Why It's So Dangerous To Clean A Warm Oven

Ovens are some of our favorite kitchen tools. We use them for cakes, brownies, sourdough dough bread, pizza, and even pot roasts, and casseroles. The first recorded oven was invented in 1490 in France and it was built out of brick, then almost 400 years later, the electric oven was created (via Universal Appliance). Since then, we've improved upon the design of the oven by adding the useful gadgets afforded to us by modern technology like broilers, and timers. But ultimately, the oven has remained true to form, helping us serve piping hot meals and create extravagant desserts like the ones we see on the "Great British Baking Show."

But ovens, like all kitchen appliances, require care and maintenance. You must clean your oven to keep it from collecting grease. If you don't clean your oven often enough it can start to smoke and release dangerous gasses (via Local Expert Cleaning). Needless to say, if you haven't cleaned your oven recently, or ever, it's time to break out your rubber gloves and get to work. Just make sure to be careful. Cleaning an oven can be harrowing work, and if the machine is warm, things could take a dangerous turn.

Look, no one said cleaning your oven was going to be the highlight of your week. In fact, it may be the low point, but it is so essential to your health and safety, that it's worth sacrificing an hour of your time to get it done. And before you go reaching for that "Self Clean" button, you should know that there are dangers that come with that, too. According to Oven Clean, if you use the self-cleaning feature, it will burn the enamel lining of your oven, releasing a terrible smell and dangerous gasses. Cleaning the oven manually could help keep you and your loved ones safer.

One of the most important steps when cleaning your oven is making sure that the machine is completely cool. Fantastic Services even suggests "disconnect[ing] the oven from the electric or gas source" entirely before cleaning it so there is no way the oven will build heat beforehand. Not only could you get singed if your oven is still warm, but as Stephany Smith of Fantastic services told The Kitchn, "A warm oven might be less arduous to clean, but ... you can cause a chemical reaction and spread of toxic vapor." You could also spark a fire if the machine is still warm. Cleaning the heating elements while they are still warm could inadvertently scratch them and cause a flaming disaster (via Bob Vila). It's better to be safe than sorry, so don't clean your oven if it's warm.