Steam Clean Ovens

8.17.21

Cleaning the oven is one of the most dreaded tasks in the kitchen.

No one hopes for a spillover when cooking, and when one is realized, the oven is typically too hot to do anything about it and it soon becomes forgotten until the next preheat cycle. Whether it’s melted cheese from your grandma’s secret recipe or a spill over from your famous blueberry pie, baked on messes can quickly become one tough mamma jamma to remove.

Unfortunately, it is believed that the high temperatures involved in the cleaning cycle of a conventional oven can actually damage the oven liner. Plus there are plenty of mistakes to be made when cleaning out the oven, such as using abrasive cleaning pads or harsh chemicals that can equally damage the oven lining. Fortunately, appliance manufacturers have begun offering a safer way to remove tough, baked on messes with the power of steam.

Conventional Self-Cleaning

Conventional ovens typically feature a self-clean mode that requires the oven’s chamber to reach exceptionally high temperatures (up to 1000°!) to completely burn off any baked-on foods. This method can take anywhere from 90 to 240 minutes. During this mode, it is recommended to lock the oven door to ensure no one accidentally opens it and is blasted with heat. It is also recommended to keep the windows open during this cycle to avoid inhaling the smoke from burnt foods. As more research has been done, what was once believed to be a safe procedure is now believed to have many hidden dangers. Burnt foods can actually emit dangerous carbon monoxide and teflon liners can emit toxic fumes that continue to circulate throughout the house.

Steam Clean Can Help

Instead of turning the inside of your oven into a volcano (some exaggeration) or attempting to scour the foods with harsh chemicals, a steam clean cycle on newer oven models offers a safer, gentler way to clean your oven. It’s so safe, you can actually leave the racks inside. You don’t even have to lock the door!

The first step is wiping away any excess grease and easy-to-remove food spills from your cooled down oven. It should be noted that this is a necessary step to any self-cleaning mode. You will then simply pour 1 cup of water on the oven floor where it shows you to, close the door, and select Steam Clean. Within about 30 minutes, steam will loosen and soften those once-difficult messes in your oven. Once the cycle is complete, use a soft cloth or sponge to remove any remaining moisture and food particles from the oven cavity and racks.

Prevention Is Best

As we all know, prevention is the best medicine. You can avoid any spillovers by ensuring you use the appropriately-sized cookware and bakeware. If you think your dish may still end up bubbling over, you can lay a cooking sheet on the rack below, not directly under which can impact how even your dish will bake. For casseroles or dishes that may splatter, keep a dish cover over your item. Do not place aluminum foil on the bottom of your oven which can actually reflect heat and cause damage to the oven element. Lastly, any time you notice your dish has spilled over or splattered, wait for your oven to cool and use a soft, dampened cloth to wipe it away.

Steam clean offers a safe, gentler way to clean your oven that makes a once dreaded chore into a breeze. If you discover your oven has only outdated features, it may be time for a new oven. Check out our selection of single and double ovens with the steam clean mode right here, or visit your nearest Kelly's Home Center to learn more from our appliance experts!