Can A Self-Cleaning Oven Catch Fire? Find Out!

After months of frequent use, your oven is covered with filth and sludge. And you are really grateful for the self-cleaning capability. Then, of course, you worried when you saw that your oven had a little fire. You are here to confirm if everything is okay, right?

Before the self-cleaning process, a fire may start if there are still significant food bits and/or grease residue in the oven. Oven self-cleaning can sometimes result in food or oil catching fire. When this occurs, you must avoid opening the oven door. As there is no air present, the flames will ultimately go out.

Find out why you can see flames within your self-cleaning oven in the following paragraphs and what you can do to address the situation. Using this functionality has several drawbacks, which I’ll also discuss. Whether you can put water on an oven fire or not, that is also a question this post will address. To remove the burnt smell from your oven, we’ll also show you how to completely clean it.

Does Flames Inside My Self-Cleaning Oven Occur Naturally?

Conveniently, your oven has a self-cleaning function. No thorough manual cleaning of the oven is required. Considering all the food particles, grease, and filth accumulated due to this appliance’s frequent use, it would be a very time-consuming task.

Your oven placement puts you in an awkward position while you clean, making the task more challenging. Along with the effort, you have to expose yourself to the scent of the cleaners you use and the accumulated food debris.

Using the self-clean feature, you can clean with only a click of a button. This procedure turns all that dirt into ashes by heating your oven to a very high temperature—roughly 900 to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the oven has cooled, all you need to do to get it clean and ready to use again is wipe out the ashes from the oven cavity. The self-clean feature of an oven should be used with caution, as experts advised. Despite the benefits it provides, it has several drawbacks.

Since the temperature is so high, your oven could catch fire while the operation is going on. Too much smoke may be produced by the grease and substantial food debris in your oven, which also has the potential to spark and create small fires.

This can occur if you don’t begin self-cleaning by removing as much oil and food residue as possible. To properly use this feature, it is advised to scrape off any enormous chunks of residue.

The only method for you to avoid oven fires and excessive smoke while the process is going on, we realize, defeats the self-cleaning feature.

Do not halt the self-cleaning operation if you see a fire in your oven while it is in the middle of it. Don’t unlock your oven because it is automatically locked. The door must be tightly sealed to ensure that no outside air can enter and start a fire.

Lack of oxygen causes the flames to extinguish on their own. It is unsafe to open your oven until the self-cleaning cycle has finished, the oven has cooled down sufficiently, and the lock feature has been disabled.

We’ve grown accustomed to water being used to put out a fire. The reason for your thinking in this manner is that it is understandable. Pouring water on an oven fire is not advised, though.

First of all, you shouldn’t open your oven despite the presence of flames within. This is quite usual and anticipated when substantial portions of food and oil residue are heated to an extreme level.

You would just spread the flames by opening the oven door. The oven would receive air, which would feed the fire. Because of this, when the cleaning procedure begins, your oven locks itself.

To stop air from leaking in, it must be well-sealed. Additionally, the fire will extinguish on its own due to a lack of air. No longer is water required to be added. Then, prepare to clean up an ash buildup by patiently waiting for the cycle to complete.

Are Self-Cleaning Ovens Dangerous to Use?

As was already said, there are certain disadvantages to using the self-cleaning feature on your oven. Using this function carefully is best to be aware of its drawbacks.

Smells and Smoke

The situation will worsen if there are significant amounts of food debris. You’re employing really high temperatures to turn all the muck into ashes should account for this. Their propensity to burn readily also occurs when working with large quantities of sweet drippings.

Your smoke alarms can eventually start to go off. If the room isn’t properly ventilated, the smoke and fumes may also hurt your eyes and lungs. It is advisable that while the cleaning is done, people with asthma and those with pets leave the room or house.

Lack of Complete Self-Cleaning

You should scrape up substantial food remnants and eliminate extra oil from the oven’s bottom before you start the self-cleaning operation. This plays a critical role in preventing oven fires. The ashes at the oven’s base must be removed once it has cleaned itself.

Before the procedure, you must also remove the oven racks to prevent damage. Given that the racks can also become rather dirty, it might be a struggle. Therefore, manual cleaning is required.

The interior and exterior sides and the frame, edges, and seal of the oven’s door must also be cleaned. You, therefore, cannot altogether avoid the cleaning portion.

Damage to Oven Parts

The oven’s interior parts are subjected to extremely high temperatures, making them vulnerable to severe wear and tear. They might become weaker with time. Your oven’s heating elements and control panel, for example, could be damaged due to this.

Burn Risk

The use of your oven’s self-cleaning feature could be hazardous. You can’t leave the house while this process is going on since it’s a fire hazard. Depending on how well-maintained your oven is, it can take 2 to 5 hours. As anyone touching the device could suffer significant burns, you should keep an eye on it to ensure it is not touched.

Using the self-clean feature on your oven carries several concerns, to name a few. To prevent negative consequences, do take the appropriate safety measures.

How Can I Clean My Oven of the Burnt Smell?

There is no other method to eliminate the burnt smell if your oven releases it every time it is used. Manual cleaning is an option if you don’t want to use the self-cleaning feature.

As an example:

• Before trying to clean the oven, make sure it is totally cool.
• Check if your kitchen has sufficient ventilation by opening the oven door. Turn on your ceiling fan or exhaust fan while opening as many windows as possible.
• In the interim, turn off the HVAC system to prevent the burnt smell from spreading to other areas of your house.
• Oven racks should be taken out and given a hot water soak. The residual filth and grease can be removed with a soft-bristled brush once the food residue has softened. Additionally, you can apply a paste on the surface of the rack by mixing baking soda and a little water.
• Dry thoroughly after rinsing.
• The food residue on the oven floor should be removed with a food scraper as much as possible.
• Absorb the grease with a paper towel.
• Water might help soften tough dirt if you apply it to the region. These burned regions can also be treated with baking soda paste.
• When you have eliminated the food debris, keep cleaning.
• Using a wet paper towel, clean everything off.
• Your oven door needs to be cleaned on the inside and outside. On the surface, spritz it with all-purpose cleaning.
• Spread the cleaner by circling it with a gentle cloth.
• The edges of your door should also be cleaned.
• To polish the surface, apply more clean cloth.
• Completely let it dry.

That is it, then! Currently, your oven is spotless. You may anticipate no longer having the burnt food stench when you cook.

FAQs

How much time does self-cleaning require?

It’s reasonable to estimate a few hours even though actual timing varies depending on the type and brand of oven you own. If necessary, you can always halt the self-cleaning function in the middle of a cycle: Consult the manufacturer’s directions for specifics.

Is it okay to clean your oven by yourself at home?

The self-clean option can be used whether or not you and your family—yes, even babies—are present at home, despite what you may have heard and the burning plastic smell’s potential to frighten you.

In general, normal household pets like cats and dogs are not endangered by self-cleaning ovens. Only tropical birds are harmed by the chemicals that self-cleaning ovens emit, claims Molly Maids. If you have a pet of this type, make plans for them to leave the house before starting a self-clean.

However, scents are frequently present, especially with ovens that use heat to clean. Due to this, many customers choose to ventilate simultaneously. And if the stench is too strong, you can always leave the room and wait for the oven to finish.

Last Words

Although you should expect to see some little flames in your oven when it is self-cleaning, it is still preferable to get rid of as much dust and filth as you can before the process to avoid this from happening.