Oven racks seem to mysteriously collect grease and grim: one day they’re bright and shiny stainless steel, the next they are covered in splotchy black and brown stains that are nearly impossible to remove. Many put off this household chore as it typically involves hours of scrubbing. However, fans of cleaning star Mrs Hinch have shared an insight on removing tough stains using household items.
Taking to a dedicated cleaning page, a man asked for suggestions on how to clean his oven rack. He said: “Could anyone help me with tips for cleaning ovens, especially the oven racks?”
Even for those who sparingly use the oven, a residue will still accumulate, and ignoring the task will only put off the inevitable. It will also make the work required to remove the grimy debris much harder.
In any scenario, it’s important that the appliances you use to cook with are as clean as possible to prevent any negative health impact. For this reason, it’s recommended you should clean racks at least once a month.
Amongst the hundreds of comments the post received, the most popular solution was to use laundry powder.
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Sandy Davies agreed: “Soak in the bath with lots of biological washing powder and some hot water and leave overnight.”
Donna Smith said: “I used to place the racks on a bath towel in the bathtub, soak powder on the racks and leave for at least two or three hours, depending on the grease. This is an old-fashioned way but saves on the labor.
“Then rinse off with hot water. Of course you need to use a cloth to remove the grease scum. This did the trick for me.”
Sherrie Brady suggests: “Put in hot water in the bathtub with a couple scoops of laundry detergent for about three hours and then wipe off, believe it works wonders.”
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Tina Beale added: “Soak racks in hot water and shake with laundry powder all over them. They will practically wipe clean.”
Cleaning experts at Oven Clean agreed with using this method to clean oven racks. They said: “This method is a great oven rack cleaner.
“Whilst we think that giving the shelves a quick once-over with some washing up liquid and hot water is the quickest and best way to keep them clean, this method means you hardly have to scrub at all! Which has to be worth something.”
Other Mrs Hinch fans suggested using a dishwasher tablet to remove any stubborn stains on oven racks.
Dawn Sadler advised: “Get a dishwasher tablet. Wet one end and then rub over the rack. It’s also great for cleaning hobs and the glass door without scratching.”
Pamela Anne had the same idea as she said: “Put a towel in the bath, place them in and add dishwasher tablets and hot water, then leave them to soak for a while.”
Georgina Murphy said: “In the bath and soak with a dishwasher tablet. Leave for half an hour and rinse with shower.”
Taylor Heffer added: “Dishwasher tablets! Bring them out brand new and you don’t even need to scrub.”