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We’re continuing our series about how to clean your appliances with what you need to know to clean your oven.  When you notice a residue on the racks or bottom of the oven, grime on the door, or smoke when you turn on the oven, you know it’s time for the oven to get cleaned.  But when do you use the oven’s self-cleaning feature and when do you roll up your sleeves and clean the oven yourself? 

Self-Cleaning Oven Feature– The self-cleaning function on an oven can be very useful.  Once you press the self-clean button, the oven will lock and launch temperatures of over 500 degrees.  The high heat melts and removes the buildup.  The cleaning cycle takes several hours, and then you’ll need to remove the ash from along the bottom of the oven.  SAFETY TIP: You’ll need to stay at home while the self-cleaning cycle is running, just in case anything goes wrong.  The oven’s self-cleaning feature should be used more for maintenance cleaning.  If old food is caked on the racks and along the bottom of the oven, or if it’s been months since your oven was cleaned in any way, the combination of high temperatures and thick, caked on food can potentially cause a fire.  If this is the case, you’ll need to clean the oven by hand or hire a highly rated maid service to clean the appliance for you. 

Hand-Cleaning the Oven– Cleaning anything by hand is more labor intensive, but generally provides a higher quality clean.  In the case of oven cleaning, cleaning and scrubbing the oven by hand can also be the safer alternative.  Here are our pro tips for cleaning your oven:

1. Consult the manual. Always reference your oven’s manufacturers manual, just like you’d do before cleaning anything else, just to be sure you don’t use any cleaning solutions or methods that could damage the appliance or void the warranty. 
2. Wear protective gear when cleaning your oven. You need to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the caustic chemicals in oven cleaning solutions, the sharp edges in the oven, and even the gunk and crusty old food you’ll be scrubbing away.  We also recommend wearing eye protection in case any chemicals spatter into your face during cleaning.
3. Spread old newspapers or rags around the exterior of the oven to collect any drips or spatter while you clean.
4. Remove anything from inside the oven that can be removed, including the racks, thermometer, etc.
5. Soak the racks in a sink. It’s best to allow them to soak for hours, or even overnight, so we recommend using a utility sink or another sink that you won’t need to access during this time.
6. Apply the cleaning solution according to the instructions on the bottle. If you’re using a heavy duty oven cleaner, coat the interior of the oven according to the instructions on the label.  If you want to use a more natural approach, you’ll need to research a safe cleaning solution to use, such as one that includes baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, etc., and mix and apply the mixture as instructed.  Allow the cleaning solution to sit on the oven, and then remove it as the instructions say to do.

The oven gets heavy use and requires routine cleaning to keep it in good shape and to ensure your food comes out tasting good. Oven cleaning is a task few enjoy, though, so it’s best to find a highly rated house cleaning company and let the professional house cleaners take care of everything for you!  First Coast Home Pros is the best Jacksonville FL house cleaning service and the choice of our clients in Riverside, Nocatee, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, and throughout Jacksonville.  Let the award winning First Coast Home Pros maid service make your house sparkle!