From baking cookies to roasting potatoes and vegetables, oven trays are one of the most versatile pieces of equipment in the average kitchen. Their large, flat surface area allows for an even distribution of heat, perfect for baking items that need to cook uniformly.
With so many different potential uses, it’s no surprise that some messes are easier to clean up than others. While some foods will leave just a few crumbs to wipe clean, others can leave grime and grease that is much trickier to remove. But rather than resorting to washing up liquid or other chemicals for tough or burnt-on stains, there is a simple way to get your oven trays shining again using only natural products.
How to clean roasting trays
Rather than using dish soap or any other chemicals, Lynsey Crombie, also known as the Queen of Clean, suggested making use of two common household items – lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda.
Posting to Instagram, she said: “Got to love a juicy lemon for a bit of cleaning.
“My oven tray was looking a bit worse for wear, so I grabbed a lemon, cut it in half, added some bicarb, gave it a good squeeze, and used it as the perfect natural scrubber.
“These two powerhouses cut through grease and grime with ease, making light work of dirty oven trays.”
She described the smell as “fresh and zesty”, adding: “My tray now looks as good as new.”
Lynsey’s followers were impressed with the cleaning hack, with one writing: “Look at all the grease it removes – amazing results.”
Another said: “I love a good lemon trick. They always smell so nice,” while a third wrote: “So satisying.”
If you don’t want to use lemon and bicarbonate of soda, an alternative is baking soda and vinegar.
Simply sprinkle baking soda on the tray and add a splash of vinegar to create a fizzing reaction that helps loosen the grime.
You can then soak the tray in hot water, scrub with a scouring pad and rinse throughly, as needed.