What Everyone Gets Wrong When Cleaning The Oven

Cleaning your oven can be a dreaded task as these spaces are low to the ground and difficult to move around. Also, not only do they have food messes but grease and spills that have been baked at extremely high temperatures. If you've ever had the molten cheese fall off of a pizza onto the bottom of your oven, you know how difficult it is to remove food that has burned, smoked, and become stuck. 

And while most ovens have a self-cleaning function, it definitely doesn't eliminate the need for elbow grease and some suds. In fact, Compact Appliance recommends avoiding using the self-cleaning function altogether as it has the potential to create carbon monoxide and it takes up an enormous amount of energy. The last thing you want during the summer is a blazing hot oven for eight or more hours. Use this guide to learn what mistakes you should avoid when cleaning your oven. 

Ever wondered what actually happens when you use the self-clean function on your oven? It's not like a sudsy car wash — instead, your oven goes to a blazing high heat for a number of hours to burn off any messes, notes Bob Vila. When you use this function, be sure not to leave home, just as if you have a big dinner in the oven. While most ovens lock during cleaning mode, smoke can still accumulate and flow out, which can be hazardous for your family members and pets. 

Another huge mistake can be just pressing the self-cleaning function on without removing your racks from the oven. While they won't burn up in the heat, they will likely become dulled from being exposed to extreme temperatures for a long period of time. And, of course, you should consider if you'll need to use your oven anytime soon before you use this function. Self-cleaning cycles take several hours, so this is not a chore you want to attempt on Thanksgiving morning. 

Whether or not you've used the self-cleaning function on your oven, there is going to be dust and debris inside your oven. Cleaning influencer @GoCleanCo recommends using your vacuum to help make the cleanup a bit easier. When you add suds to dried and burnt debris, it just turns into mush and can even be spread around in the oven. Vacuating or even sweeping beforehand makes the job a lot less messy in the long run. This is also a great time to vacuum underneath your oven and to get any dust, hair, and debris that may be stuck in your oven's vents. 

Once you've gotten all of that out of the oven, you still need to use some chemicals and elbow grease to really consider the oven clean. Easy-Off is a great oven cleaner that can help eliminate any other stubborn messes and grease streaks. Just be sure to cover your floors with paper towels before spraying, as this chemical cleaner can strip finishes from your floors, according to @GoCleanCo.