Article: Remove pets from the kitchen vicinity or the house itself before you start a self-cleaning cycle on your oven. Take special care with birds, who are particularly susceptible to harm from this process, by removing them from the house completely.  Note that pet birds are easily harmed and killed by inhaling the fumes that come from the pyrolytic coating on self-cleaning ovens, as well as many other nonstick kitchen items containing a substance known as PTFE.  While humans and other pets are less susceptible for toxicity from this chemical, they can also experience irritation from PTFE fumes while running the cleaning cycle. Pets should be kept on another floor or removed area of the house for safety, and humans should also try to stay away, except to monitor the progress of the oven cleaning. Keep air flowing in the kitchen where you will turn on the self-cleaning oven feature. Turn on the vent fan on an oven range and open available doors and windows.  You will notice an unpleasant odor from your oven once it reaches high heat for the cleaning cycle. This is due to the heating of the pyrolytic coating, as well as the burning food material. You can also consider setting up a fan faced toward an open window or door to help pull the smell from the oven outdoors. Do not perform the self-cleaning function on your oven if you don’t have these ventilation options available. Your kitchen can fill with smoke and fumes, set off smoke detectors, and become very overheated. Take out all removable objects from the inside of your oven, as well as on top of it and below it, just to be safe. This would include any stainless steel oven racks, thermometers, cooking stones, etc.  Do not forget to remove any and all items from the warming tray below your oven, if you have one. Some oven racks are also coated with the pyrolytic material needed for self-cleaning and are thus intended to remain inside the oven for the cleaning cycle. Standard stainless steel racks should typically be removed. Consult your model’s manual to be sure of this.  If desired, you may clean any baking or cooking stones, thermometers, or oven racks you remove separately as the oven goes through its self-cleaning cycle, particularly if there are stubborn stains or debris stuck on them. Consult the manual that came with your oven that will be unique to the specific model. Follow any instructions and safety considerations listed regarding the self-clean function before you use it.  If you don’t have or can’t find your original owner’s manual, search online under the brand and model of your oven, as they are typically available in a digital format.  If you are having trouble determining the model and brand or locating a manual, especially for older ovens, consult a manufacturer or appliance specialist about the self-cleaning function before you use it.

What is a summary?
Take pets away from the area. Ventilate the area well. Remove objects from the vicinity. Follow your specific owner’s manual.