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Cleaning & Organizing Cleaning & Organizing

How To Use The Self-Cleaning Oven

By Dutch Blitz on Dec. 12, 2011 at 12:31 AM



We have a shiny Kenmore oven and after using (and abusing) it for a long time, we hit the "self-cleaning" button. We thought that pressing that button would make it all better, but then our house was filled with smoke and smelled like barbecue and it wasn't my favorite. We've since learned a few things.


1. Read the owner's manual. Because, OF COURSE.

2. Take out the oven racks. You need to clean the oven racks by hand, unless you want your house to smell like eau de BURNT.

3. Wipe up any spills and messes inside the oven first, using warm water and a mild soap. We did not, and the smell was horrific.

4. Open a window for ventilation. The dirtier the oven is, the more stinky smoke you have to deal with. We set it to clean when we're going to be away from home for the bulk of the day because it's not something you want to experience. Ever.

5. Wait for the cleaning to finish and the oven to cool before opening the door. When the oven is fully cooled wipe up any ash inside.

Tada! Clean oven!

Do you have any tips? Because we've only done this twice and I'm still scared to do it again.

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Replies:
  • Bmat
  • by Platinum Member on Dec. 19, 2011 at 2:02 PM

  • It is a big help. I cleaned my old self-cleaning oven a couple times a year. You open the oven door afterward and it is clean except maybe a little white powder.

    Quoting bxmommy2be:

    i wish my oven was self cleaning, it would help soooo much!


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  • bxmommy2be
  • by on Dec. 19, 2011 at 2:07 PM

  • i bet it is, i have to use easy off and that stuff smells bad 

    Quoting Bmat:

    It is a big help. I cleaned my old self-cleaning oven a couple times a year. You open the oven door afterward and it is clean except maybe a little white powder.

    Quoting bxmommy2be:

    i wish my oven was self cleaning, it would help soooo much!



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  • Bob192
  • by Member on Dec. 19, 2011 at 2:19 PM

  • Thanks so much!!  You have motivated me to clean my oven!  It has been years!!  I'm sure mine will be pretty bad too!

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  • Beth100
  • by on Dec. 19, 2011 at 2:36 PM

  •     Usually your oven comes with a ventilation fan.  Be sure to turn that on, when useing a self cleaning oven.....it will help to remove some of the smoke and smells associated with this task.  Your kitchen should also have a ventilation fan.....turn that on as well.  These steps will make the task much less worrisome.  Beth100


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  • BluEyedCrazy
  • by on Dec. 19, 2011 at 2:45 PM

  • I have had self cleaning ovens, but I have never used the feature, makes no sense to me. I am an idiot ;)

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  • biancalina20
  • by on Dec. 19, 2011 at 3:08 PM

  •  That's Interesting. I honestly didn't know there was a cleaning button at all. I usually just take a day to pull out the racks and wash them down, get a bowl of water and soap and scrub the inside the the oven. Thats usually as far as I go Inside the oven to clean it up.

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  • BeachMama05
  • by on Dec. 19, 2011 at 6:09 PM

  • wow sounds like hell :( sorry your house got all smokey. Thats good t oknow though, Thanks for sharing the tips! 

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