Last Saturday, my husband contributed to the household maintenance by turning on the oven's self-cleaning mechanism. With no good deed going unpunished, the cycle cut short and the oven remained locked. The good news is we have a five year warranty on the oven with six months left, so we called the technician.
This is where it really gets interesting. He explained (off the record) self-cleaning can destroy ovens. He said the feature is added due to popular demand by consumers; however, the components and computer board are so sophisticated now that the self-cleaning oven mechanism can be hazardous to your oven's computer board health.
He shared examples of shattered glass, fried electronics and blown fuses. Sometimes it all happened and sometimes just one, but either way, the damage causes complete oven failure. I was shocked to learn that the ovens really are not designed for 900° for 2 to 3 hours even though the mechanism is there to do so.
So, I asked him, how do I clean the oven safely because I hate the cleaning sprays? He said, first get a aluminum tray and put it in the bottom of the oven to catch the spills. Do not use foil as a substitute because the foil will melt just enough to ruin the oven's finish. Second, if you feel so inclined to use you're self-cleaning mechanism after what he shared (and your warranty is still active), set a timer and turn on the heat for only an hour. An hour is sufficient to ash anything on the surface, and, hopefully, the heat will not fry the components.
He suggested this three step method for the safest results:
1 - Remove the racks
2 - Heat the oven at the lowest setting with a small solution of water and ammonia steaming.
3 - After about 15 minutes, use soap and water on a soft scrub pad (plastic, not steel) to wipe away the grime. Remember to use care with your hands/arms since the oven will be around 200°.
If you want more information about this topic, check out this website with all the details. http://www.thekitchn.com/why-you-should-almost-never-use-the-self-cleaning-function-of-your-oven-175110 I hope this knowledge makes your life a little bit easier.
PS - The oven in the photo is not my oven. It just a good photo for blogs.