The Secret To Cleaning Your Oven Rack Is Already In The Kitchen

Ovens are beasts to clean. They're deep, boxy, and low to the ground, forcing you to bend into all sorts of shapes to scrub the sides and walls. Not only that, you also have to clean their accessories, such as the oven racks. While easier to clean than the roof of the oven, they still need scouring and a good amount of muscle power. And since the racks consist of thin metal rods, they're not the easiest things to scrub. You need to contour your sponge around the wires, hoping you get enough purchase to rub off the burnt food bits. But what if we told you aluminum foil can make this process so much easier?

Rather than buying rough steel wool sponges and investing in pricey oven cleaning products, you can instead use something you probably already have in your kitchen. If you like to cover leftovers in aluminum foil, give the product a second job by utilizing it as a cleaning tool. Here's how. 

There are two ways you can use aluminum foil to clean oven racks. The first is to use the foil as a scrubber. To do so, put the racks in the sink and wet them with water. Grab a piece of foil, crumple it into a ball, wet it with some water, and add a drop of Dawn dish soap. Then, use the foil as you would a steel wool sponge, and scrub the racks. Since the aluminum will have all sorts of different crumpled edges and divots, it will scrape against any grime and burnt on food, helping to dislodge it. 

If your rack is very grimy, you might have to escalate to the second method by taking your racks into the bathtub for some soaking action. First, lay down a couple of old towels on the bottom of the tub to protect it. Then, wrap the racks in aluminum foil, put them in the tub, and run the hot water until they're fully submerged. Toss in a dishwasher pod into the tub as your cleaning agent, and let them soak for a few hours. The foil will react with the dishwashing detergent, creating a chemical reaction that will loosen the grease and buildup. Once time is up, remove the foil from the racks, ball it up, and use it to slough off the grease and debris, creating a brand-new appearance.