How to Clean Stainless Steel Oven Racks

Use an easy method to keep your stainless steel oven racks clean--wash them in the tub.

Cleaning the stainless steel oven racks in your oven is often a messy job that requires the use of strong, chemical-based cleaners to remove baked-on, burned-on food. While having clean oven racks is necessary to not having a burned-food smell when you bake, the overpowering smell of oven cleaner can make a person sick. You can clean your stainless steel oven racks easily without the use of chemical cleaners. When your oven racks can be cleaned easily, you'll never have reason to avoid cleaning them again.

Things You'll Need

• Large towel
• Measuring cup
• Liquid laundry detergent
• Clean cloths
• Bathtub

Instructions

1. 

   The bath towel protects your bathtub's surface.

   Place a large clean towel in the bottom of your bathtub to protect your bathtub from being scratched by your stainless steel oven racks.

2. Lay your stainless steel oven racks on top of the towel in the bathtub. Stack them or lay them in a single layer, depending upon how much room your bathtub has.

3. Fill the bathtub with the hottest water possible to completely cover the stainless steel oven racks. Add 1 cup of liquid laundry detergent to the hot water in the bathtub and swish it around to make soap suds. Allow the stainless steel oven racks to sit in the hot, soapy water overnight.

4. Drain the bathtub and remove the stainless steel oven racks. The food and other stains that were on the oven racks will now be washed down the drain. Rinse your oven racks with plain water.

5. Dry the oven racks with clean cloths, then place them back in the oven.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute powdered dishwasher detergent for the liquid laundry detergent if needed.

References

• Choosing Voluntary Simplicity: An Almost Effortless Way to Clean Oven Racks