Do you use the self-cleaning feature on your oven?

[Sarah8914]

If you have one that is. we've been in our house 2 1/2 years and I want to use ours. It's not horribly dirty or anything, but I know it needs a good cleaning. I know it takes awhile and stinks--is it safe while I'm pregnant? The smells won't do anything will they?

And, if you use yours, how often do you do it? Can you tell you did it by your electricity bill?

[Darcy Baldwin]

Sarah - we do but never use it because it's so hot. Even on cool days, the heat is bad the way our house is situated, and we just prefer not to do it (you know.;.the oven is in the very middle of the living area LOLOL)

[juliemarie]

I probably do it once a year. I don't like the smell, so I try to do it on a spring or fall day when I can be outside for a couple hours.

[DawnMarch]

We use our, when it's cool outside because it does get hot! I don't know one way or another about whether it's safe when you're pregnant -- it only works through high temperatures, not chemicals, so it sounds like it'd be ok?

[Sarah8914]

Yeah, I think it would be fine--I guess the only thing is the smell could make me sick or something. It's definitely cool enough right now to do ours! I've been waiting for cool weather to do it. We actually have a perfect little passage way if we open front and back windows to circulate the air. Maybe we'll try it out tomorrow or Monday.

[iJenny]

There is nothing toxic about the self-cleaning oven (DON'T use any chemicals!!). Its just a strong burning smell because the oven heats up super high to burn away all the gunk in the oven. It'll just turn it to ash in the bottom of the oven and then you can just toss is or vacuum it up once its cooled. As for the smell, its nothing too terrible, but I do recommend light ventilation. It takes usually at least three hours to clean my oven and I just usually crack a window.

[junebug]

i need to do this. i have some drippage in there thay i was too lazy to clean off, and now when i use the oven it smokes, lol.

[Winter Ivy]

I think it would be fine to do during pregnancy, since it is just using the heat and not any cleaners. I had a major exposure to propane fumes when I was 4 months pregnant (freak construction accident in our basement, yikes, thankfully we are all ok) and I called the exposure hotline and they said it was fine, so I am guessing that a simple oven cleaning would be ok.

As far as the ceaning itself, I try to only do it like once or twice a year because we we use propane and it uses up so much gas. I try to remember to put baking sheets under anything I know has a potential to drip over, but I sometimes forget and and have to do the cleaning anyway, lol.

-Diana

[my4boys]

I have only used mine once in 4 years...I try to keep it clean myself cause I hate the smell!!!! FYI to everyone though, If you have a bird in the house, please make sure you remove it or put it WAY out of the stove, my SIL cleaned her oven using the self-clean and her birds were only 10-12 feet away and the oldest of all of them died from the fumes. IT IS NOT SAFE for them at all. I did not mean to be a downer but I just wanted you all to know.

[meganmecrazy]

Funny you brought this up. My mom just used hers a week ago and it totally shattered the door of her oven. Very scary and I'm glad she wasn't standing near it when it shattered glass everywhere.

Our oven is only a few years old and I have used it once (last year).

[shades of bliss]

Great thread. I swear I'm scared of that feature, lol.

[Sharon Kay]

I use ours when we need it...and that is usually only if something boils over in the oven. Since I went on a diet 1 1/2 years ago...we've had no more pies spilling in the bottom of the oven...go figure! lol We usually run ours when we're going out...just because it does tend to get warm in the room...but it's much better than using oven cleaners...boy i used to get bad headaches from the fumes!

[lizzyfizzy]

i do it every so often, but only if i know we will be out of the house for most of the day, cause it smells so terrible or we do it on a day that the house can be completely ventilated. i would say as long as you do it chemical free there shouldn't be a problem associated with pregnancy.

[tuneskids]

we have used it once, the smell was vicious. Normally my hubby just uses fume-free easy off in it when I am not home. Yes, my hubby is the one to clean the oven. lol Smells of any kind, especially a chemical, give me an instant migraine. And if it's a really, really bad chemical smell (paint, harsh cleaners, etc), I can actually feel my lungs contract and then I have difficulties breathing.

But anyways, the self-cleaning should be ok to do while preggo, just make sure to ventilate.

[Amy Carey]

stuff always seems to catch on fire when I try it... no joke!! .. so nope...don't do it anymore! LOL

[mrs_jb]

I do mine every 6 months or so... and like everyone else said, just do it on a day where you can leave a few windows open, because of the heat and the smell.

[kscwgirl]

I wonder if my oven has such a feature............

[Jennifer]

Last time we did it, we happened to check on it (guess we never had before) and there were FLAMES!!! in the oven. Apparently that's ok, but it sure freaked us out!

We do clean it about once a year.