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Silicone liner left in oven during self-cleaning - now what?

9 years ago

I forgot to remove the silicone oven liner from the oven before running the self-cleaning cycle. It sort of melted to the bottom of the oven (below the element). I discovered this at the end of the cycle when I opened the door and I quickly removed what I could of the liner (in pieces). I'm now left with a white "film" all over the oven - bottom, sides, door, top. I've tried everything I think is safe (Dobie pad, green scrubby pad, Bar Keeper's Friend, and finally the more aggressive pads that are kind of like steel wool) and nothing has removed this white "film". It sort of looks like the inside of the oven (formerly dark grey) has been spray-painted with a light film of white paint and it's at least that tenacious!
The liners aren't supposed to be used in an oven set above 500F, and I know it was hotter than that during the self-cleaning cycle. I've aired out the kitchen as much as I can but we were in the room with the oven running for several hours without realizing what was going on. Now that this appears to be a permanent situation, I don't know whether the oven is safe to use and if it will continue to produce fumes that we shouldn't be breathing if we do use it.
I've searched online and found little to help, especially on the safety of using the oven now that it's damaged. I also called KitchenAid and they weren't any help. If anyone can advise if there is a way to remove this white "film", and/or advise on the safety of using the oven, I would be very appreciative.

Comments (38)

  • 9 years ago

    I would contact the manufacturer of the liner so you can find out if the silicone was food grade -- like the type you can bake on. If it was, the linked info suggests it should be ok. If it wasn't, well, see what they can tell you about the fumes.

    http://www.shopyourway.com/questions/1151642 "Is silicone toxic?"

    Also, have you tried warming the oven to see if you can remove any more of the silicone if it is warm?

    Personally, I wouldn't want to cook my Thanknsgiving turkey in it -- but you might catch some good appliance sales between now and the holidays.


  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    lascatx, thank you for your comment! I just looked up the liners I was using - and they are not silicone, they are teflon. I purchased them on Amazon and the copy from the page says you can bake on them (similar to baking on a Silpat, I imagine, but these are very thin, and teflon).

    I haven't tried warming the oven to see if any residue can be removed. I thought about running another self-cleaning cycle but I suspect it wouldn't help. Whatever this "film" is, it is like it is now part of the inside of the oven itself. It doesn't budge at all, no matter how much I scrub it.

    I looked at replacing the ovens today (between the futile scrubbing sessions) and due to the age of our double ovens (22 years), the cut-out is 8" or so taller than the size needed for current double oven sizes. We'd have to modify some cabinetry which would necessitate repainting all our cabinets. It would be quite an undertaking. OTOH, as you mentioned, I have already thought of how I'm going to manage Thanksgiving with just one oven. I ordered a new heating element for the oven today, since the residue is on that, too, but even with that, I know I'm going to be really leery of using the oven at all.

  • 9 years ago

    Self-cleaning cycles reach in excess of 900°F. Any sort of oven liner or foil sheet MUST be removed or it'll melt and fuse to the cavity. User instructions for electric ovens with a hidden bake element (under the oven floor) warn against using such items even at normal baking temperatures.

  • 9 years ago

    I'd self clean it again. Burn off anything that can be burned off. It'll never be pretty again but I'd consider it safe enough. It's not like teflon becomes more toxic once melted and reformed.


    Probably. :)

  • 9 years ago

    Fori, I thought about running another self-cleaning cycle, but then I read a little about overheating teflon-coated pans and the six (or so) carcinogens that are released when that happens. I don't use teflon-coated pans and haven't for years because of their negative properties. If I heated the oven that hot again I think I'd be really worried about releasing more carcinogens from that "film".


    You are right that it will never be pretty again! And they have been great ovens, never needing even one service call in 22 years. They heat very evenly and accurately. Sadly, though, I think I've concluded we need to replace them. I can't manage with just one oven forever, and I know I'm just going to worry every time I heat the damaged oven hotter than 250F! We can get the ovens replaced and deal with matching the cabinetry paint later. I just hope the new ones are as reliable and worry-free as these have been.


    kaseki, ha - last night when I was reading I thought the same thing as you (minus the blue part). Now to research patents. ;-)


    dadoes, thanks for your input. Obviously, I didn't mean to leave the liner in the oven during self-cleaning. Not a "good thing", as Martha would say.

  • 9 years ago

    Make sure you consider your options from all angles before you modify the cabinet. You will want to think about what is easiest to modify, but also how the oven placemet will work best for you and how you use the cabinet space above and below. My above oven cabinet is tall enough that it could lose some space, but I wouldn't want to reduce it that much. Yours may vary.

    If you have double ovens, you likely have a drawer beneath them. If you just modify that portion of the cabinet, you may able to (1) eliminate the drawer, (2) reduce the drawer to a more shallow one, or (3) lower the drawer to a toekick level (might not require changing the drawer panel on the front). The lower oven would be more like a range oven in height -- something I wouldn't want for my only oven, but for a second oven, even I might be able to live with that. Underneath the ovens, any touch up paint variation will be less obvious. That can at least get you through the holidays and then you can decide whether you want to repaint all the cabinetry in the spring.

  • 7 years ago

    I had this happen to both of my ovens when I was just cooking an item at 350 degrees. Nothing as hot a 500 degrees I am so upset. My Maytag stove oven is only 2 years old and cost over $2,000! I have never heard any warnings about these Teflon oven liners. Prior I had use the heavy duty foil and made sure it didn't touch the heating element. That had worked for 45 years!! What is a baker supposed to do?

  • 7 years ago

    Open the windows, turn on your hood and run another self clean and then do it again. At this point you really have nothing to lose. Just make sure the kitchen is well ventelated

  • 7 years ago

    Teflon is a polymer of carbon and fluorine. When overheated, it disassociates. I haven't researched all the reactions possible, but I think we can assume that if the white surface doesn't come off with harsh cleaning, it is not just a Teflon film. This suggests it may be a reaction of fluorine with whatever glass coating the oven is manufactured with to form some fluoro-silicate (of which there are many).

    I think the suggestion of re-clean-cycling the oven is a good one. Anything left on the surface is unlikely at normal cooking temperatures to further out-gas any noxious chemicals, and as as you have observed, is unlikely to fall off and contaminate the cooked food. One might play it safe and cover items being cooked to allow post cooking inspection of the covering to confirm (or not) this hypothesis.

  • 7 years ago

    I thought silpat was to line bottom of oven. After baking, found out it wasn't. Parts stuck to bottom of oven, and a white mist over rest. Tried several things that didn't work. Then saw my Magic Eraser and, what do you know, each time I swiped it, more of the grid-pattern on oven bottom came off, and the white mist. I think it was a 2X M.E., but they do have 4X now. Definitely worth a try. Hope it works well for you. ....Rose

  • 7 years ago

    Just a caution: Some oven manufacturers assert that there should be no coverings placed on the oven bottom. This is true of my Wolf electric double wall oven. As there is a heater under there, one might expect that the bottom surface temperature will significantly exceed the programmed oven air temperature.

  • 7 years ago

    You can bake with some Silpat things, but you CANNOT put it on the bottom of the oven. It will NOT withstand the heat of close proximity of the bottom element, especially if it is a hidden element (under the bottom).

  • 6 years ago

    We have the same problem but, Frigidaire says we can replace the floor panel. Cost will probably be about $200? We haven't ordered it yet so, don't know the cost for sure.

  • 6 years ago

    Never use self clean function! Just make a wet paste of baking soda and leave that for a couple hours or over night. Then wipe up and use a gentle scrubber if needed. It is almost magic. No carcinogens released.

  • 6 years ago

    Protectors wipe .

  • 6 years ago

    What is a magic eraser 2ME?

  • 5 years ago

    I just did the exact same thing! Forgot my silicon baking mat in the oven and self cleaned it. Opened it to a winter wonderland. After reading these posts I was extremely disheartened and figured I’d be replacing my oven. I decided to put straight vinegar in a spray bottle and soak the entire inside of my oven, close the door and let it sit over night. I woke up this morning and I washed it down, it’s dried, and all the white residue is gone!!!

  • 5 years ago

    I did it as well cleaned it as well as I could it still was there and used vinegar and baking soda on the next session it did come off. but i have used it since no fumes and the food didn't smell or taste weird it just still has a ashy look dull white look after I use it. I have one more technique to try and ill report back if it works

  • 5 years ago

    I am grateful for any further advice. I’m upset that I left liner in oven and turned on the self-clean cycle! And one week before Christmas! I will try the baking soda and vinegar ideas but if anyone has more info, I’d be very appreciative.

  • 5 years ago

    I just used the self clean function and left my Pampered Chef silicone rack covers in. When I opened the oven after cycle was complete, it looked like a bomb went off. I used vinegar and baking soda paste and everything including the glass door has a white film on it. I can no longer see in the oven glass door. I needed a vaccum to help get the inch of white dust out. Guess I will try the magic eraser next.

  • 5 years ago

    Yikes, I just did this too with my pampered chef silicon rack covers. What worked for you all?


  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I'm glad I'm not the only one who did this. The Pampered Chef rack protector thingies too. I vacuumed out the white stuff and ran another self-clean cycle. Nothing. I scrubbed with a spray-on oven cleaner Nothing. I scraped the inside of the glass with a razor scraper (like you would use to get paint off a window) and that got most of it off the glass. But it is also between the interior and exterior glass and I have NO idea how to get to that without taking the door apart. Not happening. So I have a semi-frosted glass oven door. GRRRRRR. I will try the vinegar next...and then the magic eraser after that. I'll keep you posted.


    Well, I tried the vinegar thing and it caused RUST in the oven at the seams and on the convection fan...so that wasn't a good idea. I feel like I need to scrap the whole oven now. I'm beyond frustrated with the whole thing - and my own stupidity.

  • 4 years ago

    I did the same thing with the Pampered Chef rack protectors. It looked like winter wonderland and the dust appears to be hydrophobic. I ended up taking the racks outside and pressure washing them, because when the water would hit them would poof in a cloud of smoke. I ended us using the shop vac to suck up most of the disaster inside. I'm now looking for how to get the remaining residue off. So far, bar keepers friend hasn't done it.

  • 4 years ago

    I did the same thing with the Pampered Chef rack protectors. It looked like winter wonderland and the dust appears to be hydrophobic. I ended up taking the racks outside and pressure washing them, because when the water would hit them would poof in a cloud of smoke. I ended us using the shop vac to suck up most of the disaster inside. I'm now looking for how to get the remaining residue off. So far, bar keepers friend hasn't done it.

  • 4 years ago

    I just put my oven on broil and my new 36 inch induction oven has a horrible white film on it. The oven began to smell like plastic and I thought it was because the range was only a few months old and not used that much. My oven is now damaged and I am sick over it. I have been scrubbing for hours.

  • 3 years ago

    I did the same with the rack protectors, I have tried everything listed except the magic eraser or running the cycle again, though apparently, that didn't really help it sounds. Also, I didn't leave the vinegar over night. I will try both.

  • 3 years ago

    Magic Eraser products are abrasive. I'd be hesitant to use them on a porcelain (essentially glass) surface.

  • 3 years ago

    I left my Teflon baking pan liner in my oven, turned on the self-cleaning and heard an explosion about an hour into it. I turned the oven off and opened my kitchen windows. The next day I found my winter wonderland. Not the beautiful ski slopes! Anyway, I took the racks out and sprayed them on both sides with my kitchen faucet, turned to a forceful spray. Then I made a solution of warm water and Clorox. Using a LOT of paper towels I soaked down the entire oven. Since it is a Frigidaire and had the heating element on the top, it was pretty hard to get under there to remove the white film. I'm letting it dry out now and then will put the racks back in and turn it on self clean again. I'll let you know what happens. I'm 81 years old so there wasn't a whole lot of elbow grease involved in this cleaning method!

  • 3 years ago

    If one heats silicone to destruction, the most likely solid product will be silicon dioxide, or quartz, the primary compound in glass. It can be dissolved in hydrofluoric acid, but don't try this at home, or anywhere else. The metal it has coated may be dissolved faster and the fumes are toxic.

    The good news, such as it is, is that if the unbonded "glass" dust is vacuumed up or wiped up, the residue is unlikely to get in one's food, and would not be more harmful than eating outdoors in a dust storm, or eating a mud pie if one were young enough. Wiping may be better than vacuuming, depending on how well one's vacuum keeps dust out of its motor. Moving glass dust -- much like regular dust but possibly finer -- is not what you need in the vacuum's motor or in the exiting air.

    I would be concerned about the dust that makes it into the convection fan passages that are difficult to get to. Some consideration of the cost-effectiveness of oven replacement may be called for.

    In general, my condolences for the disasters that have befallen you.

  • 3 years ago

    Did the vinegar overnight or the water/clorox clean the white residue from the silicone out of the oven? I just made this mistake 3 days ago (self-cleaning oven - accidently left silicone rack protectors in) I have tried everything else.

  • 2 years ago

    sorry to say that I left the rack protectors in while on self clean as others have mentioned, white dust everywhere! My husband removed the door and the elements so I could clean dust off top of oven and burners. I wiped down with plain water, then vinegar water. The glass on door is permanently cloudy…nothing will make it clear again. I haven’t tried using the oven yet…fingers crossed!

  • 2 years ago

    same mistake here. So far I've tried vacuuming, wiping, soap, paint remover, WD-40, Bar Keeper's friend, oven cleaner, razor scrapper and the drill brush.

    The abrasive methods were more efficient and most of the white coat is gone, but I still have stains and the glass door is "frosty".

    I've used the over 3 times since the accident and cleaning attempts. There were no fumes or bad taste on the food.

  • 2 years ago


    This is what it looks like when you put tin foil on the bottom of the the oven, i learned the hard way, this was on my brand new Samsung stove! They should write across the front of the directions ” DO NOT PUT TIN FOIL ON THE BOTTOM OF OVEN”

  • 2 years ago

    Well, I know I am late to the party but this year I left a silicone liner in my oven during self clean mode.....twice! I think I win the stupid award. My once gray oven interior is a lovely snowy white and I've tried scrubbing to no avail. But thanks to this thread, which I just found, I tried the Magic Erase method and, lo and behold, it's coming out like a dream! Try this folks before you break a sweat doing anything else!

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    I as well left my pampered chef liners that go along the edge of the rack in during a self clean. I've gotten the powder out but the film keeps returning when it dries. Im more worried about what's in the fan. Did anyone figure that out?

    Can I try sucking it with a vacuum? Lol. I'm just at such a loss that I actually did this. The mess as everyone knows is insane. I will get the oven clean I just don't know about the fan. 😞

  • last year

    Thought I was the only dummy leaving in silicone liners on my oven racks. My problem is getting the oven door off - right now I've got one side that comes off and the other side stuck. I've watched videos (sadly, after my attempt to get the door off without watching the video all the way through). If I can get the door off, I'm going to try to Magic Eraser because vinegar didn't help. I did use a razor blade and got the door window clear again - so there's that.

  • 10 months ago

    II leftI left the Pamperd chef silicon strips in my oven and self cleaned as well. it was vacuumed out eith a professional vacuum, cleaned with bar keepers friend, and cleaned again with Norwex cleaning paste. the paste removed the majority of the gim off my over window and the majority of the insides. my racks are dull so i will be ordering new ones. ll will scrub the oven again with it one more time and if it doesnt get it clean, ill just bite the bullet and look at new ovens. i cant stand the thought of cookin or baking for others and having any residue still be in there!