How do you clean oven racks? I have a very small sink and the racks will not fit. I heard that if I clean them in the bath tub the gunk that you scrub off might clog the drain. Can anyone advise on a better way to clean oven racks?
If you put the grates in a "black" plastic bag with some ammonia, and leave them overnight, everything should just wipe off. I've used this method before and haven't had any problems.
Take them to the back porch, put down paper or plastic, spray the heck out of them. Go read a book. Check back later, turn on the water hose and blast them. Walla, they are clean.
Put oven racks inside a large plastic trashbag and spray them all over with oven cleaner (the cold oven kind). I have read that you can use ammonia instead, but I have never tried it. Close the bag up the best you can and let it set overnight. The next day take them out and just spray them off with water. I should note that I always do this outside so that I don't have to deal with the smell or mess. I have been doing this for years and will never go back to scrubbing them off!
The same gunk that would supposedly clog your tub would also have clogged your kitchen sink if they had fit wouldn't they?
We have a self-cleaning oven now but my mom used to do them in the tub all the time with an old bath towel or two on the bottom so it wouldn't scratch the finish.
If you are concerned about the gunk I would scrap off any chunks you could first and/or get one of those mesh drain strainers they sell to keep the hair from going down the drain. The last one I bought was under 2 dollars. And if you were really worried about it you could do the baking soda + vinegar trick on the drain after you are done.
You could purchase a large plastic bin to soak your racks in. We used to have one outside for our BBQ grill racks. But it takes some searching to find the right size, plus it is extra cost and you then have to find somewhere to store it.
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