I leave mine in the oven during the steam cleaning cycle and just clean them up with a brillo pad.

Dawn Professional Power Dissolver--not the supermarket product, I get mine from Amazon. Spray it on and let it sit for an hour or two, then a quick scrub with a SS scrubbie and rinse. Was using BKF and SS scrubbie and this is easier than any other approaches used so far. My racks are chrome plated steel and had serious "shellac" style stains; the manual was very direct about not putting them in the self-clean cycle. FYI, this worked on cleaning the outsides of iron saute pans like de Buyers that had some burned on residue that abrasive cleaners took too much elbow grease to remove.

From all accouts I've found, Dawn Prof. Power Dissolver has been discontinued for retail or do you have to buy through a trade specialist?

Nope, Like I wrote, I order mine from Amazon. Don't remember the exact price but around $18/160oz, sprayer which lasts me for quite a while. May be available from other sources.

You can't leave your racks in on the self clean cycle. I leave mine in the steam clean cycle with no problems. I never use the self clean cycle in my oven. I heard of too many problems when using the self cleaning cycle. Exploding glass doors and fried wires.

The high heat from the self-clean cycle will turn chrome blue, permanently.

Carbona!!!

You are asking a great question. I do not have a good solution but I am curious about leaving the racks in during the steam cleaning phase. I was told to remove them during steam cleaning. Just wondering if they discoloured during steam cleaning? Thanks.

Depending on the material that the rack is made from (i.e., stainless steel, or plated mild steel or whatever), the racks could start rusting if exposed to sufficient moisture. That said, it shouldn't discolour during steam cleaning as the temperature is very low. Moisture damage is the potential issue.

My racks turn out fine during the steam clean cycle. My instruction manual also says not to leave them in, but it doesn't bother them. They always look the same as when they were new. I guess it depends on what they are made of.

Thank you for your comments.

I put them in the bathtub with hottest water and a cascade dishwasher tab. Let soak an hour or so and scrub with a brush, quick rinse and they are good to go. Of course, now the tub needs a scrub...

Or.., don't clean them. There is no cleaning that I'm aware of that will not impart bad tastes in to foods over the next several uses of the oven. This is one reason why ovens in restaurants are never cleaned and why many chefs will use a new oven a lot before anything from it is ever served to a guest.

So, a lot less work, less chemicals in your kitchen, better and healthier food.

Ovens rack has to be cleaned a some point. Stuff get spilled on them and drip into the next dish.When the oven is heated.

Nope. In 30 years we've never cleaned any of our ovens. Our current ovens (36" Wolf gas, Meile Masterchef, GE Advantium Fastbake) have not been cleaned since they were installed about 20 years ago. We've several friends who are chefs and who would never clean an oven at work or at home.

@Completely Clean Maids, I plan it around tub cleaning day ;) So a little more work, but not so bad.

When I helped prepare my daughter's condo for a new tenant, we put the oven racks and the broiler pan into a big plastic garbage bag, poured about a cup of ammonia over the parts, sealed the bag with a twist tie and left it outside overnight. After that, a blast with the hose cleaned off almost every speck of burned on grease.

OT the dishwashing detergent + bathtub method lindsey suggested works really well for cleaning Legos too.

So glad to hear that someone else doesn't clean their oven!!....unless you spill...I wipe up spilled sugar from an overf flowing pan of sticky buns or a bubbling chewrry pie....but....I don't "clean my oven".