We’re perfectly aware of how challenging it can be to properly clean your oven trays after each use to maintain their durability for extended periods.
The tray can be greasy, sticky, or even have burnt residue, which can take hours to scrub off.
However, if you use the right and effective method, you can save yourself from all the hassle to relish time with your beloved ones.
That is why in this article, we have provided a list of various oven tray cleaning hacks so that you can get your oven trays looking as dazzling as new.
How to Clean an Oven Tray?
If you want the most straightforward method that cleans your oven trays effectively, follow the following steps:
1- Never forget about your protection
As you’ll be using some cleaning agents for the cleaning process, they can be harmful to your hands’ skin. Therefore, always remember to put on protective gloves to be safe from grease, grime, and chemicals.
Step Two- Wiping the oven tray.
Take a paper towel and wipe your tray softly to remove all the excess grease or debris that may clog up the sink afterwards.
Step Three- Preparing the cleaning mixture.
Boil some water and pour it inside the sink. Now take a cleaning agent or a simple washing liquid and mix it with the water.
Step Four- Soaking the trays.
Now soak your trays and leave them inside the solution for about an hour. If you still notice any hardened debris, let it soak for some more minutes.
Step Five- Scrubbing the trays.
Get yourself an abrasive sponge and scrub the dirt and grease off by taking a small amount of soapy water with it.
Step Six- Removing the remaining debris.
Rinse the trays with hot water to remove all the remaining grease that may be left behind when sponging.
Step Seven- Final clean
For a final thorough clean, put the tray inside the dishwasher and run a single cycle.
Step Eight- Drying the trays.
Don’t forget to pat dry your oven tray with a soft cloth after each wash.
Best Ways / Methods to Clean Oven Tray
Rather than discarding your oven trays and wasting money, it would be best to try some of the most effective cleaning methods. Here we’ve provided several proven ways to clean your oven trays so that they retain their durability and longevity:
Using a 2p Coin
- Use a paper towel to wipe any dirt from your oven tray.
- Put the tray in hot soapy water and leave it to soak for about thirty minutes.
- Get the tray out from the solution and scrub it with a 2p coin in circular motions until all the stuck grease has been removed.
- Place the trays inside the dishwasher for a thorough clean.
Getting rid of the grease
- Employing a paper towel, try to remove most of the grease but don’t forget the sides of the baking tray.
- Prepare a mixture of hot soapy water and pour it into the sink.
- Soak the baking trays inside this water for more than 40 minutes.
- You’ll know when the soapy water has started its work when you notice bubbles appearing in the water.
- Get a scratch-free sponge and wipe the entire surface gently before you put the trays inside the dishwasher for a final thorough clean.
Using a solution of white vinegar and baking soda
- Boil some water and pour it inside the sink.
- Prepare a mixture of half a cup of baking soda and the same amount of white vinegar.
- Pour this mixture into the hot water in the sink and mix it.
- Put your baking tray inside the sink and leave it to soak for about 40 minutes.
- Now take a sponge and softly scrub the entire surface to remove all the softened debris quickly.
- Now pat dry using a soft cloth, and your baking trays should be as good as new.
Keeping trays clean all the time
If you want your oven trays to be perfectly clean all the time, it would be best to maintain them regularly. This way, you’ll be saved from the difficulty you will have to face every time you cook something in your oven.
- You can get lining paper and place it over the baking tray so the grease or oil won’t get burnt onto the surface directly. Alternatively, you can also use a tray liner which is more environmentally friendly than the lining papers.
- Place your baking trays in a solution of hot soapy water after each use carefully so that you won’t have to deal with grease that can get stuck for days.
- Always remember to wipe the trays using a paper towel to remove the excess grease before starting the cleaning process.
How to remove baked grease from oven trays?
How to remove baked grease from oven trays?
Removing baked on grease might be the most complex challenge you’ll have to face while cleaning your baking trays. This grease won’t get off unless you do it with a proper method. So here’s what you need to do:
- Initially, wipe the entire surface of the baking tray using a paper towel.
- Now take an effective grill spray and use it with the towel to wipe away the grease. There’s no need to do it thoroughly; just remove the big clumps of oil that might have gathered at the corners of the trays. These sprays are readily available in your nearest supermarket.
- Boil some water, then make hot water and washing agent mixture inside the sink.
- Leave the tray inside this solution and let it soak for about an hour so that the liquid will effectively cut through the grease.
- If you’re still noticing any baked-on grease, let it soak for some more minutes.
- Also, if the tray isn’t fully submerged in the water, let each side soak for about 40 minutes.
- Now get a soft sponge or a soft cloth to wipe any leftover grease or residue.
- Give a hand wash using hot water, and then pop it in the dishwasher for one last clean.
How to clean a Burnt oven tray?
- Get a paper towel and wipe away the excess fats and residue left on the surface.
- Boil some water and pour it into the sink with a cup of baking soda. Let it sit until bubbles disappear.
- Now put your oven tray inside the sink and allow it to soak for about an hour. In this period, the baking soda will soften the burnt residue on your oven tray.
- Drain the water from the sink and wipe the softened residue with a sponge. You won’t have to brush too hard as it should come away quickly because of the solution.
- If you still notice some hardened residue, repeat the process, and focus on the remaining residue.
- After you’ve completely removed all the burnt residue, you can now wash the trays in freshwater or a dishwasher for a thorough clean.
How to clean enamel oven trays?
Clearing the stains from enamel oven trays can be pretty tricky if you don’t know where to start. Here’s what you need to do using the most fundamental ingredients:
- Take a soft cloth or paper towel to wipe away the excess dirt, just as the previous methods.
- Now, sprinkle a good amount of salt on the stained areas and make sure it completely covers the stains.
- Cut a lemon and squeeze all the juice over the areas on which you’ve put salt.
- Let the lemon juice soak into the stain for some time.
- After some time, the juice and salt would have turned into a paste. Take a sponge and gently scrub the entire stained area.
- When you’ve completely removed the stains, use warm water to clean your enamel oven tray thoroughly.
- Now take a soft cloth to pat it dry or allow it to air dry.
Remember to always spray a light mist of oil onto the enamel oven trays before using them. This way, the food won’t get stuck to the surface or stain and will be easier to clean afterwards.
How to clean non-stick baking trays?
For non-stick baking trays, you’ll have to clean them immediately after each use; otherwise, the dirty residue of grease and fats would settle onto the surface. This way, it would be much harder to get it off and reduce the longevity of the trays. Here’s the proper method to clean non-stick baking trays effectively:
- Use a paper towel and ensure that there isn’t any excess grease or dirt left behind on the trays. It will save you a lot of time as this dirt won’t clog up the sink while cleaning the trays.
- Never use metal sponges to wipe the trays. It may speed up the cleaning process but can remove the non-stick coating from the surface.
- Boil some water and thoroughly wash the baking tray with the boiling water.
- Now soak your baking tray inside a hot soapy liquid for about an entire hour. If the tray isn’t submerging entirely, then soak each side for about 30 minutes.
- To retain its longevity, coat the baking trays with oil.
- After completing all these steps efficiently, make sure that your trays are completely dry.
Many people will think about putting these trays into a dishwasher to save their time but remember never to use them as it can cause some irreversible damage to your trays. Most ovens come with an instruction manual in which the manufacturers restrict from using the dishwashers to clean any oven contents.
How to clean oven trays with baking soda?
Baking soda is considered the most magical ingredient in terms of cleaning kitchen utensils.
Here’s what you’ll need to do to clean your oven trays with baking soda:
- Mix about half a cup of baking soda with some water, adjusting the ratio till it converts into a paste.
- The paste shouldn’t be too hard to damage the surface or so thin that it easily slides off.
- Now take a spoon and spread this paste onto the stains, and let it dry.
- Once completely dried, pour some drops of vinegar onto this paste to allow it to foam up.
- Now take a soft abrasive sponge and scrub the stains until they come off quickly. Don’t scrub too hard as it may damage the surface.
- Lastly, hand wash the oven trays in freshwater and allow them to air dry or pat dry with a soft kitchen towel.
How to clean oven trays without baking soda?
Suppose you don’t have the baking soda at hand. In that case, many other ingredients are known as natural cleaning agents, such as using lemons, vinegar, or salt directly onto the stains to remove them entirely. Here’s one proven method to clean your oven tray without baking soda:
- Take a tub and fill it with hot water and an all-natural cleaner. You can also use the sink if you don’t have a tub at hand.
- Place the oven trays inside the tub or the sink and allow them to soak for some hours or overnight for the best possible results.
- Take a scouring pad or an abrasive sponge to remove any remaining grime or grease from the surface.
- If the grime is not getting off quickly, take lemon juice or vinegar, pour it over the trays, and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
- Try scrubbing again, and it will come off quickly this time.
- Now wash the trays in freshwater and give a final clean inside the dishwasher, and your trays are good to go.
How to clean a toaster oven tray?
It would be best to use a mixture of baking soda and water to clean a toaster oven tray. You’ll need to make a thick paste applied directly onto the stained areas to clean them entirely.
- Mix two parts of baking soda and one part of water till it forms a thick paste.
- Wipe your toaster oven trays using a cloth before starting the actual cleaning process.
- Now apply the paste onto the surface of the tray using a brush or even a spoon.
- Let the paste cover the stains and grease overnight for best results.
- Wipe the paste using a sponge. The stains and grease would come out quickly without wiping too hard.
- Now wash the tray in hot water and run one dishwasher cycle for a thorough wash.
