How Does a Self-Cleaning Oven Work?

You know the all too familiar feeling: You pop a frozen pizza into the oven for dinner and you're left with a gooey, cheesy mess at the bottom of the appliance. If you don't clean it right away, your next few meals are likely to have an unpleasant, charred flavor from all those burnt-on toppings. Luckily, there's an easy fix: The self-cleaning oven! It's a convenience that saves you time and effort by doing the heavy lifting and saving you the elbow grease (and actual grease) that comes along with this unpleasant task.

Many more newer ovens now come with a self-cleaning cycle — in fact, you can even find self-cleaning double ovens these days. Let's take a deeper dive into this feature, learn the answers to questions like "how to self-cleaning ovens work?" and "how long does oven self-clean take?" as well as how to maintain them, and some important safety tips for using your oven's self-cleaning setting.

What Does a Self-Cleaning Oven Do?

While self-cleaning is a useful feature on newer ovens, it's not quite as miraculous as it sounds. So, what does oven self-cleaning do, exactly? Typically, the feature works by heating your oven to a high temperature — upwards of 900 degrees Fahrenheit in some models — to turn residual food into ashes that can be easily wiped away. Most have a lock mechanism that keeps the oven from being opened during the process, as this can sometimes release smoke, odors, or other fumes into your home.

Types of Self-Cleaning Ovens

Aside from the type of self-clean oven mentioned above, there are several oven models with self-cleaning features, and they each work a bit differently. Let's break down the different self-cleaning oven types, how they work, and how much they cost. Once you know the differences between how they work, you can determine the best self-cleaning ovens for your cooking style and make a solid choice for your home.

Pyrolytic Self-Cleaning Oven

The most common type of self-cleaning oven is the pyrolytic variety. This is likely what comes to mind when you think of "self-clean" features. These ovens work by heating to an extremely high temperature — often over 900 degrees Fahrenheit — to break down residue and turn it to ash. This process is called pyrolysis and refers to the breakdown of organic materials through decomposition at high temperatures.

Steam Self-Cleaning Oven

A steam-cleaning oven typically works more quickly than a heat-based cleaning model because the oven doesn't need to reach peak temperatures or stay hot for as long. To use the steam-cleaning function (if your oven has this feature), you'll pour about a cup of distilled water onto the oven floor and activate its steam clean oven setting. The oven will heat up to around 250 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to loosen up any food particles on the oven's interior. Once the debris is loosened and the oven has cooled, you'll still need to wipe out your oven to remove the remaining, softened debris.

Catalytic Self-Cleaning Oven

Catalytic ovens are like the pyrolytic variety in that they use heat to break down food and grease in the appliance. The main difference with catalytic ovens — sometimes also referred to as continuous cleaning ovens — have walls treated with special materials that absorb grease and oil during the cooking process. The fat in these substances is oxidized and disappears at around 390 degrees Fahrenheit, which means the process can often take place during your normal cooking routine. The downside of catalytic ovens is that they don't burn off sugar, so you'll likely still need to manually clean them every so often.

How to Use a Self-Cleaning Oven

If you're wondering how to use your self-cleaning oven, it depends on which type you have in your home. Here's how to use each type:

• Pyrolytic: First, remove any large or easy-to-clean debris from your oven. Next, activate the oven cleaning setting. It will heat up to high temperatures to burn off any stubborn debris and food remnants. After it's done and your oven has cooled off, you can wipe it down to remove any ash left behind.
• Steam-Cleaning: In most steam-cleaning ovens, you'll need to pour about a cup of water onto the bottom of the oven's interior then turn on its steam-cleaning feature. The steam should soften any leftover food particles and make wiping off any grime much easier.
• Catalytic: Good news; all you need to do to use your catalytic oven's self-cleaning feature is cook or bake in the appliance like you normally would. Any fat or oil that ends up on the oven's walls should be oxidized by temperatures commonly used for cooking. For sugar or food remnants not taken care of by the catalytic process, you'll just need to use an oven cleaner and soft cloth.

It's also important to note that you should manually remove any large, easy-to-reach debris or spilled liquids before activating your self-cleaning oven to reduce the amount of smoke and fumes released into your home during the process.

How to Clean a Self-Cleaning Oven

Even if your oven has a self-cleaning feature, you'll still need tips to clean an oven after running this feature since this technology isn't capable of cleaning up every particle left behind by daily use. It's a good idea to always remove any loose, easy-to-reach debris or spills before running your oven's self-cleaning feature to avoid excess smoke or fumes being emitted by the appliance during cleaning. You should also wipe down the interior of the oven after the self-cleaning cycle has finished to remove any loosened, burned, or remaining food or spills. You'll also still need to use the appropriate type of cleaner to wipe down your stovetop, handles, and the outside of your oven door.

Maintenance Tips

In addition to learning the most common oven repair tips, it's a good idea to have a regular maintenance routine for upkeep. This should include regularly cleaning your stovetop, oven door, and accessories like racks inside the appliance. Additionally, you should always clean any large spills or food messes as they happen, if possible.

It's also a good idea to keep an eye on your oven's gaskets — they're vital for keeping all that heat inside the appliance instead of leaking out into your home, so if they don't look damaged or loose, it may be time to replace them. Lastly, take time to slide your oven away from the wall and clean around and under it. Dust, food scraps, and household items like towels and pet toys often end up wedged in these tight spaces and can become fire hazards if not cleaned in a timely manner.

Safety Precautions

While self-cleaning ovens are meant to make cleaning much less painful, there are still safety precautions you should take when cleaning your oven.

• If your oven is really dirty when you start the self-cleaning function, it may be a good idea to run your exhaust fan or open windows in the area to ensure any smoke produced has somewhere to escape your home.
• Never use commercial oven cleaning agents at the same time as your self-cleaning feature. The high heat does not mix well with these chemicals and could create toxic fumes.
• If you're using a store-bought or chemical oven cleaner, always wear gloves and keep the substance away from children and pets.
• Wear a mask when using spray oven cleaners, especially if you have sensitive airways or a condition like asthma that is easily irritated by aerosols.
• Stay nearby while your oven is running its self-cleaning cycle. Though it may be a time-saving feature, the extreme temperatures created during this process mean it's important to monitor your appliance closely should any issues occur.
• Ensure any cleaners are fully wiped off before you begin cooking in your oven again.

Now that you know how to use the self-cleaning function on your oven, learn how to safeguard your budget when this appliance stops working and read about oven, range, and cooktop home warranty coverage from First American. Regularly cleaning your oven can help extend its life. And getting a free home warranty quote can put you one step closer to peace of mind if your oven suffers a covered breakdown.

FAQs About Self-Cleaning Ovens

Is it safe to use an oven self-clean?

Yes. If you follow the self-cleaning oven instructions in your device's manual and don't use any unnecessary chemicals or cleaning agents, it's generally safe to use your oven's self-clean feature. The only exception to this rule is in households with pet birds — they can be highly sensitive to fumes produced by these high temperatures.

How long does it take for an oven to self-clean?

It depends on what type of self-cleaning oven you own. Steam-cleaning ovens take about half an hour, catalytic ovens simply clean themselves during the cooking process, and pyrolytic ovens' self-cleaning cycle can take several hours.

What are the disadvantages of self-cleaning ovens?

If you're in a hurry, you may not want to use your oven's self-cleaning feature as it can take a few hours for some models to complete the cycle. They may also create smoke and a burning smell as they complete the process. During the self-cleaning cycle, the oven can also be extremely hot, so keep any children or pets away from the appliance during cleaning.

Do I need to put anything in a self-cleaning oven?

Typically, you should not add any cleaning agents to your self-cleaning oven as this can create toxic fumes. The only exception to this is steam-cleaning models, in which you'll need to place about a cup of water before the steam-cleaning cycle begins.

The contents of this article are provided for general guidance only. First American Home Warranty does not assume any responsibility for losses or damages as a result of using this information.

Please be aware that if you disassemble a covered system or item, it can invalidate your home warranty or manufacturer's warranty.