Temperatures

• All self-cleaning ovens generally work on a high-heat principle. Once you select the self-cleaning function, the oven begins raising its oven chamber temperature greatly. Typically, it'll reach about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a relatively short amount of time. A mechanical interlock also locks the door once the oven's self-cleaning process has started up. This is to prevent people from opening the oven's door and being burned by the extremely high air and metal temperatures inside.
  
  

Time

• Self-cleaning times vary from oven to oven but most will run from one to three hours, with the upper range being most common. During this period, the oven is burning away anything left on surfaces within. This includes old, dried-up baking products, crisped grease and baking oils. Small amounts of smoke from burned-away substances often emanate from the oven during this time.
  
  

Cool-Down

• Once the oven's pre-programmed self-cleaning time frame has ended, the oven will begin lowering its temperature. The oven door will remained locked until interior oven temperatures decline significantly--generally when temperatures have gone down to about 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Wipe up any ash or other residue with a damp rag or sponge.
  
  

Precautions

• Avoid getting non-stick sprays on the interior enamel surfaces of any self-cleaning oven. Also, using harsh cleaning chemicals isn't recommended. At high temps, both can bind with oven surfaces, rendering their self-cleaning properties useless from then on. It's also a good idea to remove trays and other accessories, as the high heat can discolor them permanently. Lastly, use the self-cleaning cycle regularly to prevent long-term food residue build ups.