A clean atmosphere is essential to a healthy household. While cleaning our homes, we usually leave the most noticeable parts untouched. One of these is the oven rack. We don’t pay enough attention to this portion of the oven once we’ve finished preparing a meal or reheating leftovers.
As a result, rust appears pretty quickly. And if you bake or cook any greasy food like chicken, turkey, or beef, then it gets even harder to peel off. Even seemingly harmless foods like pizza can cause issues; cheese and toppings that melt onto the rack can be particularly stubborn to remove and may contribute to long-term buildup if not addressed promptly. Removing rust is important in removing greasy food like pizza from oven easily.
So, if your oven rack has built up too much rust and you want to know how to remove rust from the oven rack, then worry no more. We are here for your help.
We have narrowed down some of our favorite ways of removing rust for your ease. Let’s get started.
How to Remove Rust from Oven Racks?
There are multiple ways of removing rust from your oven racks. Some use commercial cleaners, some look for home remedies. We will disappoint none of you guys. Here are some of our favorite rust-removal home methods for you.
- Use commercial cleaners
- Use vinegar and baking soda
- Use lemon and salt
- Dishwasher bath
- Use ammonia with trash bags
- Toothpaste and dryer sheet
Note: Use good quality hand gloves to protect your hand for any of the procedures.
Should We Use Commercial Cleaners to Remove Rust from Oven Racks?
Most of us typically use commercial cleaners to remove the rust from the oven rack. Though this might sound handy and easy for some, it has some problems too. Commercial cleaners are made with harmful chemicals and release noxious fumes.
You will see safety measures written on the packaging too. If you want to use commercial cleaners to remove the rust, make sure you are doing the whole process outdoors and in an open space. And always use heavy-handed gloves while cleaning with a commercial cleaner.
Adding to that, don’t inhale the vapor that comes out of the cleaner. It is very unhealthy for kids and elderly people. Nowadays, people in cities don’t have enough open space, so using a commercial cleaner inside a confined house is not a good idea.
Use Vinegar And Baking Soda
When it comes to removing rust from metal, baking soda and vinegar are a fantastic combination. Among all the remedies, we have found this one to be the most effective and quick.
Baking soda is known as bicarbonate soda worldwide. No matter which region of the world you are in, you will definitely find baking soda in the stores. Adding to that, vinegar is a common element in every household.
- First, take your racks and put them in a tray.
- Now sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on every corner of the rack and cover it with some tissue paper or kitchen towels.
- After that, pour the vinegar into the tray and make sure you have poured enough of it to cover the whole area.
- Leave it for a minimum of 20–30 minutes.
- Wipe the rack with a towel and you will see a clean oven rack in front of you.
Use Lemon and Salt
Lemon is the worst enemy of grease. Lemon juice consists of citric acid, which helps to remove oil from any substance. So, you can use the lemon and salt combo to clean the rust.
- Spread a sufficient amount of salt on the oven rack.
- And then squeeze a lemon or two over the whole area.
- Let it sit for 3 hours.
- Now rub the leftover lemon skin on the rack for a good result.
- Wash it off with lukewarm water.
If you are not satisfied with the cleaning, then repeat the whole process until it is totally clean. It really depends on how much rust you have on your oven rack. If it is too much, then you might need to repeat the process a couple of times to achieve the optimum results.
Dishwasher Bath
This method is also a popular one. We have seen many people suggest doing the method in your bathtub.
But we strongly discourage doing the procedure in a bathtub. It is really unhealthy to take your kitchen items into the bathroom. And, your bathtub will also get dirty.
So you can use a trash bag or a big tray that your trays might fit into.
Take a large amount of dishwasher detergent and mix it with some water. Now, soak the racks overnight into the mixture. Give it at least 6-8 hours for soaking, and then clean it with regular kitchen scrubs.
This is quite a lengthy but simple way of cleaning the rust.
Use Ammonia with Trash Bags
The application of ammonia has been shown to be effective in removing rust from oven racks. But to complete this process, you need to stay in a well-ventilated room, or it would be best if you could complete the whole procedure in your backyard.
- Take a trash bag and put a good amount of ammonia and water in it.
- Put your racks into the bag and close it tightly.
- Leave the bag for 24 hours.
- Be careful when you open the bag because the fumes can be injurious to your health.
- Do exfoliate the rack if needed and wash it with water.
Only one procedure should be fine for a perfect clean on the rack.
Toothpaste and Dryer Sheet
This interesting hack about toothpaste was unknown to many. Toothpaste, along with dryer sheets, is effective in removing the rust from oven racks.
- Apply toothpaste to the rack thoroughly.
- Leave it for 10–20 minutes.
- Rub it off with the dryer sheet.
- Repeat this several times until you are pleased.
We know it seems impossible that toothpaste can remove rust. But it works surprisingly well.
Conclusion
Removing rust from any surface has always been tough. We think you’ve figured out how to remove rust from oven racks.
The finest remedies are those that incorporate ingredients that can be found in the kitchen.
Now you can cook your favorite meal without worrying about cleaning the oven racks.