Question
After using the self cleaning cycle on my oven, the racks never glide smooth and the finish inside the oven isn’t shiny any more, it’s kind of dull. Mostly the oven racks sticking really bothers me. Is there anything I can do to fix them and make the oven look new again?
It’s funny because I’ve never really thought about it but this totally bothers me too! I actually laughed when I got this question because I couldn’t believe that I’d never thought to fix the problem, I’d just dealt with it.
As soon as I read the question I thought of an answer and it’s a surprisingly simple solution, using common household items.
Here’s what you need:
- Dishwasher detergent, or another cleaner like Bar Keeper’s Friend
- Warm water
- Damp cloth
- Bar of glycerin soap or vegetable oil
Directions:
Make sure to only use a small amount because if you use too much it will stink up the oven next time you turn it on.
If you’re in a bind and don’t have soap, or vegetable oil on hand, dryer sheets will also work. Using the same method, rub the dryer sheets along the sides of the oven racks to help them slide easier.
To get rid of the “dull” finish inside of the oven I have found that wiping the oven out with a damp cloth, or rag, gets rid of the smoky residue that’s left behind from the oven’s self cleaning setting.
If you still have have burnt residue and grime in your oven, even after running the self cleaning cycle, CLICK HERE to check out my post on how to clean your oven so it looks brand new!
Happy cleaning! Your oven will thank you and now you can get back to baking delicious cookies, pies and casseroles with easy gliding, clean oven racks!
Love the oven cleaning especially between glass door im anxious to try it
You can just rub the racks (the part that slides) with waxed paper, works like a charm.
Great idea!
how do i clean the oven racks, have discolored alot. can i leave them in the self cleaning oven during cleaning cycle?
Yes, you can leave them in for the self cleaning cycle, you’ll just need to wipe them off down after it’s over, and grease them so they slide easily again. 🙂
Hi. I have a cleaning question related to self-cleaning ovens. One of my clients (yes, I am a “professional” cleaner) has a whitish residue on the bottom of her oven after we used the self-cleaning option on her oven. I have scrubbed it with soap and water and a brush, but I can’t seem to get it to come up. Do you have any ideas? I am going to try the baking soda idea, but I doubtful about that. Any other ideas you might have would be truly wonderful and helpful. Thanks so very much from “trying to get that mess finally clean”.
I’ve yet to personally encounter that, I’m not sure what the problem is. I’m so sorry!
My oven has the same white residue that I have tried many things. I believe it is from excessive water that has somehow been baked on. Please find an answer to make my oven new again. I’ve tried vinegar, baking soda but perhaps not as thick as your picture shows
Hi Anna, I can’t tell you how many times I have wrinkled my nose at the tomatoe stain Tupperware! I just turned my head and pushed (Tupperware) it in with the other Tupperware and. closed the cub board door. Now after trying your idea with baking soda I admire my tomato or used to be stained Tupperware, and put them right up front with my new Tupperware. Please, please keep up the great ideas on how to clean this, that and every thing else. I’ll keep watching!
Thank you! 🙂
what can I use to clean the oven racks?
Renee,
This is Monique, Anna’s assistant. Anna write about cleaning all parts of an oven in this post: https://askannamoseley.com/2014/03/how-to-clean-a-self-cleaning-oven/
A reader also suggest using something called “Easy Off Oven Cleaner”. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much! I tried to get in between the oven door glass with a skinny brush & wet cloth. No it didn’t work. I can’t wait to do it your way! One question, the racks have gotten dull from leaving them in the oven when I turned on the self cleaning. Any help for them now?
Hi, this is Anna’s assistant, Bethany. Anna has not experienced her oven racks becoming dull from using the self-cleaning feature, but I did find a helpful website with various cleaning techniques for the racks, as well as a better explanation as to why yours may be dull: http://selfcleaningoven.net/how-to-clean-oven-racks/. I hope this helps and that you’re able to restore them!
i can’t wait to use some of your oven cleaning tricks. I really don’t like using the self cleaning cycle either but would rather do that than use harsh cleaners full of toxins. My go to for everything is baking soda, vinegar & coconut oil. I wish I’d known all they can do years ago!
I’m writing about the racks being dis colored & stained after self cleaning. I love your idea for making them slide smooth again with glycerin or olive oil! The way I clean stains off the racks themselves is using a trick I learned a while ago about cleaning bbq grill racks. Then we used easy-off, but now I make a paste of baking soda & coconut oil ( you can probably use olive oil to if you like, I like the smell of coconut oil better). Do this outside to save making a mess in your kitchen.
Spread the paste over the oven racks, then put in a black garbage bag. Tie the bag & leave in direct sunlight for an hour more if you like. When you’re ready open the bag & using your water hose spray the racks. All the gunk sprays right off! Easy peasy!
A pan of saltwater boiled over and left a brownish stain on my white stovetop. I tried everything to remove it (this was before I got a computer) Unfortunately (& stupidly) I tried steal wool. Now I have a stain and scratches on my stove, which is one of the very first electric stoves made by GE. I bought a box of recipe books from a yard sale and found the original instruction book for my stove in it! It, of course, doesn’t tell how to fix my mess. Any ideas?
Hi, Peggy. I’m Anna’s assistant, Bethany. Unfortunately, we don’t know of any way to get scratches off a stove top. Once you scratch into the surface/paint, it usually can’t be removed. If you are just wanting to remove the brownish stain, you can try a magic eraser or can try this helpful method Anna mentions in the following post: https://askannamoseley.com/2015/07/how-to-quickly-and-easily-clean-a-stovetop-without-chemicals/ Hope this helps!
Anna, I must share an even easier way to make your oven racks slide perfectly. After cleaning oven & wiping dry, wad up a large piece of waxed paper. Rub it across the slides on the oven wall, then rub again on the edges of the rack that will ride across the slides. You’ll be so surprised at how easy they slide in & out, you’ll have to restrain yourself from yanking them out TOO fast. When I was a kid at an old one-room country school, we kids saved the wraps from our sandwiches & waxed the slide. It was GREAT until I shot down it so fast that I landed with a thump on my tail bone. Someone else cracked a collarbone as well. We soon learned that less was more.
I can’t wait to try cleaning the inside of my oven door glass! This sounds like a keeper! Thanks!
You mentioned how to clean the glass in an oven with a drawer on the bottom.I have a GEOven it has one on the top and a larger one on the bottom.They both have glass fronts. How do I clean mine?
Hi, Marie! I’m Anna’s assistant, Bethany. Anna has a similar oven in her new home, and she found the opening on the top of the door instead of the bottom. Check the top to see if the opening on the door is on top of yours, too. Hope this helps! 🙂
One more oven question! How do you recommend cleaning the coil that seals the oven? Mine is covered in icky brown stains! Gross!
I’m not sure I know what coil you are referring to. Could you email me a picture? askannamoseley (at) hotmail (dot) com. 🙂
I noticed on my self-cleaning oven that the instructions said to take the racks out before cleaning. I left them in anyway and now they are dull too. Who wants to clean oven racks, though? It’s not a quick job and my racks are much to large for any sink I have.
I agree, that’s why I’ve always left mine in too. 🙂
Wow, I have been having this problem with my oven racks since I did the Self Cleaning option on my new oven. I thought there was nothing I could do about it. This has been driving me crazy. I just used my oven yesterday and I was having the worst time sliding the rack back into the oven. I wiped out the inside of my oven today and wiped down the sides of my racks as well. I then put on a very small amount of olive oil, sorry no bars of soap lying around in my house (lol). When I put the racks back into the oven they slid so easily, I was so amazed. Thank you so much for that tip.
Awesome! I’m so glad I could help. Thank you for coming back and letting me know, I love it when my readers do that! 🙂