Hi Yanita,
I'm glad you pointed out being a clean cook and staying close by. I did mean that I don't think someone should leave. (I don't leave any windows open if I'm not home.)
During the self-clean cycle there are noxious vapors being emitted, even when clean. Here's a link, see section (0008):
http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo= ... SPLAY=DESC
The outgassing is dangerous to some birds. I think about the canary in the coal mine....
In the manual for a Whirlpool model belonging to a friend, there is a warning:
The California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act...requires the Gov. of Cal. to publish a list of substances known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm, and requires businesses to warn of potential exposure to such substances.
"This product contains a chemical known to the State of california to cause, cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
This appliance can cause low-level exposure to some of the substances listed, including benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and toluene."
I help a friend who is quite elderly. When we run the self-clean cycle on her oven, we open all the doors and windows. The times we've run the cycle, it's been too cold to sit on the front porch.
Maybe some ovens are less noxious than others. My friend's still smells terrible, even after being used a few times.
With all the warnings, I just don't get my oven dirty. I put a cookie sheet under any dish in the oven. I don't broil meat, so there are no spatters to clean up.
