14th Mar 2010

How long do I need to leave my oven in "self-clean" mode? ...and is it easier than spray cleaners?

  • My oven has instructions on how to use the self-cleaning feature, but one step of the directions is ambiguous.

    The step says "set the 'stop cleaning' timer."

    But set it to what? I can set the timer for up to 12 hours!

    So, how long does an average oven take to "self-clean"?

    Thanks!


  • I think ours takes about 2 or 3 hours.

    As for whether it's better to use spray cleaners, there are some tradeoffs. Running a self-clean cycle uses some natural gas and it can heat up your kitchen and put carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides into the air, although all of that can be minimized by the use of a range exhaust hood. It turns anything organic to ash which can usually be wiped up easily with a damp rag after the oven cools.

    Spray cleaners have their own pollutants, chiefly in the form of a caustic mist that you might inhale and find irritating to your nose and throat, although I think most manufacturers try to put out a heavy spray to minimize atomizing small droplets of the chemical. Also, they don't always work perfectly on heavy accumulations (might need a second or third application on stubborn baked-on crud).


  • depends on how dirty. Minimum dirt = 2 or 3 hours. It gets real hot!


  • The usual time is about 3 hours, but it depends on how dirty it is. I usually set mine for 3-4 hours. I find it easier to use the self-cleaning mode on the oven than to use chemical cleaners. Then when the oven is done "cleaning itself," all I have to do is vacuum out the ashes and wipe with a water dampened cloth and it looks great!


  • The self-cleaning mode on an oven heats the oven up to several hundred degrees. This turns anything stuck to the insides of the oven to an ash, which is then easily brushed or wiped away.

    The self-cleaning mode averages about 6 hours total. This is to heat up the oven, leave it on for two or three hours, and then give it a coupla-few hours to cool. I think what it's telling you to do is set how long you want the cleaning cycle (where the oven is on and burning the debris off) to last. I would suggest two to three hours. If that doesn't sufficiently burn all the stuff off, you can do it again, except give it four hours next time.


  • The default for most self cleaning ovens is 4 hours but if your oven is not that dirty, you can set it for less. I have not ever had a self cleaning oven that allowed for more than 4 hours. That would be a waste of energy as well as being highly unnecessary. The self cleaning feature does a great job and is much easier than doing it by hand. There may be a little ash residue left to just towel off but the oven is spotless. The point is to not let the oven get so dirty that it requires the entire 4 hours. It is much more efficient to do it more often for less time. Two hours usually does it for me.







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