How often do you clean your oven?

[Parrothead]

Once to a couple times a year depending. I just cleaned this oven for the first time last week.

[hsmom]

Now anyone out there with a non self cleaning gas oven? If so how do you clean yours?

 

I answered huh? Now I move the whole stove every month to clean under, but do you think I clean in it? No...

[kewb]

I clean it when I notice that it is kind of yucky looking there or when it smokes up the kitchen.

[Mommyfaithe]

My mil cleans hers every month. Hers looks brand new.

 

I am currently cleaning mine for the first time in 5 years. Mine didn't look bad, but it sure looked like I used it a lot more than hers did. I picked off the chunks of stuff before I cleaned it, but I have already set off the smoke alarms, and my windows are open (it is 25 degrees F here).

 

So, whether you have a self cleaning oven or you have to manually do it with something like Easy Off, how often do you clean your oven? And I don't mean wiping it out when you know something dripped and it'll smoke the next time you use it.

 

Not gonna do it...I will wipe it out quick if something runs over...but shheeeesh, there is too much else to do than worry about something that is behind a closed door....:D

Faithe

[The Girls' Mom]

Mine usually gets cleaned when I spill something in it.

[In the Rain]

I clean mine when something has spilled and is causing smoke issues.

[Rebecca VA]

I have a self-cleaning oven. I clean it when it gets dirty or when it just needs freshening up (about three times a year). I had to clean it after Thanksgiving because my husband tried a new turkey recipe that splattered all over the oven.

 

I don't clean it more often because I worry that the really, really high heat might damage the coating on the inside of the oven if it's used too often.

[Soror]

This is one area I am not good with- couple of times a year maybe. It desperately needs it now. Last time I tried to run the self-cleaning cycle it messed up or I had to stop it or something. I hate running that though as it makes it hot and it stinks.

[Cinder]

I'm in the Huh? category. I've been thinking of cleaning it. Wondering if it's self-cleaning but haven't actually looked at it long enough to see where that button is if it's there. Maybe I should do it today since it's cold as heck out . . . for GA. :D I actually cleaned Under the Oven a couple days ago. It was Very Scary! How on earth can that space collect an inch of dust? I expected the random collection of crayons, marbles, hot wheels . . . but dust?

 

Even scarier, I also cleaned under the fridge. Finally pulled that monster away from the wall. It was horrible! Ds2 had spilled a jug of koolaid a couple months ago (yeah, I know!) and the floor under the fridge (guess we really hadn't gotten all the juice cleaned up) was nasty sticky.

 

So this week is Clean the Oven and Clean the Top of the Fridge week. Yeah, I've got a dust collection up there, too. ;)

 

Cinder

[Tammyla]

Huh?

 

One time I ran the self-cleaning cycle and swore...I'd buy a new one before going through that again.

 

I wipe out spills and occasionally clean the window inside. The outside looks good, but I'm just now willing to suffer the alarms, smoke, cleaning the smoke smell out of everything and worrying about small pets and children.

[kitten18]

I'm still waiting to see if mine is self-cleaning. It's been ten years, but I'm patient.

 

I seriously LOL :lol::lol::lol:

 

 

I clean mine maybe once/year (self-clean cycle) unless something really bad happens.

[Crissy]

And I don't mean wiping it out when you know something dripped and it'll smoke the next time you use it.

 

But when you do this ^ and give it a thorough wipe-down once in a while, the oven *stays* clean. No need for those awful cans of aerosol poison or hours with a Brillo pad.

 

I always put my casserole dishes on a larger cookie sheet, so the drips never make it to the bottom of the oven. If something splatters, I wipe it out before I pre-heat the oven the next time.

[Remudamom]

Is there......like............a button?? Somewhere??

[littleWMN]

I'm still waiting to see if mine is self-cleaning. It's been ten years, but I'm patient.

 

:lol: :iagree:

[babysparkler]

The week before Thanksgiving every year :001_smile:

[Pretty in Pink]

I only clean the oven when we are moving!

[missmoe]

I haven't cleaned an oven in years! We currently need a new stove--so why bother cleaning this one!:001_huh: Seriously, everything gradually burns off. Of course, my new stove will have a self-cleaning feature, so we'll see how that goes!

[Murphy101]

My father in law was commenting on how the ceramic tile backsplash behind his oven is discolored and the grout is messed up because when they turn the new oven to it's cleaning level is gets really too hot for the old set up of the kitchen.

 

My response shocked him to no end.

 

 

I have never in my entire life cleaned the inside of an oven. Oh I've scraped off a mess or whatever as they happen. But using chemical warfare at high temps for several hours? Nope. Not once in my life.

[gardening momma]

I have never in my entire life cleaned the inside of an oven. Oh I've scraped off a mess or whatever as they happen. But using chemical warfare at high temps for several hours? Nope. Not once in my life.

When you use the self-clean feature, you don't use chemicals. It's heat only--it turns it all to ash.

[Storm Bay]

Due to my intense, emotional ;) reaction to cleaning my oven, I do everything I can to prevent it from ever getting dirty. I bake potatoes & sweet potatoes on pans so they drip there, I cover every roast/chicken/turkey, etc that goes in there (I have a tri-ply cover, so it helps). If crumbs somehow fall, I wipe them out. In nearly 4 years, I've used the self-cleaning feature once, because we have overly sensitive smoke alarms. My oven looks quite good, actually. I put once or twice a year, but that is because I do occasionally have to wipe crumbs out, etc. It may be a bit more often, but it's not a true oven cleaning in the gross, strong, oven-cleaner cleaning sense of the word. I loathe that stuff, and it's so difficult to rinse out and then there are those nasty fumes the next time you use your oven if you missed even a tiny bit...

 

ETA I made a mistake. I clean it less than once a year, then, by the OP's definition. I did the poll before reading the OP's message. But I hate smokey ovens, so I just don't get it dirty if I can avoid it.

Edited December 5, 2010 by Karin

[Murphy101]

When you use the self-clean feature, you don't use chemicals. It's heat only--it turns it all to ash.

 

Sorry my post should have read chemical OR high temps.

 

Is there like an ash box similar to the fireplace?

 

We use our wood burning fireplace several times a week and everyone laughs that it is clean enough to eat off of. The next day after use, it's swept and vacuumed, wood piled and ready for the next use. Sometimes I even put some dried herbs like lavender in the wood to make it smell nice.

 

But it is easy to clean. The oven is a huge PITA.

[TheCoffeeChick]

I line mine with tin foil and change it out every couple of months. If something splatters I wipe it. Other than that I give it a good cleaning about once a year or so -- but not with any nasty cleaners, just baking soda and elbow grease. :)

[Paz]

I just cleaned mine the other day because I had to. I made a very fatty whole chicken that splattered grease all over and whenever I tried to cook again we had smoke everywhere. I cleaned the oven out and turned on the self cleaning feature. Our smoke alarms went off for about an hour and there was smoke everywhere but it is now clean. I hope I remember to clean it before it gets this bad next time.

[Stacia]

I'm still waiting to see if mine is self-cleaning. It's been ten years, but I'm patient.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[AnitaMcC]

Dh will take care of the big spills that will burn and set off the fire alarm but other than that.. no cleaning the oven.

 

I can't handle the oven sprays at all due to my asthma so Dh only can do a scrapes out the chunks and wipe it down when he does clean the oven.

[LauraGB]

Vacuum? That's an AWESOME idea! I have never cleaned my oven. I wipe up stuff that I know will smoke next time I use the oven and I occasionally wipe out the ash on the bottom, but I've never cleaned it, going on 15 years of marriage now.

 

Lol! I never would have come with that on my own :lol:. It was Renthead Mommy:

 

other - I clean it when we PCS out and are getting inspected by either base or the rental company.

 

I do scrap the drippings, which are usually either sweet potato or squash, with one of those pampered chef stoneware scrappers.

 

Of course it did take a little explanation when the husband walked in and I was vacuming the oven out! He didn't realized that was how I got the scrapped bits and other burnt dropped bits out!

[LauraGB]

So, Team Huh is in the lead...nice :thumbup1:.

 

Mil dropped the bomb about cleaning her oven monthly on me at Thanksgiving. Sil was quick to say she did the same. The other Sil snuck out of the conversation :lol:. And I began to wonder about my housekeeping patterns. Again.

 

My oven wasn't really gross. It is a loyal box in my kitchen that helps me feed the troops. I like to take care of it. Some. Possibly it was feeling taken for granted and decided to start smoking [and smelling like plastic] to get my undivided attention?

 

Those of you who do it often - do you do it because it is on your cleaning rotation list? Because it just gets dirty a lot? Or because you like to have like-new stuff? I'm genuinely curious because I had never really given it much thought before. Is it basic maintenance? I don't want to buy a new oven any time soon. I like the one I have well enough, so I want to make sure it likes me, kwim? Kinda like changing the oil in the car on a regular basis, I'm thinking.

[gardening momma]

Those of you who do it often - do you do it because it is on your cleaning rotation list? Because it just gets dirty a lot? Or because you like to have like-new stuff? I'm genuinely curious because I had never really given it much thought before. Is it basic maintenance? I don't want to buy a new oven any time soon. I like the one I have well enough, so I want to make sure it likes me, kwim? Kinda like changing the oil in the car on a regular basis, I'm thinking.

I think I said I clean mine once or twice a year, so I'll consider that often, (compared to "huh?") ;) . I have no cleaning rotation. I'm a procrastinator, so cleaning rotations don't exist here. I clean my oven when it looks really bad.

[elise1mds]

I have a self-cleaning oven. It usually gets cleaned 2-3 times a year, depending on how often I spill stuff in it. The most recent cleaning was after I was making two pumpkin pies and had one slip and spill ALL OVER the door... after they had already started cooking, so I had to wipe up what I could and finish cooking the other. Then it got a real cleaning. I need to get in there and wipe it out, though, because you can see the char on the bottom, which is kinda gross.

[ChristusG]

I don't even know how LOL.

 

Yes, this LOL. I have no idea whether it is self cleaning, what I should use to clean it, or how to do it. I'm sure it needs cleaning since the last time I cleaned it was....oh....never.

[Catherine]

Once. In twelve years.

[Garga]

I'm 37 years old and have never cleaned an oven. (Yes! Fist pumping in air.)

 

Here's hoping I can make it all the way through life without ever cleaning an oven. I bet I can do it!

[KrissiK]

Never. I am 42 years old and have never cleaned an oven. I'm sorry!

[Mekanamom]

Once or twice a year with the self cleaning button. It's an older oven, though, and I'm afraid one of these days it's just going to burn itself out during the cleaning cycle. Hee hee, I usually wait until after the holidays to do it, so I'm assured a working oven during the most busy baking months. ;)

 

In between cleanings, I use one of these oven spill mats to catch any drips. I HATE wiping down the oven... it's much easier to just remove the mat, clean it off, and put it back in there. LOL.

 

I simply do not look at the sides or door very closely until the holidays are over and it's safe to risk the self cleaning feature again. :D

[sassenach]

Right before we move out, barring some sort of kitchen disaster.

[HappyCrazyMama]

Those of you who do it often - do you do it because it is on your cleaning rotation list? Because it just gets dirty a lot? Or because you like to have like-new stuff? I'm genuinely curious because I had never really given it much thought before. Is it basic maintenance? I don't want to buy a new oven any time soon. I like the one I have well enough, so I want to make sure it likes me, kwim? Kinda like changing the oil in the car on a regular basis, I'm thinking.

 

I guess I am a messy cook because it gets messy.a.lot. I just :lol: at those who don't use the self clean feature but wipe up spills. The only time I ever wipe anything out of my oven is when the cleaning cycle is done and I wipe out the ash. Pushing a button is much easier than wiping up anything and if you do it often enough you won't set off smoke alarms.:tongue_smilie:

[laurad1125]

You're supposed to clean it?:confused:

[MamaJeanne]

I refused to open this thread, certain that I would find out that I am the only one who has never cleaned her oven. I didn't even know if my oven was self-cleaning or not. So curiosity finally got the better of me and I shamefully clicked the option for Huh? and then waited to see just how often the rest of the world (um or just this forum) cleaned their ovens. :lol: I should have opened this thread a lot sooner!