When food leaks, pops, or bubbles out into the oven, your oven racks can become an encrusted mess that even the self-cleaning cycle can’t completely fix. If your oven racks are layered with grime, grease, and baked-on gunk, it’s time to give them some special attention. You can always hire a professional or try a store-bought oven cleaner, but if you’d prefer to save money or avoid the harsh chemicals found in oven sprays, there are several alternatives for cleaning oven racks.
What’s the Best Way to Clean Oven Racks?
Just like cleaning any other major kitchen appliance, there isn’t one best way to clean an oven or oven racks. Luckily, several proven oven cleaning hacks can work for you. If you’re wondering how to clean oven racks, here are three methods that we’ve found can do the job well.
1. The Merry Maids Method
The professionals at Merry Maids® recommend using a large, plastic kitchen trash bag and a spray degreaser (homemade or store-bought) for cleaning oven racks. Cleaning the oven with an ammonia, liquid dish soap, and warm water mixture is an effective way to remove grease. You can also use ammonia on the racks before sealing them inside the trash bag.
Here’s how to do it:
2. The Soaking Method
Maybe your oven racks need a bath. That’s right! You can use your bathtub to help in cleaning oven racks. First, put towels or an old shower curtain liner in the bathtub to prevent the racks from scratching the tub’s surface. Then, place the dirty oven racks in the bathtub, fill the tub with hot water, and add dishwasher detergent (powdered or liquid). Let the racks soak for several hours or overnight. You can also use a homemade oven-cleaning solution of ammonia and warm water in the bathtub instead of dishwasher detergent.