Hey, guys, totally off-topic here. In the past, I've always bought big things, like vehicles and household appliances, as "new to me" opposed to "new". My computer, most of my clothing, even my dogs and husband, all have been broken in by someone before me. So, my old stove died on me, and when I went to the used appliance store in my town, I found "the cupboards were bare". They were just doing repairs, and because of the cost of scrap metal, they told me, used appliances were basically a thing of the past. So I went out and bought my first brand new stove. I've been very careful not to get the oven dirty, using cookie sheets under everything I put in there. Strangely, today I looked in, and there was a brown puddle in the bottom, so I decided to run the self-cleaning function. I took out the racks, as the manual told me. Soon, the house filled up with fumes that smelled like melted plastic! Now, when I first got the thing, it was full of foam packing modules, which I removed carefully. Has anyone else had this happen? Any ideas? I'm waiting for the thing to get done with its cleaning cycle so I can peek in inside...

Basically, what the "self-cleaning" cycle does is BURN off any residue in the oven. I've used the self-clean function on mine about twice... and it's done that both times. Smoke, fumes, and other stuff that sets off the stupid smoke detector, LOL!

The instructions on mine said that the oven did the self-cleaning by heating to about 500+ degrees F, so I sorta expected some smoking... the rest of it, though, wasn't so much fun. Still, you can't use any chemical oven cleaners if you ever want to use the "self-cleaning" function again, so I would strongly suggest only doing that on a nice spring day, with all the windows open and a stiff breeze blowing!

~~Wiccan~~

Well, it's certainly clean now! But that melted plastic smell really scares me. Wonder what it was? Whatever caused the fumes, I'll definitely take your advice, and only clean the oven when the weather is nice- not five degrees, like today!

Yeah, when my oven was brand new, it gave off that melted-plastic kind of smell for a while (even though all foam packaging had been removed), especially the first time I ran the self-clean function. I guess it's like the oven version of the new car smell. It'll pass.

The oven may still look a little grungy after the cycle is over, so you may want to wipe it down with a damp cloth, just to clear off any remaining residue. I've used a Mr. Clean magic eraser before with no problem.

Thanks, CritterWhisperer. It makes me feel a lot better to know that the fumes are normal. As far as the cleaning part, it worked a treat! Sparkly clean oven.

I've had several ovens that are "self cleaning" but I've never used them. I'm the type that likes to scrub like a fiend before something feels clean. Google home made oven cleaners. I love using baking soda and water for the scrub power, and the mixture isn't harmful to my oven or my family.

Baking soda for the oven! I've never heard that one before, but it makes sense. It's what I use to polish my teeth, and they are still in great shape after 50 years! I like the idea of using baking soda, because I have allergies and reactive airway disease, and I can't tolerate commercial oven cleaner! It's funny how many things like vinegar, peroxide, and baking soda actually do a much better job than harsh, commercial products, and cost so much less. Thanks for the great tip, momo!

Not a problem! I'm asthmatic and can't take the scent of most commercial cleaners. I generally make my own if I can get away with it ^_^