CAN A SELF-CLEANING OVEN KILL YOU?
People have different opinions when it comes to a self-cleaning oven.
I know that cleaning an oven is stressful and time-consuming, not to mention the number of cleaning products you’ll use and the irritating grease that will stain you.
Besides, cleaning an oven can be very tough, not just because it’s difficult to reach all the cracks and crevices, but removing all the specks of dirt from all the greases and oils can be extremely annoying and frustrating.
Hence, there is a need to use an oven that can clean its mess itself and also look as clean as you want it. A self-cleaning oven, otherwise known as a pyrolytic oven, uses a very high temperature to burn leftovers from baking without the use of cleaning or chemical agents.
Read on to know whether a self-cleaning oven can kill you or not. You will get all the information you need concerning the dangers and possible health risks of using a self-cleaning oven.
What Are the Dangers of Using a Self-Cleaning Oven?
Using the self-cleaning oven can help prevent the bad fumes associated with a harsh cleaning agent and the dirty cleanup. But then, the self-cleaning mode could be just as dangerous, if not more, than the normal cleaning method. Below are some of the dangers associated with using a self-cleaning oven.
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The danger of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, flammable gas that is quite toxic when inhaled. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when the gas is inhaled and builds up in your bloodstream. When there is a lot of carbon monoxide in the air, the oxygen in your red blood cells is replaced with carbon monoxide, which can lead to serious damage. Your self-cleaning oven can produce a large amount of carbon monoxide during cleaning. Hence, I advise that you clean any spill immediately if it occurs. This will reduce the amount of carbon monoxide generated during the self-cleaning procedure.
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Pet Risk:
Some animals may not be affected by fumes, while others are prone to Teflon toxicity and are more likely to die even when they are kept in a different part of your home asides from the kitchen. Birds are most likely to be affected by polytetrafluoroethylene toxicosis. The respiratory area of birds is designed to transmit high levels of oxygen to the muscles that work directly on the wing base; these exact respiratory tracts transmit toxins rapidly through the bird’s body, making the fumes produced by the self-cleaning oven an immediate death sentence.
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Respiratory Problems:
The self-cleaning oven can be a risk to asthmatic patients. If you or anyone close to you suffers from any respiratory disease or asthma, merely leaving the room where the oven is, or trying to ventilate the area, will not be enough to keep you or your loved ones safe. The hard synthetic resin that sticks to utensils and ovens, known as Teflon, is safe when you bake and grill food items at a normal degree, but the oven heats to 600 degrees Fahrenheit or more during the cleaning period and can develop toxic Teflon gases.
Can a Self-Cleaning Oven Really Kill You?
This oven has a unique feature that is often harmful to anyone if not used carefully. The oven heats up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit during the cleaning cycle, hot enough to melt aluminum. The chemicals that are released into the atmosphere are extra deadly. Another way the oven can kill is through fire. There have been previous complaints about this overheating and the oven catching up in flames. If you do not detect this in time, other objects around can burn, and the flames will spread into other parts of your house, causing severe damage and, in some unfortunate cases, death.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Self-Cleaning Oven?
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It is Convenient
Convenience is the most prominent benefit of self-cleaning ovens. Those days when you have to clean your oven manually are gone. You simply need to switch on the self-cleaning mode on your oven and end up with a clean interior again.
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You Get to Save Money
You may pay more for a self-cleaning oven than a normal one, but you will be saving money by not having to purchase cleaning agents every time.
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It Doesn’t Need Chemicals
To clean an oven manually, you need cleaning agents containing chemicals that sometimes can be toxic. With a feature that self-cleans, you can prevent the use of harmful chemicals to get the job done.
How Does a Self-Cleaning Oven Work?
The self-cleaning oven works by using a very high temperature to burn any waste and grease. It leaves smooth ash that you can wipe off from the oven. It automatically locks the door for safety during the cleaning process.
Are Self-Cleaning Ovens Worth the Money?
While a self-cleaning oven is good, you have to consider the disadvantages that come with the self-cleaning feature. You do not want to be at risk of inhaling toxic chemicals or a burning house. Hard work doesn’t hurt, though, so I don’t think the self-cleaning oven is worth the stress and money because you might end up paying more for repairing damaged parts or your health treatments.
How Often Should You Use a Self-Cleaning Oven?
At maximum, a complete self-clean every four to six months is enough to maintain your oven and keep it clean.
What Are the Best Self-Cleaning Ovens on the Market?
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The BOSCH HBS573BSOB pyrolytic cleaning oven:
This model contains a cleaning design, a remarkable fan system, automatic functions, and many pre-sets.
Pros:
- The electric timer shuts the oven down when done.
- It is one of the best self-cleaning ovens below £500
- Autopilot 10 with automatic components
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Neff B57CR22NOB pyrolytic cleaning oven:
The NEFF B57CR22N0B is less expensive than most self-cleaning ovens, yet it is among the best with great features.
Pros:
- It has multiple settings and functions for different food.
- Slide and hide the door for easy access.
Con:
- It has one cavity, which means it uses one temperature for all food.
How Do You Properly Care for A Self-Cleaning Oven?
- Remove every pan and foil from the oven before you clean.
- Always time the cleaning by using the provided control features.
- Allow the oven to cool after the self-cleaning process before you use it.
- Remove ash residue with a damp cloth.
What Are the Most Common Problems with Self-Cleaning Ovens?
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Harmful Fumes:
The oven can produce bad fumes into the atmosphere with a nasty smell during cleaning. The fumes spread within your home and can affect you and other occupants.
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Fire Hazards:
Self-cleaning ovens get incredibly hot to burn food leftovers. Sadly, this causes smoke and a pervasive smell of charred products. This can cause a fire in the process, especially when you don’t have a smoke alarm to detect the smoke.
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Damaged Parts of the Oven:
Using the self-cleaning feature for your oven is good, but also it is damaging to it. Due to the heat involved in the self-cleaning process, some parts of the oven are likely to get damaged regularly when you use the feature.
How Can You Troubleshoot Problems with A Self-Cleaning Oven?
A self-cleaning oven can occasionally go off completely and not turn back on after a self-cleaning process. Here are a few things you could do when your self-cleaning oven stops working properly.
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Let the Oven Cool
After a self-cleaning cycle, your oven door may seem stuck, but you have to know that the oven is designed to lock automatically during the cleaning procedure, so allow your oven to cool before you try to open it. If it still stays that way, then you need to reset the power.
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Reset Power:
You can simply turn off the power on the wall for a few minutes before turning it back on. At this point, the door should at least open. If it does, proceed to check if the oven still works well. If not, check the wiring.
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Check the wirings:
This part is easy to do. All you need to do is pull your oven from the wall and examine the wires for any noticeable signs of tears; if there are any, you’ll need to change the wire harnesses.
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The Control Board:
The control board in your self-cleaning oven is responsible for making a lot of units in your oven work – including the self-cleaning feature. If the control board is faulty, you must replace it completely. All you have to do is disassemble the oven so you can have full access to it. Then, you unplug and unscrew it before replacing it with a new one. Hopefully, your oven will start working after this.
Conclusion
Having to clean an oven is a lot of work on its own. The self-cleaning oven is a very good alternative but has a lot of disadvantages that come with it. I hope this article helps you decide whether or not a self-cleaning oven is best for you. Good luck!
Also Read – How to Disinfect Kitchen Countertop
