Now I too know!

IÂve heard about it but never tired it.

Claudia

It works for all kinds of things. Like a stainless steel roasting pan that is stained or the grids on a grill. Any pot with baked on crud. Makes cleaning very easy.

Also if you have a regular oven without the self cleaning function, just put a bowl of ammonia in the oven over night and then clean.

Ann

Really?

I've got a good candidate for that oven thing, Ann! LOL
I'll give that a try. I need to get it done anyway before I cook my "high heat" prime rib for Christmas!
I can't stand the spray junk and it doesn't work worth a darn anyway. I always wonder if I missed some and the fumes are going to be toxic the next time I bake something.

Thanks to all!

Deanna

Dang! I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Arf Arf.

And a bow-wow here, too! Never knew any of these old tricks!

Linda

That's how I clean my toaster oven--I mean with the cup of ammonia sitting in the TO overnight.

As far as the big oven racks, I put the sealed garbage bag in the bath tub overnight. It's easier to rinse them in the tub plus gets them out of the way.

Cathy

I've used the ammonia and garbage bag method for grill grates but never knew that would make the oven racks slide easily (maybe I've already ruined the racks by putting them through too many self cleaning cycles). I think this is a great idea for the toaster oven and I'll definitely be trying that.

Thanks

Lee

Like Lee, I wonder if it would save my racks in the wall oven in the house. I'll try it for my range out in the garage as I've taken the racks out during the cleaning cycle.

I/we have always tossed our SS grilling rack in the grass and sprayed them with the hose...let them soak so to speak and they cleaned up great! I just burn them off on the gas grill.

David

I didn't know! Thanks for sharing! Our oven is almost new but once it gets something baked on the racks I will give it a try. By the way, doesn't ammonia smell? Al

Al, yeah, that's why you put it in a bag. It's the ammonia fumes that loosen up the crud.

Lee, I duct tape the slight opens in the toaster oven door to keep the fumes in. It will work better if the fumes can't escape. There is a chance that the racks are ruined in the respect that they won't slide easily.

Going to give it a try!

Thanks Peppi, my racks are terrible.

Nancy

My racks are terrible too, so is my oven. I'll have to give this a try too. If it can clean MY oven, I'll know it works for sure!

Annie

With an OCD mom I've been doing that for years. Need to know the easiest way to clean something I just ask her. I'm not sure about everyone elseÂs self cleaning oven but mine, (top end gas) says to remove the racks. They aren't designed to take that amount of heat. If I want to buy separate porcelain ones (havenÂt checked to see how expensive they are) I can leave those in while cleaning the oven. So for now I use ammonia.

Want to make an inexpensive cleaner for everything but wood. (MomÂs formula)
Mix 1 bottle of menthol scented rubbing alcohol . Use the same bottle the alcohol was in to measure 1 bottle of ammonia, and 3 bottles of water. Add a dash of dish soap ( I use dawn) Makes a lot. Put in a spray bottle and use full strength for counters, stoves, bathrooms, stainless steel sinks, mirrors, windows. but for mopping floors, vinyl or ceramic use ½ c. to 2 gallons of water. IÂm getting set up to make my own natural herbal cleaners but in the mean time this works great. Just let it settle after spraying before leaning into the sink to clean it.
Mike

Thanks Cathy - we'd all be lost without duct tape and I was wondering about the fumes escaping from the TO.

LOL Annie, be sure to report back on how it works on your oven. My racks got ruined from the self cleaning cycle not because they were so yucky that I wanted to run them through the self clean cycle, but because I needed the racks to hold my baking stones for cleaning.

Lee

Will it also work on a nonstick roasting pan?

Duh! My self cleaning cycle is not working so a cup or two of ammonia is going in tonight.

And I was told to never, ever leave the racks in while doing the self clean, it really ruins them.

Ellen, not sure about the non-stick, but I would think not. It might ruin the coating.

Actually, David, Ammonia doesn't smell, but it stinks! (It doesn't have a nose, so it can't smell). Bu-dump-bump.

I have cats, and I've heard to not use ammonia for cleaning when you have cats, because of the, well, the nature of cats. But, I might try this. I wonder about the cooktop rack things that you set your pots on. I've gone blank on what they're called.

I'm also wondering about my computer keyboard. It's really needing cleaning, and I've wondered how to clean it. lol

Sally

I clean my (disconnected) computer keyboard with a tiny little vacuum gadget and then use a Q-tip and the Bestine Rubber Cement Thinner. It can be purchased at an art store. Or 91% rubbing alcohol. Only slightly dampen the Q-tip in either case.

I've used tha ammonia thing for years on oven racks and on my oven in my old stove. The lemon scented doesn't seem to take your breath away when you open the bag and is just as effective.

jude

my racks are terrible

Must.....keep....mouth...shut...

I put my stove top grates into the oven before I run the self clean option. Thy come out looking like new. I am going to do that after I have finished all my Christmas baking. I want my stove to look nice for our guests on Christmas.

Does anyone else have problems with the self cleaning oven smoking and setting off all the smoke detectors in the house? My hubby and kids leave the house whenever I get ready to clean the oven.
Donna

I was wondering when Jessy would chime in about "racks"!!!!!!!!!! Bwahaha
Lisa

Hmmm. Would this work on the cast iron grates on my Wolf cooktop? Those suckers are hard to clean.

Can't put them in the oven on self-clean because there are rubber "feet" on them that would melt.

Thanks, Barnmom.

Sally