner.

  1. 1.Wear disposable rubber gloves. Oven cleaners contain very strong chemicals.
  2. 2.Spray the inside of your oven with an oven cleaner.
  3. 3.Leave for between 30 minutes and 8 hours depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.
  4. 4.Scrub the tough ingrained stains with a plastic brush or scourer (test first to make sure you don’t damage the surface).
  5. 5.Wipe the oven cleaner away. If any stains remain you can repeat the process.
  6. 6.Rinse the inside of your oven several times. No oven cleaner must remain.

Tips

  • If you have a self-cleaning oven, use the self-cleaning mode right after you’ve finished cooking. This will help you save energy as the oven will already be hot.
  • Wipe up all spills as soon as your oven is cool to prevent them from drying.
  • When cooking a dish that is likely to overspill, place a sheet of foil at the bottom of the oven, making sure it does not cover or obstruct any vents.
  • When using the self-cleaning mode, remove all pets and especially birds from the area. Birds have exceptionally sensitive respiratory systems and self-cleaning ovens have been known to release fumes that, whilst harmless to humans, are deadly to birds.
  • Remove plastic parts when using the self-cleaning mode. In some instances these can be melted by the high temperatures.
  • Non-self-cleaning ovens should be cleaned at least monthly to ensure stains do not become too ingrained.