Oven racks play a crucial role in our culinary adventures, but over time, they can accumulate grease, grime, and baked-on food residues. Neglecting their cleaning can affect the flavor of your dishes and the longer it's put off, the tougher the job becomes. So add the tricks below to your cleaning schedule and take care of those dirty oven racks.
Causes of Tough Build-Up
Oven racks take a beating and they generally don't get washed as regularly as the rest of your cooking tools. Grease from spills and splatters gets repeatedly baked by the high temperatures and adheres to the metal. Even the self-clean cycle struggles to clean baking sheets with caked-on splatters. Unfortunately, none of the cleaning solutions are without a bit of elbow grease, but if baked-on messes are taken care of on a regular basis, the task is easier.
Natural Cleaners vs. Commercial Oven Cleaner
Natural Cleaners:
Examples: baking soda, vinegar, essential oils, or salt
Pros of Natural Cleaners:
- Environmentally friendly, generally safer for pets and children
- Often use common household ingredients and tools
- No harsh chemical odors
Cons of Natural Cleaners:
- May take longer to work on baked-on gunk
- May require more scrubbing and effort
Chemical Cleaners
Examples: Easy-Off Oven Cleaner, Zep Oven Cleaner, Goo Gone Oven Cleaner
Pros of Chemical Cleaners:
- Stronger and more effective on stubborn stains
- Often require less physical effort
Cons of Chemical Cleaners:
- Harsh chemicals and toxic fumes may pose health and environmental risks
- Strong odors may be unpleasant
Ten Oven Rack Cleaning Methods
1. Dish Detergent
Convenient with household ingredients (our favorite method).
- Fill a basin or bathtub with warm water.
- Add one cup of dish soap to the water.
- Submerge the oven rack in the soapy water and let it soak for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Scrub the rack with a scrubber sponge or an old toothbrush to remove softened grime.
- Rinse thoroughly.
2. Oven Cleaner
A highly effective approach with a specialty product.
- Wear gloves and follow the specific instructions on the oven cleaner's label.
- Typically, you'll spray or apply the cleaner on the oven rack, ensuring even coverage.
- Let the cleaner sit for the recommended time (as per the product instructions).
- Scrub the rack with a scrub brush or sponge to remove loosened grime.
- Rinse the rack thoroughly with water.
3. Ammonia
**Never mix ammonia and other cleaning agents!
- Pull on rubber gloves. Go to a well-ventilated area.
- Place the oven rack in a large sealable plastic bag or a trash bag.
- Add 1/2 cup of ammonia to the bag, ensuring the rack is coated.
- Seal the bag and let it sit overnight in a well-ventilated area.
- The next day, open the bag outdoors. Ammonia fumes can be strong and dangerous.
- Rinse the rack thoroughly with water.
4. Essential Oil Paste
A natural approach.
- Mix baking soda with a small amount of water to create a thick paste.
- Add a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant scent (e.g., lemon or lavender).
- Apply the paste to the oven rack, focusing on tough spots.
- Let it sit for 15-20 minutes to penetrate and loosen the grime.
- Scrub the rack with a brush or sponge and rinse thoroughly with hot water.
5. Barkeeper's Friend
Effective, but be sure to try a test spot first.
- Wet the oven rack with water.
- Sprinkle Barkeeper's Friend over the rack, focusing on stains and baked-on grease.
- Allow it to sit for a few minutes.
- Scrub the rack with a scrub brush or sponge.
- Rinse the rack thoroughly with water.
6. Dryer Sheets
A gentle approach that is best for a regular cleaning, not extra dirty racks.
- Wet the oven rack and 6-8 laundry dryer sheets.
- Place a few wet dryer sheets on the rack and let them sit for a few hours.
- Use the sheets to scrub away loosened residues.
- Rinse the rack thoroughly with water.
7. Coarse Salt
This method is most suitable for light to moderate grime.
- Mix coarse salt with a small amount of water to create a thick paste.
- Apply the salt paste to the oven rack, especially on stubborn areas.
- Let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Scrub the rack with a brush or sponge and rinse with hot water.
8. Vinegar Soak:
It takes some time, but it's an effective and simple method
- Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a basin or bathtub.
- Submerge the oven rack in the vinegar solution and soak overnight.
- Scrub the rack with a brush or sponge to remove softened residues.
- Rinse with water.
9. Dishwasher Detergent Pods/Tablets:
It's a newly popular cleaning hack that still requires a lot of scrubbing.
- Fill a basin or bathtub with enough hot water to fully submerge the racks.
- Dissolve one or two dishwasher tablets to create a soapy solution.
- Submerge the oven racks into the soapy water.
- Soak the oven racks overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
- Use a scrub brush to rub away the softened residues.
- Rinse the oven racks under warm running water.
10. Steel Wool
Effective but it will scratch some oven rack coatings.
- Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands.
- Take a steel wool pad, preferably medium or fine grade, and start scrubbing the racks. Work on one section at a time.
- Apply gentle pressure and use circular or back-and-forth motions to remove the built-up grime.
- If there are stubborn spots, you can fold the steel wool pad to create a more focused scrubbing surface.
- Rinse with clean water.
Do self-cleaning ovens also clean racks?
Most self-cleaning ovens are designed to clean the interior surfaces, including the oven racks. During the self-cleaning cycle, the oven reaches extremely high temperatures (typically around 900°F or 482°C), which helps to burn off and turn residue on the racks into ash. It's recommended to remove any excessive debris from the racks before running the self-cleaning cycle for more effective results.
Additionally, some manufacturers advise against leaving certain types of racks in the oven during self-cleaning, so it's essential to consult the oven's manual for specific instructions.
