How to Clean Oven Racks Naturally? DIY Cleaning Methods

Hear me out: “Oven racks collect most of the grime, gunk, and food leftovers and thus take a good amount of time in cleaning.”

Some of the reasons include keeping food directly on the racks, not cleaning them every day, or using the oven more than usual.

You may want to read about: Best Microwaves Available In Australia

Cutting right to the chase, if you have tried all your tips cleaning the racks and they are still dirty, then you need to go all aggressive.

Henceforth, this guide includes all DIY cleaning hacks related to cleaning oven racks and bringing their shine back.

Have a look at detailed answer on how to clean oven racks naturally using simple and easy cleaning methods:

My Favorite Natural Method to Clean Oven Racks:

The easiest way you could clean oven racks is to use a combo of baking soda, water, and paper towels.

The procedure’s quite simple, i.e. mixing baking soda in warm water first. Then, soak the racks in them and let the mixture do its wonders for the night.

Finally, wipe them clean with a paper towel or a damp cloth.

But, this method won’t work if you haven’t cleaned the racks for a long time.

So, don’t be worried!

Some of the comprehensive cleaning methods are as follows:

How to Clean Oven Racks with Baking Soda?

Things You’ll Need:

Baking soda – Don’t purchase baking powder as it’s a different product with different chemical properties.

• Tub – One where the racks can get soaked easily.
• Sponge – For rubbing purposes.
• Water – Works as universal solvent.

Steps to follow:

Take a large tub and place the racks in there to see whether they could fit the tub or not.

Fill tub up to half capacity with water and add 2 cups of baking soda in it. (Use more baking soda if you’ve added more water in the tub)

Soak the racks in water again and make sure that they are properly covered with the baking soda solution.

Let the mixture do its job for at least 8 hours. Best timing is that you soak the oven racks at midnight and wait until morning.

Next, use sponge and scrub the racks properly to remove any gunk or grime.

Rinse the oven racks with warm water and wipe them with a dry cloth or paper towel accordingly.

Ta-da! Your oven racks will now look shinier after getting treated with baking soda solution.

The story doesn’t end here!

In case you wanna know some other natural hacks of cleaning oven racks, then keep on reading this guide.

3 DIY Oven Rack Cleaning Hacks that Work:

1. Using Grass as a Natural Oven Rack Cleaner:

This tutorial sounds absurd but it’s worth the try. Simply place the oven racks in open air on the grass. Of course, I’m talking about your home’s backyard or lawn.

Keep them on the grass for one full night and scrub racks in the morning with a sponge.

Rinse and wipe them accordingly!

Does it Work?

I tried this method in autumn, and to be honest, it didn’t work out well for me. However, I’ve heard that using this cleaning hack suits hotter regions only. Try it out and see whether you can get optimum results or not.

2. Using Dishwasher Detergent:

Rather an easy cleaning hack you should know about. Simply take a bathtub and place an old towel in it followed by oven racks.

Secondly, cover the bathtub with hot water and sprinkle a standard dishwasher detergent on it respectively.

Let the detergent settle on the racks overnight. Simply scrub and rinse the racks in the morning and that would be all.

Does it Work?

Yeah. Dishwasher detergents possess reactive chemical properties that dissolve food particles and grime off dishes and racks easily. I’ve tried this method multiple times and it works like a charm.

3. Using Baking Soda with Liquid Dish Soap:

The trick is simple. Take a bathtub, place towels followed by the racks, and fill it up with hot water until it covers the accessories completely.

Use one cup of baking soda and a half cup liquid dish soap. Similarly, cover racks in the mixture and let it settle for at least 8 hours.

Follow the same rinsing procedure and the racks will regain their shine and cleanliness back accordingly.

Does it work?

Baking soda is already a natural cleaner. Combined with liquid dish soap, it could yield perfect cleaning results. So, yeah, you can use this natural way to clean oven racks without any hurdle.

Enough with the cleaning methods!

Here are some of my personal cleaning tips that I use more often to keep the racks away from storing grime or gunk:

5 Oven Racks Cleaning Tips You Should Know:

1. Removing Hard Food Particles:

First things first, remove the hard food chunks from racks manually. Don’t try any metal piece for removal as it will damage the coating of the racks.

2. Use an Old Bathtub:

Either use an old bathtub or keep it protected from unwanted scratches or chemicals.

You could do so by placing old towels inside the tub. Make sure that you cover its sides as well.

3. Consistency:

Don’t get disheartened if the rack doesn’t get cleaned up properly on first try.

That’s because most of the time, these racks have developed so much grease and grime that it’s hard to remove.

Keep following the cleaning methods I’ve mentioned above until the racks show no sign of grease, gunk, or food particles.

4. Give Proper Soaking Time to the Racks:

No matter what cleaning agent you use, the results won’t be immediate. That is, the racks won’t clean if you soak them in baking soda or dishwashing detergent for only a few hours.

Give enough dwelling time to the mixture so that it could dissolve the gunk properly. The best practice is to leave the racks soaked all night and clean them in the morning.

5. Cleaning First:

Focus on soaking, scrubbing, and cleaning the racks first. Remove all dirt from every nook and corner before you start rinsing them.

For rinsing, I suggest using warm or hot water. Wipe the racks off with paper towels and dry them properly before adjusting them into the oven.