Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

Recipe Search

Saturday in Kathy's Kitchen

A clean oven with sparkling clean racks makes me happy. My oven is self cleaning, but the racks still need to come out before setting the cleaning cycle to be cleaned by hand. 
I've tried a few different methods of cleaning my oven racks. I find that the kitchen sink is just not big enough and I don't like that water splashes everywhere. Sometimes I've taken them outside, placed them on news paper and sprayed them with commercial cleaner and then given them a good rinse, wash, rinse and dry. These methods work but I've found a way that's worth passing on. 

Here's an environmentally and almost scrub free way to give you sparkling clean oven racks.

Lay an old large bath towel in the bottom of your bathtub. Lay the racks on top of the towel. Fill the bathtub with the hottest water you can. While tub is filling add 1 cup powdered laundry detergent to the water. Fill tub until racks are completely covered. Leave racks to soak over night or 6-8 hours. Once racks have soaked take a light non abrasive scouring pad and gently rub the racks. You may only need to use a cloth. The soil will have loosened during soaking and will wipe off easily. Rinse well, dry and place back into cleaned oven. 

Now go clean your bathtub. A small amount of powdered laundry soap a soft cloth and a little elbow grease will leave you with a squeaky clean tub.

33 comments:

  1. You can also use some dishwasher detergent using this same method . . . I use the Cascade pods.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very interesting and something I NEED to try!!!! I just cleaned my oven but the racks.....well, let's just say, they're less than desired!!!!!! Thanks and thanks, Raquel!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great ideas for cleaning those oven racks. Now, perhaps someone can help me clean my oven.....I have a gas, wall oven that is about one year old. The instructions say NOT to use any oven cleaner in the oven, just soap and water. I called the manufacturer but they just repeated what the booklet said. Plain ole soap and water DO NOT clean an oven satisfactorily.....also, I cannot use the method of leaving a dish of ammonia in the oven overnight. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sharon, here is an excellent non toxic idea for cleaning an oven. http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2013/12/cleaning-oven-and-stove-top.html

      Delete
    2. Does you oven have a continuous clean coating on it? I have a wall oven that has that, but I find that it does not need cleaning... the splatters just burn off and do not stick to the walls. I love it. Only the racks need cleaning, so I take them our to clean. It sounds like yours may not be like that ... and you are right, soap and water do not clean.
      I wonder if you could mix a portion of laundry detergent with hot water and put it in and spray bottle. Spray your warm oven and let it sit overnight. Just an idea to follow through on Kathy's idea for the racks.

      Delete
    3. I forgot to say to turn off the oven. Don't leave it on with the soap spray on it. =)

      Delete
  4. Good plan .... my oven could use a good cleaning for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just leave my racks in the oven when I use the oven self-cleaning method! Works fine - just wondering why you don't do the same!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My oven manuals have always said to remove the racks. In one of my previous ovens I did leave them in but it dulled the finish on the racks and they never looked the same after that. I suppose if your manual says you can.....go for it! Sure would save some work:)

      Delete
  6. Awesome post this morning Kathy! I frequently use the same method for cleaning roasting pans in my utility tub. Also great for baking sheets, muffin tins and loaf pans that need a little overhaul :)

    Blessings to All,
    Anna (Toronto)

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a timely post! I have been looking at my well used oven, knowing that I had to clean it but not knowing how to do it in a chemical free way. I'll definately give this a try. Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great little tip, thank you Kathy. I will give this a go on my racks as they are starting to get dirty again.... I wish my oven was self-clean, I have to get Oven Cleaning Sheffield in to sort mine out...

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous, some racks are not made to go through the self-cleaning cycle…….I unfortunately left my racks in one time and now they look like they are rusted. :(

    ReplyDelete
  10. My oven allows the racks to stay inside during the self-cleaning cycle. They don't remain shiny though. My owner's manual states this. So since I don't care, I leave them in. One tip though. Sometimes they don't slide smoothly any longer so after I run the s-c cycle, I wipe the residue (which is normal) off the racks with a damp sponge and then put some Pam on a piece of paper towel and run it along the gliding part of the rack. Works great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great tip for sliding racks. Thanks!

      Delete
  11. Thanks Kathy for the great tips! Could you tell me what brand of oven you have? I have a 1 1/2 yr. old self-cleaning oven but it never looks as clean as yours. I was so excited to get a self-cleaning oven but it has been a disappointment.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I agree that my self cleaning oven is a big disappointment. I have a double convec
    . at work.When want to clean the oven, nothing else works on the oven, not even the cook top. The oven in the front or the door get clean. I'm so disappointed.

    ReplyDelete
  13. i once read an easier way- and it works-i tried. leave racks on grass overnight as the dew seems to soften the dirt- then in morning i just ran the hose over them and touched up a bit with a cloth.
    love the idea of running pam on the side runners as yes they are often hard to slide after a cleaning.
    p.s. my bathrub sides curve in so racks don;t fit-plus i am unable physically do the scrubbing on the tub and husband would not like kathys idea-our tub is shiny and fairly new -use microfibre cloths on it.

    love the saturday posts- from Kathy in Ontario

    ReplyDelete
  14. Kathy, I always knew we were kindred spirits. Now I realize that we even have the same oven! Too funny! Some day we will meet. FYI - I self-cleaned my oven on December 21. It cleaned just fine, but then would no longer work. Bad timing, as I was doing the turkey for our family dinner on December 22. (Thank goodness for a good friend that lives nearby). An appliance repairman came on December 24 and had to take my oven out (it is the slide-in model), took the back off and just had to reset it. All was well. He told me, "we do not recommend self-cleaning prior to a big event. This is known to happen". Good to know now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lorrie, that is funny. I bet you and I have a list of things in common. One day over coffee:) Glad your friend was able to help you out. I have the slide in style too....I'll remember this if mine ever goes on the fritz.

      Delete
  15. I've always wanted to ask MGCC about this, but I didn't dare. I kept thinking it was some personal failure that I didn't know how to get that baked on gunk off. I much preferred the paint-on oven cleaner which you can't get anymore. I think my oven has not been really clean since.

    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  16. What works great on baked on roasters, crock-pots & frying pans is to sprinkle 1-2 tsps of Cream of Tarter in the bottom of the item fill with water to where it's dirty, leave it for 3-5 minutes (or overnight like I sometimes do) then wash with dish cloth and rinse. Works wonderful :) (container would have to be large enough to fit the racks I guess)

    ReplyDelete
  17. My last s-c oven died after about the 6th cleaning and the repairman told me that the extreme heat of the s-c cycle was too much for the computerized parts of the stove and it was weakened by subsequent cleanings. I have been w-a-a-a-y less vigilant about cleaning my newest oven. Funny, the old harvest -gold manual stove lasted 30 yrs and was chucked out because of the colour but was great to the end.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Brilliant idea Kathy! I don't remember when my oven looked that clean! Rhoda

    ReplyDelete
  19. I only keep one rack in my oven at a time unless for some reason I need 2 or 3 racks. It saves on elbow grease (or delays the inevitable cleaning) ! Laying the rack on a towel in the tub with hot water/detergent works so well. And wish I still had my manual harvest gold stove! I got 25 years out of it and the matching fridge with no repairs whatsoever!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would love ideas on how to clean glass cooktops! I have tried everything-they are very hard to keep clean-especially when others in the family have spills and let them burn into the surface. I know these tops are all the rage but I miss my own fashioned coil top burners. Any ideas for cleaning really tough stains off would be much appreciated!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I see that a commenter has suggested using Bon Ami, which I have also found works well. I too was not happy with my cooktops at first. Seemed like there was always a spot or smug. I find that a really good cleaning immediately after each use is important. I use a razor blade in a little holder to scrape away any baked on stains. It works like a charm. Then wash and rinse. There are produces you can buy specifically for cooktops that are a cream. I use that all the time and my cook top looks like new. A little vinegar on a clean dish cloth, give a quick rinse and rub to shine with a clean t towel....see it gleam!

      Delete
  21. Excellent post..I will also these tips to clean up my oven's rack.Very usable and helpful tips....We also offer the Bio chemicals to clean the kitchen.Contact us..

    ReplyDelete
  22. For cleaning ceramic tops I use Bon Ami - wet the surface first, then sprinkle on and rub the really tough spots with a wet scrubby-sponge works great. My top is white and looks nearly new

    ReplyDelete
  23. Very helpful post! Thanks! I always have hard time cleaning the oven, so I am happy to find your wonderful ideas!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I don't use powdered laundry soap in my high efficiency washer. Wonder if those detergent pods I use would work as well?
    Hmmmmm....I gotta try it. I, too, left my racks in while cleaning the oven and they turned a nasty brown and it made them tough to slide the racks inside the oven. Can't wait to try the Pam® on the oven grooves once my racks are clean!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.