Why Is It Recommended to Avoid an Oven’s Self-Clean?

Any appliance repair technician will stress cleaning and maintaining your appliance. However, it seems a little counterintuitive that some will also recommend not using the self-clean on your oven. This doesn’t mean that you should avoid cleaning your oven altogether, but rather it means you shouldn’t take the easiest avenue in doing so.

What is Wrong With an Oven’s Self-Clean?

When you choose the self-clean option on your oven, it doesn’t mean a bunch of scrub brushes are going in there. Instead, the oven uses very high heat to literally burn away grease and food debris. This high heat makes it dangerous, which is why all ovens will lock during the self-clean cycle.

The concern is that the high heat is not only dangerous to people, but to the appliance itself. An oven comes with insulation to protect some of the more delicate features, like the wiring that runs down the back of it. However, this insulation is not perfect and can wear down over time. This is why so many people find problems manifest after self-cleaning their oven for years. It could be that the door did not unlock after or it can manifest a number of different symptoms as the wiring begins to melt down.

What to Do Instead of Self-Clean?

Unfortunately, while you can get away with a few self-cleans, it is better to do things the hard way. We recommend that instead of using the self-clean feature, you use a little elbow grease. Warm water and baking soda when used with a scrubber can remove toughly baked-on particles inside your oven. It will just take a little longer and more effort on your part. However, in doing so, you will likely see your oven live well beyond its lifespan as it does not have to endure the incredible wear that the self-clean feature inflicts.