How to Clean Oven Racks

Co-authored by Chris Willatt and Sophia Latorre

Last Updated: October 28, 2022

Oven racks can easily get covered in burned-on gunk, which may seem like a hassle to remove. However, there are several ways you can easily clean your oven racks with minimal effort, depending on what materials you have handy. You can use ammonia, dryer sheets and dish soap, or commercial cleaner to remove the grime. No matter what method you choose, you need only follow a few simple steps to restore your oven racks to their original sparkling shine.

Things You Should Know

For a hands-off way to break down grease and grime, place your oven racks in a heavy-duty trash bag with 2 cups of ammonia and leave the bag outside overnight.
If you prefer to clean the racks inside, place them in your tub on top of 5-6 dryer sheets and soak them in soapy water overnight, then use the sheets to scrub the racks the next day.
To get rid of heavy buildup, take the racks outside and spray them generously with commercial oven cleaner, scrubbing them thoroughly after about an hour.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Ammonia

1
Place the oven racks in a new trash bag with 2 cups (0.50 qt) of ammonia. It’s best to choose a heavy-duty bag, to prevent rips and leaks, that’s large enough to hold the racks. It’s actually the fumes from the ammonia, not the liquid itself, that clean the racks, so you don’t need more than 2 cups (0.50 qt).^{[1]
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2
Seal the bag and let it sit outside overnight. Use tape or rubber bands to seal it securely and keep the fumes contained. Place the bag outside or in a garage or shed overnight, rather than keeping it in your home.
- If you absolutely cannot leave the bag outside, place it in the bathtub with the bathroom window open or ventilation fan on.
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3
Open the bag in the morning and remove the racks. Put on gloves and make sure you open the bag outside or in a well-ventilated area. Remove the racks and place them in the sink or tub. Flush the ammonia down the toilet or pour it down the drain with plenty of water and dispose of the bag in the garbage can.^{[2]
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4
Rinse the racks thoroughly, then dry and replace them. Use hot water to rinse the gunk and ammonia off the racks. Dry them with a clean towel, then put them back in your oven.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Soaking Racks in the Tub

1
Set the racks on top of 6-8 dryer sheets in the tub. Spread 6-8 dryer sheets out along the bottom of your bathtub, then place the oven racks on top of them. The anti-static properties in dryer sheets help remove the baked-on gunk from the metal racks.^{[3]
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- You can do this one at a time or do all the racks at once.
2
Cover the racks with hot water and add ¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) of dish soap. Plug the tub and let the hot water run. Squirt in ¹⁄₄ cup (59 ml) of your everyday dish soap and agitate the water. Turn off the water when the racks are covered by several inches of water.^{[4]
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3
Let the racks soak overnight. If you are in a hurry, let the racks soak for at least 4 hours before moving on to the next step. However, letting them soak overnight will allow more of the gunk to be removed, which means less scrubbing.^{[5]
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4
Use the dryer sheets to scrub the racks. In the morning, or after 4 hours have passed, use the dryer sheets to wipe the gunk off of each rack. For especially stubborn stains, you may need to use a non-scratch scouring pad.^{[6]
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5
Rinse and dry the racks before replacing them. Let the water out of the tub while scrubbing the racks, then rinse them with hot water. Dry the racks with a clean towel and then put them back in your oven.^{[7]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Spraying with a Commercial Cleaner

1
Lay the racks outside on a sheet of plastic. It’s important that you do this outside to let the fumes from the commercial cleaner dissipate. If you don’t have a sheet of plastic, you could use newspaper or old towels instead. Lay the racks in a single layer rather than stacking them.^{[8]
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2
Spray the racks with a commercial cleaner and let them soak for an hour. Put on gloves before spraying the cleaner. Flip each rack over and spray the other side as well. For best results, let the cleaner soak for an hour.^{[9]
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EXPERT TIP

Chris Willatt
House Cleaning Professional
Chris Willatt is the owner and founder of Alpine Maids, a cleaning agency in Denver, Colorado started in 2015. Alpine Maids has received Angie's List Super Service Award for three years in a row since 2016 and has been awarded Colorado's "Top Rated Local House Cleaning" Award in 2018.

Chris Willatt
House Cleaning Professional

Use commercial cleaners when you're dealing with a lot of buildup. Chris Willatt, the owner of Alpine Maids, says: "As a professional cleaning company, we try to avoid using chemical cleaners as much as possible. However, we do use a commercial cleaner to get rid of the stubborn grease in an oven. Let it soak for about an hour, then you can wipe away most of the grime. Use a pumice stone or a scouring pad to get anything that's still stuck on."
3
Scrub the racks and rinse them off with the hose. Put on gloves and use a non-scratch scouring pad to scrub the gunk off the racks. Use a garden hose to rinse off the racks when you’re finished. Dry them with a clean towel then put them back in your oven. Dispose of the plastic or newspaper or wash the towels.^{[10]
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Warnings

Be careful when working with chemicals like ammonia and commercial cleaner. Ensure the area is well-ventilated and wear gloves, eye protection, and a mask.

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