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.Wear disposable rubber gloves. Oven cleaners contain very strong chemicals.
- 2.Spray the inside of your oven with an oven cleaner.
- 3.Leave for between 30 minutes and 8 hours depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.
- 4.Scrub the tough ingrained stains with a plastic brush or scourer (test first to make sure you don’t damage the surface).
- 5.Wipe the oven cleaner away. If any stains remain you can repeat the process.
- 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.
