The Absolute Worst Time To Use The Self-Clean Option On Your Oven

Home cooks have been pressing the "self-clean" button since the Thermador oven hit the market in 1963. It's a time- and labor-saving way to bypass strenuous scrubbing, but of course, this hands-off feature comes with an infamous catch: The smell. Many modern home cooks steer clear of the self-clean button altogether, preferring to scrub their ovens by hand to avoid it. All that burning food reeks and the odor fills the kitchen alongside a cloud of tremendous heat. It's enough to drive cooks out of the house, forcing them to drop off laundry or get groceries until the cycle is over. This might even sound like an expert foray into multitasking, right? Not exactly. 

To be safe, never self-clean your oven when you're going to sleep or leaving the house. Just like lighting a candle and walking away, leaving this hotbox unattended is an unnecessary fire and smoke risk to your health and home. The entire self-cleaning process will last for around three to five hours, and the oven should not be used for another one to three hours after running the cycle, both of which will put the appliance temporarily out of commission. Take this span into account as you anticipate dinner prep and bedtime. Depending on your daily schedule, the "right" time to self-clean your oven could be first thing in the morning or between dinner and sleep. For average use, running a cycle every four to six months is a good part of regular appliance maintenance.

To determine the best time to smash that self-clean button and let your appliance do its thing, it's helpful to unpack how that feature is supposed to function in the first place. When an oven self-cleans, it heats up to its maximum temperature to literally incinerate any stuck-on food therein and (voila) make your oven clean as a whistle. Still, perhaps unsurprisingly, letting your oven auto-heat itself to 800 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter can come with some major potential danger, and walking away for a few hours is not the right move. 

But if your oven is in good working order and purchased within the last few years, that self-cleaning feature can be a highly efficient, chemical-free way to expedite the grueling oven-cleaning process — and there are a few things you should know before you press that button. For starters, anticipate smoke as well as an unpleasant smell. The dirtier your oven, the more intense these rotten outputs will be. The self-clean feature generally performs best in relatively new and clean appliances, but a coarse pre-wipe can help clear out some of the larger food particles and reduce the fumes. The next step is to open all the windows and keep 'them open. If your kitchen is windowless, turn on the range hood and plug in a fan nearby to promote air circulation in the room. If you own an air purifier, turn that bad boy on too.