A friend of mine gave me a tip on this recently! She uses Cream of Tarter and Vinegar- make them into a paste, rub on in circles, and let sit for a bit to absorb ick (it will turn brownish). Also works great on a flattop stovetop, thin it a little more and put in an old shampoo bottle for squirting.

Thanks Debra,

I will certainly try your recommendation.

PKL ~ Denver,CO

Hi Debra -

I have just purchased a new gas range that does indeed come with both a self-cleaning feature and a warning similar to the one you mention (remove birds or they might die - something to that effect). When I called KitchenAid to ask them what it was that would cause this (my initial worry being that the inside of the oven was teflon coated or something awful like that) they told me that it is the oven insulation that releases harmful fumes during the self-cleaning cycle.

I haven't been able to find any oven out there that is "green" with the exception of some outrageously expensive built-in oven that operates through your cell phone and the internet (I'm not making this up), but I'm wondering if you know if this is something to be concerned about in terms of the daily use of the oven? I have asked KitchenAid this question and expect an answer back shortly. I suppose the only answer is to do what you say you have been doing - ventilate, ventilate, ventilate during the cleaning cycle and keep everyone away until it is complete.

Your thoughts on this vexing issue would be most welcome!

Hi Debra,

Your stovetop: Were you referring to the green nylon scrubbing pads w/ sponge attached? (some come without sponges). They work great initially, but I don't use them because they scratch too much. You might not notice it at first, but the scratches accumulate and make the surface harder to clean in the future.

White scrubbing pads (attached to a sponge) are far less abrasive. Better yet, some natural food stores carry one made from walnuts that are heavy-duty but don't scratch as much ( www.naturalvalue.com)

Regarding self-cleaning ovens, as Debra mentioned, they work by cooking the burnt-on gunk at extremely high temperatures. There are advantages and disadvantages to self-cleaning ovens. The big advantage is that due to the use of very high heat, the oven has to be very well insulated, and as a result, they are usually more energy efficient than non-self-cleaning models, preventing air pollution.

The downside is that you are essentially gassifying a solid. Yes, there will be fumes, since you are converting that solid burnt material into gases. That is the only way they will work. The advantage is that you are not introducing *additional* toxic chemicals into your oven which may cause toxic vapours, and leave residues that could cook into your foods. I agree that the best solution if you use the self-cleaning feature is to ventilate, ventilate, ventilate.