The 3 worst things you can do to your oven – avoid damage and dangerous fire hazards with these crucial warnings from appliance experts

For most of us, the oven is the heart of the home. That is, the most important part of any kitchen for cooking, baking and hosting.

With near daily use comes a fair amount of cleaning and maintenance to ensure the longevity of your cooking appliance. But, do you know the worst things you can do to your oven?

Here, we spoke to appliance and cleaning experts for their advice on which bad kitchen habits are best to avoid when using your oven.

The worst things you can do to your oven

1. Use aluminum foil

Bear with us on this one – you don't have to throw out all your aluminium foil just yet. The key, says Glenn Lewis, appliance expert and president at Mr. Appliance, a Neighborly company, is how you use it, as there are plenty of things you should never do with aluminium foil. Who knew?

He explains, 'If you're looking at normal usage, aluminium foil is a bad thing. I’ve seen people put it on the bottom of an oven as a liner, and it melts to the surface and does not come off.

'I’ve seen people wrap their oven racks with aluminum foil, and that stops the circulation of air, so the oven cooks unevenly and burns everything on the bottom.'

Instead, stick to using aluminium foil, such as the number one bestselling Reynolds Wrap Everyday Strength Aluminum Foil available at Amazon, to line baking trays and wrap food when baking.

It's not like it has to be used for its intended use, either. You can even use aluminium foil around the house to sharpen scissors, clean oven racks and when putting oven cleaning hacks to the test. The crucial part is being cautious – nobody wants to clean an oven that's ruined by melted, burnt foil. On that same vein, never put aluminium foil in the microwave, although it is safe to put foil in an air fryer in most cases.

All prices correct at time of publication.

2. Use the self-cleaning function

While self-cleaning oven features may sound convenient, Forrest Webber, cleaning expert and founder of Bear Brothers Cleaning and The Trade Table, warns that they can do more harm than good when it comes to ovens.

'When an oven is self-cleaning, it reaches extremely high temperatures, which could damage elements of the oven,' he explains, which is why appliance and cleaning experts alike agree with this oven self-clean warning. 'Instead, hire a professional cleaning company to clean it for you. Most companies will offer standalone oven cleans.'

You can also, of course, clean an oven yourself, and Forrest recommends the Easy-Off Fume Free Oven Cleaner available at Amazon as an easy-to-use solution. 'All you do is spray the spot, then wipe away – easy peasy,' he advises, warning that, when using oven cleaner, it's crucial to be careful not to spill any on your floors, as commercial cleaners can stain and damage hardwood.

Alternatively, you can clean an oven without chemicals, using an all-natural dish soap, or baking soda and vinegar. Your oven is also one of the things you can clean with a steamer, such as the top rated McCulloch MC1230 Handheld Steam Cleaner available at QVC. In fact, Chiana Dickson, content editor on Solved here at Homes & Gardens recently tried deep cleaning her kitchen with a steam cleaner, for a non-toxic way to save time.

3. Use them as heaters and dryers

This might sound crazy, but appliance expert Glenn has genuinely seen cases of ovens being used as both heaters and dryers. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of reasons not to – including how dangerous a habit this is.

'I’ve seen people use them as space heaters, running them with the door open to heat the house,' says Glenn. 'On an electric oven, you will burn out the elements, and someone could get burned. On a gas oven, you vent carbon monoxide into the home. I’ve even seen people put wet shoes and boots in the oven to dry them out.

'Everything I talked about above is either harmful to the oven, your home, and possibly everyone inside of it. Your oven was not designed to do any of those things.'

Instead, so long as you want to prolong spotting any signs it's time to replace your old appliance, only use your oven for the things it was intended and designed to do, following the manufacturer's use and care guide.

And, if you're in the market to invest in one of the best types of space heater or best clothes dryers, our expert guides consist of the right choices to splurge on, to save your oven from damage and danger.

Meet our expert

Glenn Lewis

As the president of Mr. Appliance since 2024, Glenn has grown the company throughout the US and Canada, offering qualified experts to fix all sorts of appliance issues.

FAQs

What is the most common cause of oven fires?

Oven fires are one of the most dangerous yet common fire risks in your home, and are primarily caused by leaving cooking unattended. Always stay in the kitchen when using your oven, and certainly never leave your home or go to bed.

Don't forget to clean your oven racks, either. This should be done approximately once a month.