There are many, many things we'd all rather do than clean the oven. And then there's the exceedingly fiddly task of cleaning the racks.
But these dreaded tasks simply must be faced to keep things working properly. A TikToker has shared an oven rack cleaning hack that involves dishwasher tablets and your bathtub.
Willing to try just about anything to make things easier when it comes to how to clean oven racks, we took one for the team and gave it a go ourselves. The particular method we tried involved wrapping them in foil before submerging.
TikTok oven rack cleaning hack
@cleanwith_kayleigh originally shared her oven rack cleaning hack in December, and the video has now 'racked up' 216,000 views. Simply fill the bath with hot water, throw in two dishwasher tabs, and submerge trays and racks for two hours.
She says if you don't have a bath, you could use a large storage container. If your oven racks rise to the top of the water, just weigh them down with shower gel or shampoo bottles.
One TikToker commented that their oven trays were totally black, but after using the trick overnight they were left shiny without any scrubbing. 'OMG genius! I am doing this tomorrow! Thank you so much,' said another.
@cleanwith_kayleigh ♬ Say So (Instrumental Version) [Originally Performed by Doja Cat] - Elliot Van Coup
Cleaning an oven is particularly daunting because it's not just the oven, it's the grimy trays with burnt-on grime, too. Plus you know it's going to involve some serious elbow grease.
So, how did we get on with the hack? We tried a version that involves wrapping the trays and racks in foil, which causes a chemical reaction. This trick promises that you wouldn't need to scrub the racks clean at all.
However, to get the worst of the bits off, I did have to scrub for quite a few minutes with my Scrub Mommy Sponge, available at Amazon. The hack worked best on the bits that had been under the foil.
To be honest, I wish I'd been a bit more careful covering all the edges, as they were a lost cause when I tried to scrub them. The other bits came off a lot easier. This seems to be due to a reaction (an ion exchange) between the aluminum foil and the dishwasher tablets.
I would definitely recommend soaking them in a bathtub. Otherwise, I don't think I'd ever have got them that clean over a sink.
A success, but it didn't blow our socks off. If you're looking for other options, our round-up of the best oven cleaners will help you get your oven clean once and for all. Would you try this hack?
And if you're looking for more cleaning ideas, why not try this TikTok hack for cleaning greasy plastic containers?