grouchy old primitive wants to clean oven racks

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=287x9251

Oh my.

NNN0LHI  (1000+ posts)      Thu Jul-14-11 07:34 PM
Original message
 
Have any advice for cleaning oven racks?

I would just as soon leave them in the oven and clean the racks while using the ovens Self Clean function.

But my wife doesn't like the chrome racks to turn blue due to the high heat used during the Self Clean mode so that idea is out.

So I usually get stuck trying to figure out how to clean the racks myself. I have tried a lot of different things over the years to clean them but it usually ends up taking a handful of SOS pads and a lot of hard work to get the job accomplished.

Anyone have any good ideas to get these things clean with the minimal amount of work?

trud  (1000+ posts)      Fri Jul-15-11 04:11 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. who's going to see them in the oven?

If Mrs. Don doesn't like the self-clean feature, perhaps it's Mrs. Don who should be cleaning them.

NNN0LHI  (1000+ posts)      Sat Jul-16-11 01:57 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
4. I like your suggestion the best so far

Suich  (1000+ posts)      Fri Jul-15-11 05:23 PM
Response to Original message
 
2. This might work:

Put some ammonia in a bowl and set it in the bottom of the oven. Keep the door closed, the longer the better. The fumes should help loosen whatever is on them, so you might not have to scrub as hard with SOS!

You can also clean the stove top rings and "bowls" under the burners this way.

ChromeFoundry  (1000+ posts)      Sat Jul-16-11 10:48 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. Ammonia is the method of choice

most put the racks and burner grates into a large, heavy-duty garbage bag and dump in a few cups of ammonia.
Let it sit overnight.

The ammonia will turn the burned fats into soap (a salt, if looking at it from chemistry).

Then a hose will wash all the gunk off in the morning.

===

If the in-oven method is preferred, rather than using a bowl - use an old towel and soak it with some ammonia.
Then you can lay it across the rack. If the oven has a pilot, that should probably be put out prior to this method...just to be on the safe side.

Warpy  (1000+ posts)        Sun Jul-17-11 04:46 PM
Response to Original message
 
5. Since it's summer, it's really easy

You'll need some household ammonia, a spray bottle, a black trash bag and tie, a mask, goggles and gloves.

Open up the trash bag in a spot that's going to be in full sun for at least six hours. Lay the rack in the open bag, suit up, and spray the ammonia onto it liberally. Really soak that sucker down. Then close the bag and tie it and walk away from it for 6-10 hours, the longer the better.

When you come back the heat will have combined a lot of the ammonia plus the grease on the rack and made soap. Remove the rack from the bag and hose it off. If it's clean enough, fine, toss the bag in an outside trash can. If not, keep the arrangement on top of the trash can for another go tomorrow.

[Skul]

I'm surprised no one has suggested puting the food in a pan or something...when they cook it.

[BattleHymn]

I would suggest throwing a lit stick of dynamite into the oven, then shutting the door.  That should take care of any mess inside the oven in no time.  

This works best with an oven that has a viewing door, because you wouldn't want that stick of dynamite to get away on you while you're not keeping a close eye on it.  A watched stick of dynamite never boils.  

If you cannot find a stick of dynamite, any full propane tank that will fit inside the oven will do just as well.

[Kimberly]

I would just as soon leave them in the oven and clean the racks while using the ovens Self Clean function.

Mother Gaia weeps when you use the oven for 3 hours at 500 degrees. Or it puts money in the pockets of Big Electricity. Anyway I'm sure it's breaking some liberal enviromental religious belief, so suck it up and scrub, DUmmie.

[I_B_Perky]

Muriatic acid works. It's what the restaurants use.

[franksolich]

Muriatic acid works. It's what the restaurants use.

Well, I'm still curious as to why the oven racks turning that shiny blue is a "problem."

[I_B_Perky]

Well, I'm still curious as to why the oven racks turning that shiny blue is a "problem."

I agree Frank. It's a freaking oven rack! It holds your turkey up, who cares what it looks like.


Must be a women thing.   

[Ballygrl]

I use Brillo pads and you have to really scrub it.

[franksolich]

I use Brillo pads and you have to really scrub it.

Anything with cooked-on grease on it (which does not include the oven racks here, because it's a natural gas stove, and so I use it as little as possible, not at all if I can), I just wrap it up in ammonia-saturated newspapers and toss it out on the front porch.  If the newspapers dry up under the burning heat, I just dump more ammonia on them.  After a couple of days, everything's as clean as a whistle.

[Ballygrl]

Anything with cooked-on grease on it (which does not include the oven racks here, because it's a natural gas stove, and so I use it as little as possible, not at all if I can), I just wrap it up in ammonia-saturated newspapers and toss it out on the front porch.  If the newspapers dry up under the burning heat, I just dump more ammonia on them.  After a couple of days, everything's as clean as a whistle.

I don't use straight ammonia, that smell freaks me out, it's way too strong.

[franksolich]

I don't use straight ammonia, that smell freaks me out, it's way too strong.

I live out in the wide open spaces, though, where the wind's always blowing, so it's not a problem.

[I_B_Perky]

Anything with cooked-on grease on it (which does not include the oven racks here, because it's a natural gas stove, and so I use it as little as possible, not at all if I can), I just wrap it up in ammonia-saturated newspapers and toss it out on the front porch.  If the newspapers dry up under the burning heat, I just dump more ammonia on them.  After a couple of days, everything's as clean as a whistle.

My method... I clean the things right after I use them. It's easier to clean up right after you cook on things. Works for me. I'm anal about stuff like that.

Never heard of using ammonia.

Hell, ole Perky is of the if it works school, then do it.

[franksolich]

My method... I clean the things right after I use them. It's easier to clean up right after you cook on things. Works for me. I'm anal about stuff like that.

Never heard of using ammonia.

Hell, ole Perky is of the if it works school, then do it.

Generally, my case is where I've found a good piece of glass cookware at a thrift store that isn't quite clean.

I grew up around hospitals; things not only have to be clean, but sterile.

[GOBUCKS]

I hate to see that upper oven pounding out 700F, or whatever the self-cleaning temperature is, for hours, right underneath a circuit board that costs half as much as a new oven.

[LC EFA]

ChromeFoundry  (1000+ posts)      Sat Jul-16-11 10:48 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. Ammonia is the method of choice

most put the racks and burner grates into a large, heavy-duty garbage bag and dump in a few cups of ammonia.
Let it sit overnight.

The ammonia will turn the burned fats into soap (a salt, if looking at it from chemistry).

...

That's Caustic Soda (Lye / NaOH) you're thinking of for saponification. NH3 isn't basic enough for the process to work as described.

Just me I get the racks out and soak them in hot water and clean them before the stuff on them sets like concrete by application of a bunch of elbow grease and a pot scourer.

[BlueStateSaint]

That's Caustic Soda (Lye / NaOH) you're thinking of for saponification. NH3 isn't basic enough for the process to work as described.

Just me I get the racks out and soak them in hot water and clean them before the stuff on them sets like concrete by application of a bunch of elbow grease and a pot scourer.

That would require the equivalent of holy water to a vampire, for the DUmb****--"Work."

[vesta111]

That's Caustic Soda (Lye / NaOH) you're thinking of for saponification. NH3 isn't basic enough for the process to work as described.

Just me I get the racks out and soak them in hot water and clean them before the stuff on them sets like concrete by application of a bunch of elbow grease and a pot scourer.

I like the idea for ammonia on oven racks and gas BBQ grills. The bag it idea sounds easy.      Now about the innards of stove or grill.    

As Phillis Diller once said her oven was so dirty she could only fit in and bake one cup cake at a time.

I know when it is time to clean my oven is when I have to bake something at 450  for an hour and when I open the oven the smoke alarm goes off.  

Way way back in the 1950's when my parents build their first home, Mom had some novel ideas for the time.     The cook top was on the counter and the oven was built into the wall at eye level.  No problem cleaning the oven just wipe down.

Today 50+ years later we have gone back to the old designs of cooking from the wood stoves, one unite, cook on top, bake on bottom.

Cleaning a oven means one must just lay flat on the floor to clean the innards, the oven door opens downward and to clean, one has to crawl over the door to reach the back of the oven.

I have yet to see a side open door to a one unite stove, much safer as accidents do happen when one leaves the oven open and a running child can fall over it.

My microwaves door  opens to the side, my refrigerator doors open to the side, all the doors in the house open to the side, so why does my oven have a pull down door that causes one to bend over to fill the oven or remove very hot food??????

Nuts, when this stove goes kaput, I will buy the separate oven and cook top, never again have to crawl into a nasty oven to clean it.