The fumes released by the self-cleaning ovens are potentially harmful to the indoor air quality as well as to the health of the occupants inside the home.
As the food particles and the inside lining of the oven are treated with extremely high temperatures, fumes are released.
The fumes contain toxic by-products like carbon monoxide that is released into the indoor air.
The amount of Carbon monoxide released depends on how dirty the oven is and the type of oven you have.
Carbon monoxide inhalation can cause a lot of health problems for people and pets indoors. The high temperatures used for self-cleaning may also cause control panel issues in the oven
Allow me to elaborate on the details to give you a clearer picture. Let us briefly understand the self-cleaning oven feature.
What is a Self-Cleaning Oven?
Over the years, the ovens have come up with consumer-friendly changes. Many ovens are now equipped with self-cleaning modes that help to save time and effort.
A self-cleaning oven can be easily switched on with the click of a button.
When self-cleaning is enabled, the oven utilizes high temperatures to burn off grime and leftover food particles without using any toxic cleaning chemical agents.
As the inside of the oven becomes exposed to temperatures as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit, it reduces the leftover food particles to ash.
The oven will lock itself once the self-cleaning process begins. The door can be reopened once the temperature has cooled down to around 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
How Des Self-cleaning Oven Work
Another word for self-cleaning ovens is pyrolytic cleaning.
A self-cleaning feature is available in the ovens that have interior walls coated with smooth enamel making it easy to get rid of the grime and ash once the self-cleaning process is completed.
As the oven is exposed to high temperatures, the baked-on crust, grime, and grease reduce to a powder form or ash that can be easily removed at the end of the cleaning process.
Smoke and fumes are released as a by-product during the cleaning process. These emissions can then be found in the indoor air environment.
Why are self-cleaning oven fumes harmful?
Although the self-cleaning feature is quite convenient and cost-effective, it does harm the indoor air quality and also harms the occupants inside the home.
As soon as the self-cleaning mode is activated in the oven, carbon monoxide begins to build up and is released into the indoor air.
The more debris there is inside the oven, the more carbon monoxide is produced as a by-product.
The self-cleaning process also releases an unpleasant burning odor into the indoor air.
The traditional high-temperature self-cleaning ovens give out large volumes of noxious fumes.
This is due to the elevated temperatures inside the oven releasing fumes from the enamel lining that is coated inside the oven.
Another source of these fumes is the stuck-on food particles that burn inside the oven surface releasing carbon monoxide as a by-product.
The toxic fumes can worsen the respiratory disease or asthma that is present inside a person. It also adversely affects pets especially birds.
The fumes released from the oven during the self-cleaning cycle can cause difficulty in breathing, sweating, chills, cough, and other symptoms of flu.
These reactions can appear both in humans and pets. Birds are extremely sensitive to carbon monoxide and it is extremely toxic leading to death.
Birds are designed by nature, to inhale a large amount of air and this oxygen is sent directly to their flight muscles.
It can take up carbon monoxide directly from indoor air and send it through their bodies to their flight muscles. This action is quite dangerous for the birds.
It is best to take yourself and your pets outdoors before starting the self-cleaning operation in the oven.
Apart from this, the fuse and the control panel present inside the oven can burn or break down at extremely high temperatures.
Repairing the oven can be an expensive and time-consuming affair.
Also read: Are Air Fryers Bad for Birds?
How to Remove Toxic Fumes After the Self-Cleaning is Complete
After the self-cleaning mechanism is completed, you will note a distinctive odor of noxious fumes and a burning smell that can linger for quite a while indoors.
Open up your kitchen windows, and switch on the kitchen exhaust before starting the self-cleaning process.
Cross ventilation does help to get rid of the fumes and burning odor to quite an extent.
Check the quality of your indoor air with the help of any smart indoor air quality monitor to track the amount of Carbon monoxide and other pollutants found inside the home.
Air purifiers with good air cartridges and HEPA filters are a good way to capture noxious fumes, odors, and pollutants.
Air purifiers are an excellent choice to purify, improve and maintain indoor air quality and bring down the air quality back to safe levels.
How Frequently to Use the Self-clean Function in Oven?
It all depends on the frequency of usage and how dirty your oven gets while cooking, baking, etc.
The more you use, the more debris and food particles will get collected inside the oven surface.
If you are into frequent baking, baked-on debris can build up pretty quickly.
The odors of leftover food particles can get irritating and also mix up with the odors of new food that you cook.
The more grime, the more fumes will be produced and emitted during cooking as well as the self-cleaning cycle.
I would recommend cleaning it routinely with a rag or baking soda paste as soon as you notice a collection of grime and food particles. Cleaning always increases oven efficiency.
When it comes to the self-cleaning feature, I leave it to you to assess how dirty the oven becomes after using it regularly for a particular duration.
The self-cleaning could be done monthly, every two, three, six months, or even yearly.
Types of Self-Cleaning Ovens
At present, you can find broadly two different types of self-cleaning ovens in the market that are used in homes :
- A traditional high-temperature self-cleaning oven
- A steam-based self-cleaning oven
These two types of self-cleaning ovens work with different mechanisms.
It is important to identify the differences and understand the type of oven you want/or have before you use the self-cleaning feature.
Traditional High-temperature Self-cleaning Oven
A traditional high-temperature self-cleaning oven utilizes high temperatures to burn off residual food particles from all corners of the oven.
The temperature during this self-cleaning process can range from 900 to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The self-cleaning function will usually last anywhere from two to four and half hours.
The time frame depends on the type of oven you purchase as well as the amount of dirt and grime found inside.
Steam-based Self-cleaning Oven
There are many ovens available in a wide range that offer a steam clean option to help in the self-cleaning process of the oven.
The steam clean mechanism allows you to clean the oven in less time frame compared to the high-temperature self-cleaning ovens.
The steam clean process also reduces the smell produced and released into the air from oven cleaning compared to high-temperature self-cleaners.
Designed for frequent cleaning, steam cleaning is an excellent choice to do away with less debris on a regular basis.
In the steam self-cleaning method, you need to add water to the bottom of the oven. Steam will be produced inside the oven that will help in the removal of food particles and debris.
The self-cleaning steam process can take anywhere between 20 to 40 minutes inside your oven.
Few tips to follow when Self-cleaning Your Oven
Here are a few tips I would highly recommend before using the self-cleaning setting function on your oven
- Remove the racks inside the oven and hand wash them separately. The material of the racks can increase carbon monoxide emissions.
- Remove all removable items like foil paper, pots, and pans
- To reduce the released fume quantity during the self-cleaning cycle, a quick and light clean of removable grime and dirt should be done
- Try to wipe up the oven spills with soap water. For sticky spills, a baking soda paste works wonders.
- For mild stains and debris, take some water in an oven-friendly bowl and place it inside. Next, heat your oven to around 300-350F. The steam will loosen away grime and food particles. Switch off and let the oven cool down before wiping the grime away.
- While roasting or baking anything, keep a tray/silver foil or silicon liner on lower racks to catch unnecessary spills.
- Cover food while cooking inside an oven as far as possible
- Use a roasting bag for roasting meat and vegetables
- Most self-cleaning ovens have a safety feature of an automatic self-lock when the self-cleaning process begins. If your oven does not have a safety lock mechanism, make sure to lock the oven door manually. This will prevent anyone from accidentally opening the oven when the self-cleaning is being done
Summing up I would highly encourage you to traditionally hand clean your oven as much as you are able to.
If you must use the self-cleaning setting, be away for a few hours from home, and don’t forget to take your birds and pets with you!
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