A self-cleaning oven is convenient since it’s one less appliance to clean and maintain. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t have to do anything to keep your oven and kitchen safe and fresh-smelling. After all, fumes from self-cleaning ovens are toxic and can pose a risk to your family’s health.
To get rid of your self-cleaning oven’s fumes, you should ensure proper ventilation in your kitchen. You can also use lemon juice, vanilla extract, baking soda, and fresh orange peels to mask your oven’s odors. Lastly, install air purifiers to remove harmful gases more effectively.
Fortunately, it’s not that hard to get rid of self-cleaning oven fumes. I’ve listed ways you can get rid of self-cleaning oven fumes below.
Self-Cleaning Ovens Explained
A self-cleaning oven can clean itself by using high temperatures to burn off dirt and leftover food particles without using chemicals. The residual food particles become dust-like after exposure to temperatures up to 900°F (480°C). You can then easily remove these by-products at the end of the cleaning process.
However, a self-cleaning oven emits harmful air fumes from burning food particles and enamel lining. According to researchers, many self-cleaning ovens can release carbon monoxide, which could be a health hazard at certain levels.
Ways to Get Rid of Self-Cleaning Oven Fumes
1. Ensure the Area’s Proper Ventilation
Keeping your oven in a well-ventilated area is the most straightforward step. Not only will it remove any irritants caused by cooking and baking, but it will also help maintain the area’s temperature.
If you don’t have windows, you can promote air circulation in your kitchen using overhead, exhaust, and portable fans. You may also leave the door open to allow fresh air to circulate in your kitchen.
Also, I recommend you install this two-in-one Kidde Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector from Amazon.com to track harmful fumes in your kitchen. It comes with voice alarms, LED lights, and different alert modes for fire, carbon monoxide, and low battery. It runs on the ubiquitous AA batteries and is UL-certified with a 10-year limited warranty.
2. Use Lemons for Versatile Air Freshening
You can use lemons to remove malodorous odor from almost all household items, including self-cleaning ovens. Aside from this, they can also remove food residue and grease in the oven because they’re acidic.
Below are how you can do this:
- Cut two or three lemons and squeeze their juice into a small baking dish.
- Add approximately 100 ml (3.38 oz) of water. Place the squeezed lemon in the water.
- Heat the oven to 250°F and leave for around 30 minutes.
- Once done, leave the oven door open to allow the oven to cool down. Wipe out the interior using a microfibre towel.
The steam loosens any dried splatter, and the lemon deodorizes the oven’s interior. You can also wipe your oven with the mixture to neutralize the smell in the area.
You can also use lemons with baking soda as an all-natural air freshening spray. Simply dissolve ⅛ cup of baking soda into 2 cups of hot water, add ½ cup of lemon juice, shake it, and you’re good to go.
3. Use Vanilla Extract to Mask Bad Odor
Vanilla extract can be an excellent alternative for air fresheners, minus its harsh smell.
Fill an oven-safe bowl with about an inch of water, then add one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Next, place it in the oven and heat it to approximately 350°F for up to 30 minutes. Monitor the oven from time to time because the water will evaporate. You may add more water as needed.
Another way to do this is to fill a bowl with warm water and add one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir and dip a microfibre cloth and wipe the interior of the oven.
4. Use Baking Soda as an Odor Absorbent
You may already be familiar with using baking soda to absorb and remove unwanted smells in your refrigerator. It’s not surprising that you can also do this for your oven.
To do this, place a freshly opened box of baking soda on your oven’s middle rack and let it sit overnight. You may use this for a longer time for more effectiveness.
5. Bake Fresh Orange Peels for a Fresher Smell
Citrus has always been a staple of natural cleaning solutions. It’s beneficial as it contains d-limonene, a natural solvent that penetrates grease and dirt, leaving an appliance smelling fresh.
Simply grab your orange, peel it, and remove the flesh. Then, preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the skin of the orange on parchment paper and bake it for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
And it’s as simple as that–just bake the peels and enjoy your new aroma! Partially open your oven door to allow the refreshing smell of orange to circulate in your home. You’ll continue smelling oranges even after you’ve turned your oven off.
You may try mixing the crust of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, lime, and grapefruits for a more refreshing odor. You may add a pinch of cinnamon on top of the crust to enjoy a more pleasant smell.
6. Burn Vegetable Wax Candles for Ionic Cleansing
Regular candles won’t eliminate the unpleasant odor of fumes, but vegetable wax candles can.
This is because fumes and other odors in the household are attached to positively charged oxygen ions. These candles help neutralize foul odors by binding themselves to positive ions since vegetable wax produces negatively charged ions when they burn.
I recommend using Mrs. Meyer’s Scented Aromatherapy Candle, which is available on Amazon. This candle boasts a 25-hour burn time, which should last you long enough for multiple cleaning sessions. It’s also made from natural ingredients such as soy wax and various vegetable wax mixed with natural scents and a lead-free candle wick.
However, keep in mind that burning a candle can eliminate the odor coming from your oven, but it won’t get rid of the fumes.
7. Use Air Purifiers for Cleaning Harmful Gases
Air purifiers help to effectively eliminate not just unwanted odors but also harmful gases inside your home. Your air purifier must have a filter that includes activated charcoal since it’s helpful for gas and odor removal.
Proper HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filtration has finer filtering capabilities and is better than a regular filtration system. Aside from cleaning particles, it can also remove foul smells.
Moreover, this article talks about how HEPA air filters help alleviate allergic symptoms caused by pollen, dust mites, and mold spores. So, a HEPA filter will eliminate the self-cleaning oven fumes and improve the overall air quality of your home.
I recommend the MSA3 Air Purifier from Membrane Solutions. It can provide clean air for rooms up to 840 square feet. It also has an H13 true HEPA filter which can filter bigger pollutants such as fiber and hair, smaller pollutants like dust and pollen as small as 0.3 microns, and can neutralize foul smells.
Related: How to Deal With a Bad Smell in a House That Comes and Goes.
Final Thoughts
Owning a self-cleaning oven is as convenient as it gets, but it’s not without drawbacks. Like other appliances, it still requires some preventive maintenance and precaution.
However, with a solid cleaning routine and these tips and tricks I showed you, I’m sure you’ll get the most out of your self-cleaning oven.
