How To Clean Oven Racks Martha Stewart

If you want to get your oven back to something you're happy to cook in, then here's the good news — a bit of elbow grease and a few minutes each week will have your oven looking shiny in no time.

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Woman cleaning oven

The dreaded oven. Remember the last time you cleaned it? Or are you hiding all that built-up grime behind a strategically-placed tea towel over the oven door?

If your oven has more grime than shine, you're not alone — cleaning an oven is not a task anyone enjoys. But keeping it clean is not only aesthetically important; it is practical as well. Do you really want that vanilla sponge to taste like last week's lamb roast? Or have the smell of greasy smoke wafting around your home?

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It's time to get all Martha Stewart on your oven. The goddess of domestic perfection herself says that, "If you thoroughly clean the oven, and then maintain it after every use, you should never have to do such a dirty job again."

Top to bottom

The best way to tackle your oven is to think of it as a unit and clean it from the top down. A full clean of the range hood, stove top and oven is the best way to keep your kitchen sparkling.

The range hood

This handy piece of kitchen equipment clears the air of smoke and grease while you're cooking. Over time it will become stained and clogged so it's important to give it a good clean each month to ensure it keeps working effectively.

First, remove the filters and soak them in a mixture of hot water and dishwashing liquid for five to 10 minutes.

While the filters are soaking, wipe the hood with a soft cloth dipped in hot, soapy water. Dry it with a dry cloth or, if your range hood is made from stainless steel, you can use a product such as Mr Muscle All Purpose Cleaner to give it a nice shine.

Before you remove the filters from the water, give them a good scrub with a nylon brush. Rinse in hot water, dry with a tea towel and pop them back into the range hood.

The stove top

Chances are your stove top sees its fair share of cooking spills so it's only natural that it's going to attract a lot of dirt and grime.

Whether you're cooking with gas or electric, to clean your stove top remove the coils or grates (if you have them) and pop them in a sink full of hot, soapy water for five to 10 minutes. Scrub the built up dirt off with a scouring pad and leave to dry.

While the grates are drying, clean the stove top by spraying with an all purpose cleaner and wiping with a damp cloth. If you have cooked-on grime, remove the build-up with a rubber scraper.

Remove the knobs and wash in warm, soapy water. Dry them thoroughly before placing them — along with the coils — back on the stove top.

The oven

If you've neglected your oven for a while, this step is not going to be pleasant. But, once it's done you'll have a sparkling clean oven that even your mother would be proud to cook in.

First, remove the racks. If they're dirty, pop them in a hot, soapy bath for a few hours before scrubbing with a scouring pad.

While the racks are soaking, spray the inside of your oven with an oven cleaner, such as Mr Muscle Oven Heavy Duty Cleaner. This is going to do most of the hard work for you — simply spray it on following the directions on the can, leave it for a few hours, then wipe out the foam with a rubber scraper or a soft, damp cloth. Make sure you get all the grime and the cream out and finish the job by wiping over the entire inside of your oven with a damp cloth.

Clean the oven door — inside and out — with a warm, soapy cloth and wipe dry to remove any streaks.

That's it! If you keep your oven clean by wiping up any spatters and spills when they occur, you should only need to do a deep clean every month or so.

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