Just turned on the self cleaning oven and now it's smoking? Is that normal?

@schulzie (4061)
United States
January 6, 2012 2:16pm CST
My place is filled with smoke right now - it's everywhere. I hope that it is only smoky like that for a small amount of time. My whole place stinks now. I have my windows open and trying to air out the place. I turned on the self cleaning feature on the oven. I've never used that feature before so I hope it goes ok. I wonder if it will truly "clean" the oven, I'm betting it will incinerate everything that might be in there. I tried wiping out the oven after my son had tried his hand at cooking one night. He had tried to cook us some cheese bread and it spilled over and made a big mess on the floor of the oven. I couldn't get it off myself so I figured that the self cleaning feature could. So now I turned on the oven and it's really smoking up the house. I think that's where the smoke is coming from, from the spilled cheese. So, has anyone used this feature on an electric oven before? I never have before and am hoping that the smoke is just a normal part of the cleaning process. Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!
1 person likes this
5 responses
Lakota12
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
9 Jan 12
am sure you know by now that it clened and left you a pile of what looks like ashes that ya had to wash out. I liked that feature on mine just now I cant use it as there is a gas stove in here and would take forever and lots of money to switch over to electric sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
1 person likes this
Lakota12
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
6 Oct 12
yup were you surprized at the pile of ashes on the bottom like I was?
schulzie
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
5 Oct 12
It's a nice feature and I think it's awesome; however I will try to not have so much gunk in the oven before running this feature again. Thanks for your comment and have a great day!!!
dorannmwin
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
11 Jan 12
Actually smoke is a normal thing that will happen when you are using the self-cleaning feature of an oven because of the fact that it uses temperatures that are much higher than typical cooking temperatures to burn off everything that is stuck in the oven. I would recommend doing it on a warm day where you are able to have the windows of your home open because it also really stinks.
1 person likes this
schulzie
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
5 Oct 12
Yes I now know that smoke is normal and that it smells terrible. Since I'm in Florida I actually have to wait for a day when it's cooler outside so I can open all the windows, etc. to help air the place out. It was awful when I did do it because not only was it boiling hot and humid outside but my whole place was filled with smoke and stinky as well as really hot! Well, now I know for next time... Thanks for your comment and have a great day!!!
Just an Ordinary Owl?
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
6 Jan 12
The smoke is a normal feature of a self-cleaning oven. It is designed to 'over heat' on self-cleaning so that it burns off all the part burned spills, splashes &c. I guess that if you read the manual, it will warn you about this and give you instructions for minimising the inconvenience.
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schulzie
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
5 Oct 12
I don't have the manual as the oven was here when we moved in. I had never used the cleaning feature on a self cleaning oven before. Thanks for your comment and have a great day!!!
jillhill
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
6 Jan 12
I have never had a self cleaning oven...so I hope things are going okay. I know someone who's husband put a pizza in and then started it by mistake....I guess the oven won't open until the cycle is done and they had a house full of smoke too from burning pizza!
1 person likes this
schulzie
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
5 Oct 12
Oh no! I did notice that the oven locked in position once started. I think that's to avoid you burning yourself since it's so hot when it is running through its cycle. I can't imagine how awful it must have been having a pizza burning to a crisp and all the smoke that entailed, let alone the disappointment of losing your dinner! Thanks for your comment and have a great day!!!
JenInTN
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
6 Jan 12
If there is a lot of stuff on the bottom of the oven...I think it's normal. That self cleaning option burns everything in there to dust. When you are finished and it cools down, you'll just take a wet cloth and wipe the dust off. It certainly makes cleaning an oven very easy. The important thing is not to panic.
1 person likes this
schulzie
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
5 Oct 12
Yes that's true. I just never had a self cleaning oven before and there was a ton of grease and cheese in there from when my son attempted to make us cheese bread. I had no idea that it would basically cremate the gunk that I couldn't clean up from the oven. Thanks for your comment and have a great day!!!