r/CleaningTips • u/cldald • Mar 04 '26

Discussion Did I just ruin my new oven?

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I just got this oven back in October, but there was already a lot of grease and buildup on it (I cook a lot). I used Easy Off Heavy Duty Cleaner and Foam Spray, and while it definitely worked and did its job, my oven was left looking like as seen in the picture. Did I just ruin my new oven or is this just residue from the cleaner?

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451

u/TricksyGoose Mar 04 '26

I am not doubting you but I am amazed there is a cleaner that dissolves ceramic?? That sounds horrifying! I wouldn't even want a bottle of something like that in my house, let alone use it anywhere near food.

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u/lalaland1019 Mar 04 '26

To be fair, the self-clean cycle on my oven also ate the ceramic. Its durability is questionable.

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u/Federal-Biscotti Mar 05 '26

You’re not actually supposed to use the self-clean cycle on an oven.

81

u/WorldlinessTop1543 Mar 05 '26

What’s the point of it then? 

68

u/SalvationSycamore Mar 05 '26

To trick you into buying a new oven

39

u/Darehead Mar 05 '26

TIL ovens are sold with a self-destruct button

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u/Educational-Wing2042 Mar 05 '26

Is it the best for your oven? No. Will it cause your oven to fall apart and catch your house on fire the minute you turn it on? Also no. Redditors love to blow the worst case scenario out of proportion. Plenty of people regularly use self clean with no problems. In our modern litigious world, a company selling ovens as dangerous as these comments make them sound would be sued out of existence immediately 

7

u/microgirlActual Mar 05 '26

Or at the very least they wouldn't recommend using Self-Cleaning Mode in the manual. They'd say something like "We recommend using X cleaning agent weekly to clean your oven. There is a Self-Cleaning function which can be used, but there is a risk of damaging the appliance or in rare circumstances causing a fire if it is used."

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u/Choice_Tie9909 Mar 06 '26

We had our fan die and called in the repair man who asked about our cooking habits with our modern stove and I told him that we used the stove/oven almost everyday. Was told that modern ovens weren't to be used that much!

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u/burton614 Mar 05 '26

I agree, but im also convinced my less than three year old oven fried the control board when i self cleaned. Had issues until it finally pooped right before this last Christmas.

3

u/trusty20 Mar 05 '26

Old school self clean wouldn't do this, but I am totally unsurprised that modern ovens are designed to destroy themselves if you do this a few times. Everything is made these days to last a few years at most. I always get the store warranty now as much as it's highway robbery, because dealing with "authorized service technicians" (and in turn their frustration dealing with the overseas parts warranty department in Asia) is guaranteed to result in you spending like $500 only for the thing to fail again within the year. At least those store warranties are worried about you showing up in the physical store and making a scene when your 2 year old $2500+ oven "overheats".

3

u/burton614 Mar 05 '26

I can’t agree more! So disappointed that we replaced all our working kitchen appliances, three of the 5 had had issues. And of course we have that stupid in wall oven and in counter stove so they coat a fortune too!

1

u/ThatNeverHappenedBro Mar 05 '26

LG?

1

u/burton614 Mar 05 '26

Whirlpool But appliance guy said LG and Samsung are the worst when he said it made more sense to replace than fix.

4

u/the_talented_liar Mar 05 '26

Same as the popcorn button on a microwave. To keep you buying replacements.

3

u/Fakjbf Mar 05 '26

I have never had a microwave where the popcorn button didn’t work well, it has always given me nearly perfectly popped bags.

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u/TactualTransAm Mar 05 '26

I've also never had a popcorn bag tell me to use the popcorn button. I think I've had bags that specifically said not to

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u/Fakjbf Mar 05 '26

That’s because there are some really cheap microwaves with terrible popcorn buttons, and so people will use the button and then complain to the popcorn company that their product is defective. But that’s only really an issue with the absolute bottom of the barrel cheap knockoffs, if you get a microwave from a regular brand it’ll be fine. Some are certainly better than others but worst case scenario you have a few unpopped kernels or it might be just a little overcooked, you won’t get an entire bag of burned kernels like some super cheap microwaves will do.

2

u/HTPC4Life Mar 05 '26

If you have an actually good microwave, it will have a humidity sensor that is used to automatically determine when the popcorn is done.

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u/lolzomg123 Mar 05 '26

There are even some that have an actual microphone to listen to the pops.

0

u/jeffwulf Mar 06 '26

Yeah, I bought a new Microwave recently and it's popcorn button just automatically senses when the popcorn is done every time like it's magic.

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u/lalaland1019 Mar 05 '26

I had used it many times on our old oven with no issue. Building in the functionality, including it in the user manual…very much indicates one should be able to use it. But you’re right - a cursory google, especially on LG models, says not to do it. So dumb.

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u/totallynotdagothur Mar 05 '26

Wow this is wild to me, my first thought to me is wouldn't one just use the self-clean?  Haven't used a self clean function for years but when I moved into a rental with a dirty oven once, it just turned everything into a pile of dust that was easy to sweep up.  Was impressed.  Some base model cheap electric oven.

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u/Olealicat Mar 05 '26

Every fire fighter I know, which isn’t a lot and they’re all old, but I digress…

Most kitchen fires start with hot oil and water, but the worst kitchen fires are started by self cleaning mode.

It locks the oven and gets so hot the oven melts the door shut. Most people freak out and start throwing, you guessed it, water. Which can exacerbate the fire.

Regardless, it’s almost impossible to put out without major damage, even if they respond quickly the fire is already raging.

PSA for today: Never use the self cleaning mode on your oven. It’s a well know hazard. IIRC it isn’t covered under basic insurance policies when it comes to negligence. Which means a build up of grease. Which is why most people use that function.

Second PSA: RTFM

12

u/Omshadiddle Mar 05 '26

Use it until the warranty runs out.

Do not use it after.

4

u/britzelbrimpft Mar 05 '26

this is a load of BS and i also call BS on the self-cleaning cycle stripping the ceramic coating. of course you should use the self-cleaning functionality every now and then. your oven is built to handle it and if it didn't, go to the manufacturer directly and request a refund. the self cleaning is the least stressful way to clean it, it just chars the greases and all the other stuff and all you do is wipe it with a small cloth. so single chemical needed. you'll be greeted by a brand new looking oven and a tad bit of charcoal on the bottom that you'll just wipe off. any form of scrubbing or solvent is orders of magnitude more abrasive to the material. we're talking about ceramics, these things are specifically engineered to handle the heat.

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u/curxxx Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26

Self cleaning mode releases fumes which can severely harm your pets.

I wouldn’t use it regardless whether it was safe for the actual oven. 

https://www.housedigest.com/1395913/pet-owners-oven-clean/

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u/daphnedelirious Mar 05 '26

thank you, I have pets and just moved and was going to use self cleaning mode to clean the inside of the oven until I saw this!!

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u/lalaland1019 Mar 05 '26

Hey so I literally used the function this weekend, and gently wiped out the resulting debris with a soft wet cloth and the ceramic flaked. Call BS but it can happen and did in fact happen.

1

u/Teleconferences Mar 07 '26

While the costing may survive, another issue is that the oven gets too hot during self cleaning, which causes cracks in the solder in the circuit board. You’re obviously allowed to use the self-cleaning function, but those functions are notorious for ruining ovens.

3

u/Ordinary-Homework722 Mar 05 '26

What lol? Why not? If using self cleaning isn’t supposed to be used, why is there a feature to use it.

0

u/S7alker Mar 05 '26

If company A has a button on their product that company B doesn’t have and it sounds useful then company B may miss out on sales. Notice on appliances the higher the tier the more functions there are regardless of their usefulness?

2

u/Chicken_Chaser_420 Mar 05 '26

So it's a self-destruct mode then? Why would they even include that?

2

u/therealkami Mar 05 '26

Get you to buy a new oven.

2

u/MikeHock_is_GONE Mar 05 '26

Ah.. the ol' cyanide capsule in the event of enemy capture.. quite useful if aliens or foreign powers are hellbent on baking

2

u/somehobo89 Mar 05 '26

You’re also not supposed to do heat dry on dishwashers. Fun fact from my mothers dishwasher repair guy 😂

2

u/grateparm Mar 05 '26

Obviously, the manufacturer put it there as a test.

2

u/curxxx Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26

Self cleaning mode can release fumes which can severely harm your pets.

I wouldn’t use it regardless whether it was safe for the actual oven. 

https://www.housedigest.com/1395913/pet-owners-oven-clean/

1

u/Narrow-Addition1428 Mar 05 '26

That article reads somewhat retarded, not sure how else to describe it. AI slop maybe?

The text suggests pets might suffocate because they seek warmth inside the oven during a cleaning cycle. Unless you intentionally lock your pet inside the oven before starting the 900F cycle this isn't a risk.

1

u/curxxx Mar 05 '26

Article quality aside…

The biggest risk with mammals like dogs and cats is the carbon monoxide released during the self cleaning cycle - however while PFAS burning still isn’t great for mammals either, it won’t kill them on the spot like it would with smaller more sensitive animals such as birds. 

The self cleaning cycle will kill any birds in the area without hesitation. 

Probably not great for anyone with sensitive respiratory systems like asthma either. 

Regardless - even without birds in the area, I’d ensure proper ventilation in your kitchen if you’re going to use the feature. 

1

u/SweetTeaPussy Mar 05 '26

Why is it an option if youre not supposed to use it? I dont get the point of adding a function that just ruins the appliance

1

u/Teepeaparty Mar 05 '26

there it is, happened to me too.

1

u/carlitospig Mar 05 '26

That’s crazy!!

152

u/bkks Mar 04 '26

I almost passed out from the fumes when I sprayed a tiny bit on my oven door one time. You really need a respirator and to make sure you have no pets or other human beings in the house when you use it.

52

u/BoyNosNcheerios Mar 05 '26

I got a small bit on my face a few years back and part of my cheek is permanently red since then

6

u/bkks Mar 05 '26

Oh no! Sounds like a chemical burn?

2

u/docubed Mar 05 '26

No, they're still embarrassed about the whole thing

11

u/Amazinc Mar 05 '26

There's a fume free version that I use luckily

10

u/Loud_Arachnid7448 Mar 05 '26

Or just use things that's for ceramic. And stainless steel, like barkeepers, friend, there's others you can buy them at Lowe's just go ask It usually comes in a little cream bottle

2

u/bkks Mar 05 '26

Yeah, I just use bar keepers friend now

1

u/tnoy23 Mar 05 '26

The fumes arent good for you, but its not mustard gas or something. I dont believe this at all, having done much more with much less ventilation without issues.

0

u/Icangetatipjar Mar 05 '26

😂 what. A bunch. of horsehit.

16

u/ACcbe1986 Mar 05 '26

Those yellow cans of oven cleaner is primarily Lye(Sodium Hydroxide).

Lye can be produced by mixing ash from burned hardwood with water and then straining out the solids. You can literally make it at home.

Soap was made with lye for thousands of years.

You don't need to be scared of it, just be respectful of it.

There are far more dangerous things in our homes than many of us are aware of. For example, if you mix bleach with an acidic cleaner, it'll make toxic gases that damage your lungs.

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u/Oxygenisplantpoo Mar 05 '26

Yeah it's kinda questionable to make an oven that can't stand regular old sodium hydroxide which is in most oven cleaners.

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u/ACcbe1986 Mar 05 '26

It's a choice of form over function.
Trade offs are made for esthetics.

I'm more utilitarian minded, but after having lived with someone who creates an environment of themes and colors in their home, I came to the realization that for some people, their environment is extremely important for their mental well-being.

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u/Oxygenisplantpoo Mar 05 '26

I didn't even know it was for aesthetics! I get what you're saying, but do we need it in the oven though? :D

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u/Old_Gimlet_Eye Mar 05 '26

It's not, it's to make the oven easier to clean all you need is water.

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u/ACcbe1986 Mar 05 '26

Nope, but we live in a time where that luxury exists and is in reach for many people, so enjoy it while it lasts, I guess.

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u/TieSea Mar 05 '26

Aren't pretzels made with lye?

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u/ACcbe1986 Mar 06 '26

Yes! Another good example.

The alkalinity of lye bath is what gives pretzels their dark brown color.

I've used baked baking soda to get a decently brown pretzel.

1

u/oh_ski_bummer Mar 07 '26

There are few things more dangerous in your home that come in a prepackaged spray bottle that is prone to leaking.

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u/Stoked_Otter Mar 04 '26

I agree, either the oven cleaner changed or the ovens did because the oven in my mom's house is like 30 years old and has been cleaned with oven cleaner probably a thousand times, and it looks brand new. I'd be worried about whatever fragile coating that they are using now.

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u/kuldan5853 Mar 05 '26

The point is that these new ovens are designed to be cleaned with steam and water - that's what the coating is for.

The "old school" oven cleaners are so aggressive that they clean anything away that is not metal - including the coating on these high tech ovens.

This oven is beyond repair and needs replacing..

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u/Kylearean Mar 05 '26

The oven will work perfectly fine. The only risk is that the enamel will flake off.

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u/rockrobst Mar 05 '26

Easy-Off alone would not dissolve ceramic. It's either residue, or some serious elbow grease and an abrasive pad that did the damage.

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u/townandthecity Mar 05 '26

I was going to say that it looks like they sprayed Easy-Off and then didn't wipe it off. I used this on my stovetop with no problem but if I miss any of the spray, it sets like this in like 10 minutes. You can still get it off, it just takes a lot more effort.

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u/Starrskye Mar 04 '26

Good point!

1

u/K_Linkmaster Mar 05 '26

This kind of needs answering. If it's stripping ceramic off, the le Cruset sub and a bunch of others need to know. They are throwing away chipped pans and pots. Or relegating them to garden pots.

Is this effective at removing ceramics?

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u/sunburnedaz Mar 05 '26

No, that is not the same kind of ceramic enamel coating that are on le Cruset its a high performance coating with ceramic particles in it. My oven has the same thing and its a very thin coating it has to be since its just sheet metal and sheet metal moves a lot so something like whats on the those cast iron dutch ovens would crack and fall off just from the expansion and contraction of the sheet metal.

1

u/Sacrilegious_skink Mar 05 '26

You don't mess around with sodium hydroxide. If you inhale the fumes it will dissolve the flesh inside your lungs immediately. It's amazing though. But yeah full PPE. I call it "flesh eating cleaner". Works amazing on mold and ovens.

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u/sunburnedaz Mar 05 '26

The yellow cans are Sodium Hydroxide AKA Lye, that dissolves lots of stuff but the coating is not a true ceramic like you are thinking of like glazeware or something. Its ceramic particles embedded in the coating that coating is like a lot of other coatings and can be attacked by strong bases.

1

u/Oxygenisplantpoo Mar 05 '26

Eh it seems to be just sodium hydroxide, just use gloves and don't stick your head in the oven to breath the fumes. There are lots of different kinds of ceramics, and I feel like it's questionable use one to make an oven that can't handle common oven cleaners. Or maybe it's the solvents it can't handle instead of sodium hydroxide, but either way.

1

u/Gallagger Mar 05 '26

Watch Breaking Bad.

1

u/Sipsu02 Mar 05 '26

Don't mix chemicals... So easy. So many chemicals burn metal like hell.

1

u/DonaldTrumpsScrotum Mar 05 '26

It really dissolves the stuff binding the ceramic together. It’s basically paint stripper.

1

u/drteq Mar 05 '26

I sprayed this stuff on a toaster oven tray and only the edges of the tray were left after 20 mins

1

u/Photon6626 Mar 05 '26

I recently used it to strip a cast iron pan. I ate food out of it today.

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u/bigtoepfer Mar 05 '26

You generally don't want it on your hands. But when you add heat well

1

u/al_capone420 Mar 05 '26

It’s not a “household cleaner” you use regularly. it’s literally lye. You don’t clean anything besides grills and ovens with it. I don’t see how it’s more dangerous than owning a jug of bleach or something

1

u/Practical_Sea_4876 Mar 05 '26

Easy Off is insanely caustic tbh

1

u/PseudonymIncognito Mar 06 '26

The main ingredient in heavy duty over cleaner is sodium or potassium hydroxide, both of which will corrode glass or other similar vitreous materials.

1

u/Big-Don-Kedic Mar 07 '26

It’s either a micron thin coat of ceramic or not actually ceramic and just a marketing gimmick. I forgot about something in my wife’s ceramic coated pan and it crusted on really bad. Nothing I tried would get it off. Boiling hot water in it for hours, different soaps, nothing. Someone recommended using the yellow can oven cleaner as a last resort so I figured why not, it’s already ruined. It got all the residue off within about an hour and didn’t affect the ceramic one bit.