Cleaning a dirty oven is one of the most complicated chores when it comes to general kitchen upkeep. If you’re an avid baker or an oven-loving cook, there’s a good chance that your oven racks are already covered with a handful of sticky grime, baked-on grease, and charred pieces of food. While these stains seem difficult to remove at first glance, there are still a lot of methods that you can try to remove them from the oven racks.
In this article, we’ll show you 5 different ways to get rid of oven rack stains and helpful tips to consider when doing the cleaning:
1. Dryer sheets and dishwashing liquid
One of the easiest ways to clean dirty and greasy oven racks is by lining your bathtub with dryer sheets. Place the oven racks on top of the sheets and fill the tub with warm water to cover the racks. Add on a half-cup of dishwashing soap into the mix and allow everything to sit overnight. Drain the bathtub in the morning and use the soaked dryer sheets to wipe and scrub the racks clean of stains. The materials used are known to weaken the stain particles on the racks, making way for easier wiping and scrubbing.
2. Natural ingredients
Another way of cleaning the racks is by placing them in the bathtub without any water. Get and sprinkle baking soda powder on the racks to cleanse and deodorize the grills from stains. Afterwards, get a bottle of vinegar and pour a few drops onto the racks. You can expect a foaming reaction to happen; once it stops, begin running hot water in the bathtub until it fully submerges the racks. Leave everything to soak overnight. In the morning, use an old toothbrush to scrub the racks free from stains and food particles. For any hard and stubborn spots, simply add kosher salt to the mix for a more powerful cleaning agent. Rinse the racks and wipe them dry before placing them in the oven.
3. Ammonia trash bags
If you want an easy and less messy way to clean your oven racks, then you can use the ammonia and trash bags method. Since you’re dealing with a powerful cleaning material, you will need to proceed with caution when performing the task. Get a large plastic trash bag, ammonia solution and a trash bin. You also need to make sure that you have a safe place where you can leave the racks overnight. Begin cleaning by placing the oven racks in a large and clean trash bag. Add a half-quart of ammonia into the bag and tie it off tightly and put it inside a garbage can. Let the racks sit inside the bag overnight. The following day, wear a protective mask to cover yourself from the fumes of the ammonia solution and take out the racks from the bag. Rinse it using a hose and let the racks dry under the sun.
4. Dishwasher soap bath
Another effective cleaning method for greasy oven racks is through a dishwasher soap bath. For this process, you will need to place the oven racks on top of towels and sponges in the bathtub. Fill the bathtub with just enough hot water to slightly submerge the racks with liquid. Add a cup of dishwasher powder into the mix and let the racks soak overnight. Rinse the racks in the morning and wipe the stains off using the sponge or a clean cloth.
5. Commercial cleaning materials
Take the racks outside and lay out a plastic shower curtain to prepare your cleaning area. You can also use newspapers as your cover for this method. Begin laying the oven racks down in separate layers and spray an oven cleaner on all sides of the racks. Let the solution sit for at least 10 minutes and scrub the racks with a brush afterwards. Rinse the racks thoroughly before leaving it to dry under the sun. Afterwards, return the clean oven racks to the machine.
Cleaning the oven racks can be potentially messy, especially if it’s the first time you’re doing it in a long time. But with the right set of cleaning tools and the best cleaning method that works for you, doing the chore can feel a lot more manageable and effortless.
