I did a little research and found out that the self-cleaning option on ovens can be very toxic and dangerous, which of course made sense after I read more about what "self-cleaning" really meant (it wasn't like the oven-style equivalent of a car wash that I envisioned). Self cleaning means your oven heats up to an extremely high temperature, which does indeed burn off any crud that might be stuck inside, but the carbon monoxide from the burning items, along with the fumes from the oven lining is sitting in the air in your house! This is especially bad for kids, elderly, people who have asthma or small pets. OK really that is just bad for EVERYONE.
Since my dream of having a self-cleaning oven was gone (and house... a self cleaning house would be nice), I decided to try out the KitchenStone Cleaning Blocks. They claimed to be chemical free and had great reviews online. Check out the info below for how these little stones rated!
Great way to clean your kitchen or oven without toxic chemicals. These also work on tile and grout and some bakeware that is hard to clean.
THE BAD
Not recommended for use on stainless steel sinks, stove top or ovens, and Teflon coated, aluminum or copper cookware.
THE BASICS
The KitchenStone Cleaning Block is an 100% chemical free and non-toxic cleaner that removes tough cooking grease or baked-on food from ceramic cookware, broiler pans and oven interior.
PERFORMANCE
The KitchenStone Cleaning Block is an excellent cleaning stone and did a great job of removing baked on grease from pots and pans. It also worked well as an oven cleaner, and is a great alternative to harsh oven cleaners or toxic fumes from self-cleaning ovens. The blocks will wear away over time, but you can expect to get many uses out of them before that happens. Compared to a regular sponge and soap it is far superior and doesn't leave behind any scratches or wear.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The KitchenStone Cleaning Block is an excellent natural product for those looking to avoid the use of chemicals when doing any deep cleaning.