So I can get it all built up and looking like a mess, and then run the self clean cycle.
I would rather be able to just keep it looking nice all the time. And yet you hear that you cannot use oven cleaner in a self cleaning oven. What is the story here? Can anyone recommend a product?
Who said you can’t use an oven cleaner on a self-cleaning oven? I do it all the time.
If your oven’s owner’s manual says you can’t use an oven cleaner then contact the manufacturer and ask them what the recommend you use instead.
Yeah, all the cleaning cycle does is heat up your oven really hot for a long time. This carbonises the crud, and you wipe it up. See that last bit? That’s the important part.
But you don’t really need a grease-cutting caustic oven cleaner, since the grease is now ash. I just use soap and water.
I use the fume free version of good old EasyOff. It works for me and their advertising suggests it is safe for self cleaning ovens. As always, YMMV.
Some self cleaning ovens used a special surface that allowed grease and such to spread on the surface and catalyze/oxidize during normal use. You were not supposed to use cleaners such as Easy Off on these surfaces. I’m not sure if these technology is still in use, but if your oven is an older model it may have this surface.
This I’ve heard of as ‘continuous cleaning oven’ (though that may have been specific to that brand or a old term) and these are the types that one shouldn’t use oven cleaner on.
AFAIK a regular self cleaning oven you can use oven cleaner on.
Hey, I’m old! But you’re correct, “Continuous Cleaning” is the correct term.
As I remember, the OP just purchased a new oven. (There was a thread in which he solicited advice on how best to single-handedly remove the old wall oven. He was advised not to attempt to remove it by himself.) Presumably he received a user’s manual with it. So why not just read the manual for cleaning instructions?
Perhaps the oven instructions say not to use oven cleaner during the self-cleaning cycle?
I just ran a self-cleaning cycle on an oven for the first time in memory, and an chagrinned that I waited so long to do it. It’s much nicer in there now. I also ran my racks through the dishwasher and was amazed at how nice they look now!
Just a tip in case some of you don’t know it. After you clean your oven using the self-clean feature - and after you clean up the ashes in the oven and on the racks - take a piece of wax paper and rub along the sides of the racks. It makes them slide in and out very smoothly, like buttah. It makes a tremendous improvement.
It sounds like the OP wants to spot clean spills after each time they happen, instead of running a full cleaning cycle, correct? Standard oven cleaners won’t do that - they require a 2-3 hour soak period as well.
The manual to my self-cleaning oven says to remove the racks first. But thanks for the tip. I will try that after I manually clean them.