How to Clean Wire Oven Racks

Food that drips onto your oven rack and then bakes on can leave a mess that is unsightly and may even be potentially hazardous. It is a good idea to clean your oven racks regularly to keep your oven safe and looking nice.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ammonia or other cleaner
• Damp cloth

Self-Clean

1. Make sure the oven is empty. Remove any large pieces of food that are on the bottom or on the racks.

2. Turn on your oven's self-cleaning feature.

3. Wait the specified amount of time before opening the oven, at which time the racks should be clean.

Ammonia

4. Ventilate the area around your oven.

5. Place a pan filled with about a cup of ammonia in the oven to sit overnight. The caustic fumes of the ammonia will loosen the grime on the rack. This will also work for the other surfaces in your oven.

6. Wipe the oven rack with a clean, damp cloth the next day.

Oven Cleaner

7. Remove the racks from your oven.

8. Place a layer of newspapers outdoors or in a garage.

9. Lay the racks on the newspapers.

10. Spray the racks with oven cleaner.

11. Wait 15 minutes and wipe the racks clean with a damp cloth.

Soaking

12. Fill your bathtub with an inch or two of water.

13. Add a few teaspoons of dish detergent.

14. Place your oven racks in the bathtub for at least an hour, preferably over night.

15. Remove your oven racks from the bathtub and wipe them clean.

Tips & Warnings

• Your oven's self-cleaning feature may discolor your oven's racks by overheating the chrome. Only use this feature if this does not matter to you.