This Easy Hack Will Finally Get Your Dirty Oven Racks Clean

Grease and grime build up on your filthy oven racks, often causing fumes throughout your house when you cook. You likely find yourself putting the kitchen exhaust fan on way too often, but simple scrubbing with a sponge and typical cleaning products just won't do the trick.

Dirty oven racks also pose a danger inside the home. Any number of hazardous happenings can occur when you can't get your oven racks clean. According to AM&M Appliance Service and Parts, dirty oven racks can even cause fire. That grease in your oven isn't just unattractive and smelly — it cooks over and over again every time you use the oven, and that can lead to conditions ripe for fire.

AM&M also reported that dirty oven racks release smoke, which can result in respiratory issues. Aside from being a danger, dirty ovens and oven racks can also cause damage to the appliance and cause an oven to cook less efficiently.

When a degreaser and a scrubber sponge won't work to get those racks clean and sparkly, this one hack thankfully will.

First, remove the racks from the oven and place them in your bathtub — that's right. It's a nice wide open space in which you can add all the water you'll need to get the job done. "Note: If your racks are rusted, don't place them in the tub. Instead, toss them inside of a large garbage bag so that the rust doesn't transfer to your bathtub," the site recommended. After that is when a laundry item comes in handy: dryer sheets. One Good Thing advises placing six to eight dryer sheets on top of your oven racks. Next, run hot water over them, making sure to cover the racks with several inches of the steaming water.

One Good Thing then suggests adding about ¼ cup of Dawn dish soap. Let the racks, dryer sheets, and dish soap soak for several hours or overnight. After all, you aren't using your tub while you sleep, right? When the soaking sesh is over, just wipe the racks clean with one of the dryer sheets. For especially resistant grease, use a scrubber sponge and your oven racks will look as good as new.