As the UK’s largest oven cleaning franchise, we know that day-in, day-out baking or cooking can leave your oven racks needing some TLC. Sprinkled baking soda, soaking in vinegar and submerging in the bathtub can only get you so far.
Our professional oven cleaners use specialist Ovenu products to maximise the brand-new sparkling clean feel with minimal environmental impact.
Find our ultimate step-by-step guide on all the methods of cleaning your oven.
Related: cleaning your oven with baking soda
Cleaning Oven Racks
Regular grilling, roasting and baking can result in tough to budge grease and grime. Carrying out some DIY maintenance can bridge the gap between professional oven rack cleans if you have 4-12 hours to spare.
However, many homeowners, landlords, and restaurants commit to a professional oven cleaning that leaves their cooking space with a refreshed feeling. Find your local professional oven rack cleaner near you today.
We’ve compiled decades of experience into a simple list of oven grid and rack cleaning methods you can put to use at home.
What is the best way to clean oven racks?
The best way to clean oven racks will depend on your circumstances. Whilst some say that soaking oven racks in hot water with dishwasher soap or laundry detergent is the most effective method, this may be overkill in your case. Depending on how dirty your oven racks are, you may be better off with a less time-consuming method.
Many suggest extensive methods to clean your oven racks and grills to remove grime, it mightn’t be necessary to pull out all the stops. Depending on the build up, opting for a less time-consuming approach could be more suitable.
What is the best thing to clean oven shelves?
The best way to clean oven shelves depends on the level of grime and grease on them. Oven shelves covered in baked-on grease may need a combination of baking soda, soaking, and scrubbing to feel clean. However, a less dirty oven shelf may only require a warm wash with washing-up liquid and some elbow grease.
Medium Build-up Oven Cleaning Options
How to Clean Oven Racks Without Chemicals
It’s possible to clean oven racks without chemicals; however, doing so will likely take a long time. While household items such as fairy liquid can prove useful, they’re ultimately less fit for the task than dedicated oven cleaning products.
- To clean oven racks without chemicals, fill a sink or tub with hot water and add half a cup of washing-up liquid.
- Leave the oven racks to soak in the hot water for as long as necessary to loosen grease and grime.
- Return to oven racks after a few hours and scrub away dirt with a non-scratch scourer or toothbrush.
- Repeat this process as necessary until the oven racks are clean.
How to Clean Oven Racks in a Bathtub
Bathing oven racks in a hot bath with dishwasher powder might be the appropriate solution when they are only mildly soiled.
- Protect your bathtub from scratching by placing towels or sponges underneath the corners of the racks.
- Fill the bath with just enough water to cover all of them.
- Crumble a dishwasher tablet into the water and leave the racks to soak overnight.
- The next day, rub off mild stains using a sponge and warm water.
Cleaning Greasy Oven Racks
Greasy oven racks don’t require any specific tools or method for cleaning. However, you will need to ensure that the water is hot and soapy enough to break down the grease stuck to them. You may want to wear washing up gloves to protect your hands from the hot water.
- First, fill a sink or bowl with hot water and washing up liquid.
- Take a non-scratch scourer and scrub the entirety of the greasy oven racks using the soapy water.
- You may need to top up the water with more washing-up liquid to get rid of all the grease.
- Once the oven rack grease has been removed, use a tea towel to dry the racks thoroughly.
How to Clean Stainless Steel Oven Tracks
Cleaning Stainless Steel Oven Racks in the Bathtub
- Fill your bathtub with hot, soapy water, and place your steel oven racks in, ensuring they’re completely covered.
- Add one cup of baking soda and half a cup of dish detergent.
- Leave your stainless steel oven racks to soak in the cleaning solution for 6-10 hours.
- Then wipe clean your steel oven racks using a microfibre cloth wet with warm soapy water. You can clean stainless steel oven racks by soaking and scrubbing with a combination of chemical or non-chemical treatments. Avoid using steel wool or brushes, as these will create scratches in the oven racks that could lead to rust. Abrasive cleaning products can also dull stainless steel.
- Thoroughly dry your stainless steel oven racks after cleaning them to prevent them from leaving stains.
Cleaning Stainless Steel Oven Racks with an Oven-Cleaning Bag & Baking Soda
Oven-cleaning bags are specifically designed for cleaning oven racks and grills. Read our comprehensive user manual for oven-cleaning bags.
- Put on cleaning gloves to protect yourself from the harsh chemical solutions.
- Place your steel oven racks into your oven cleaning bags and put them into your bathtub.
- Place your oven cleaning bag – filled with your stainless steel oven racks – into your bathtub.
- Sprinkle baking soda over your steel oven racks and douse them with vinegar. This will cause foaming, so do this over an easily cleaned area.
- Fully submerge your stainless steel oven racks racks in 1/2 a cup of hot dishwashing soap.
- Leave the stainless steel racks to soak in the baking soda cleaning solution for at least 6 more hours.
- Tilt the bag after two hours so the racks become recoated in cleaning fluids.
- Leave your steel oven racks to soak overnight, fully disintegrating difficult stains.
- The next day, wear household gloves as you remove the stainless steel oven racks from the bag and rinse them in hot, soapy water.
Heavy Build-up Oven Cleaning Options
How to Clean Your Oven Racks with Oven Cleaning Products
We’ve reviewed six eco-friendly oven-cleaning products to help you make a better choice when cleaning your oven.
- Lay the oven racks on an old cloth or rag in an outside area, spray them with the cleaning product and leave to soak overnight.
- The next day, rinse the oven racks with water.
- Rub off any stubborn bits of your oven rack as well as you can.
- Wipe the oven racks dry using a microfiber cloth.
How to Remove Baked-On Grease from Oven Racks
Baked-on grease can be the toughest dirt to remove from oven racks, as it can be difficult to get past the grime with normal sponges or scourers. Once the chemicals and hot water have loosened the oven grease, you can use a hard toothbrush to reach those difficult spots.
- To remove baked-on grease from oven racks, liberally cover the affected areas in baking soda and then douse them with vinegar to create a foaming reaction.
- Once the reaction has finished, place the oven racks in hot water and allow to soak overnight.
- The next day, scrub the racks with a non-scratch scourer to remove the loose, baked-on grease.
- You may need to repeat this process to remove all the baked-on oven grease.
Cleaning Oven Racks with Bicarbonate of Soda
- Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda onto the oven racks.
- Drench the oven racks in vinegar in a large sink or the bathtub (being sure to protect your bathtub with towels).
- The chemical reaction between these two cupboard essentials will result in an eruption of bubbles and foam – once the reaction is over, the oven racks can be submerged in hot water and left overnight.
- The next day, you should easily scrub the oven racks clean with a dishcloth or toothbrush.
Learn how to clean your oven racks with vinegar.
Cleaning Oven Racks with Rubbish Bags and Ammonia
Warning: You’ll need to perform this process outside or in a very well-ventilated room. Ovenu is not responsible for any damage caused by harsh chemicals. If your oven racks are very heavily soiled, the safest option is to arrange a visit from a professional oven cleaning company.
- Wear household gloves to protect your hands.
- Put your oven racks in a rubbish bag and pour half a cup of ammonia over each rack.
- Tie the bag tightly, removing as much air as you can, and turn it several times to cover all the surfaces.
- Leave the bag outside for three hours.
- Wearing your household gloves for safety, remove the oven racks and wash them thoroughly with washing-up liquid.
Cleaning Oven Racks with Self-Cleaning Oven Features
Although a self-cleaning oven doesn’t eliminate the need for a regular deep clean, it is handy for increasing the lifespan of your oven by facilitating regular surface cleans. If you want to clean your oven racks, simply keep them in the oven when you turn on the self-cleaning feature.
- Clean any loose debris or food from the oven.
- Open your kitchen windows and close doors to rooms with soft furnishings.
- Set the oven to its self-cleaning cycle and leave for 2-4 hours, depending on your appliance.
- Once the cycle is complete, allow time for the oven to cool.
- Sweep out ash and any loose debris, then thoroughly wipe down oven racks.
How to Clean An Oven Grill
Your oven’s grill component is just as susceptible to getting filthy as the oven racks; however, cleaning it thoroughly comes with another set of challenges.
The walls of an oven’s grills can attract dirt, just like an oven’s walls, but worse still, the grill’s elements are also a magnet for grease. Over time, grease build-up on the elements of your grills can lead to excessive smoking before it has even reached cooking temperature.
If you’re only concerned with cleaning the interior walls of the grill compartment of your oven, then you can follow the steps we’ve listed above. However, if you’re hoping to clean the grill’s elements, you can burn off the dirt from them by turning them up and letting them smoke for 10 minutes. After this, you’ll need to wait for the elements to cool down before wiping them down with detergent and a damp cloth.
Another method involves disassembling and removing the entire grill element, which allows you to access the entire component. However, depending on your DIY skills and access to tools, this method may not be practical. If both of these methods sound too difficult, a professional oven cleaner should be able to clean the elements in your grill safely.
How do you clean your oven racks?
If you want to ensure your oven racks maintain their shine, call on your local oven cleaning service company to give your domestic oven a professional deep clean. Our experienced technicians know every bit of your oven inside and out, and use top-quality oven-cleaning products that are kind to your lungs and the environment!
Oven cleaning doesn’t have to be hard. Call 0800 140 9800 to receive a free quote today!
