Expert shares genius tip to get grease off oven racks

Bake Off legend Nancy Birtwhistle has revealed a cleaning hack that tackles stubborn burned grease on oven shelves and barbecue grills with ease.

The eco-friendly star, who has been living “green” for eight years, swears by using natural, non-toxic ingredients in her cleaning routine. She’s a big fan of washing soda for most tasks, but this particular trick for cleaning oven racks has left her fans utterly amazed.

Taking to social media, Nancy explained: “I’ve got my two oven shelves here. There is one, you can see, it’s fairly grotty. This is the other one, pretty much the same and I’m going to show you how we can clean them whilst we sleep.”

“For the first method, simply lay the oven shelf on the grass overnight. If you don’t have grass, the alternative is soaking it in the sink with three to four large scoops of washing soda and hot water.”

She pointed out that this cost-free technique “only works on real grass,” so those without gardens should opt for the sink method. For those looking to purchase washing soda or sodium carbonate, it’s available on Amazon or at supermarkets.

Currently, there’s a deal on Amazon for Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda at £7.99, down from £8.49. Alternatively, a 5kg tub is up for grabs on eBay for £15.64.

“Now if you’re thinking ‘I haven’t got a sink this big or big enough for my shelves’, I have followers that have used a wheelbarrow or a large plastic box big enough to hold the shelf. Once it’s submerged, leave it to soak overnight,” she continued.

The following morning, Nancy ventured into her garden to inspect “shelf no.1”, and said: “So there’s my shelf, it’s been there all night, let’s see if it’s all cleaned up.”

She proceeded to wipe off the baked-on food from the rack using a clean kitchen towel. As she passed the towel over the metal bars, the burnt grease came off instantly, and she repeated the process on the other side.

Nancy pointed out that many oven cleaning products contain harmful, toxic chemicals and she learned the “amazing grass cleaning tip” from a friend many years ago. She held up the oven shelf to the camera and exclaimed: “How good is that?! Now for the one inside.”

Then she applied the same method to “shelf no.2”, wiping it down with a clean towel, and it also worked wonders. “Cleaning oven shelves doesn’t get any easier than this!”

Her fans tried the grass method and were amazed, with one asking: “I do have to ask.. how the bleep did you discover that grass cleans your oven shelves? I’ve done it several times now with great success – barbecue grid too! But… HOW did you find this method?”

Another quipped: “If I leave the whole oven outside on the grass overnight will it be clean by the morning?”

“I can’t believe it! I’ve spent years using chemicals and scrubbing for hours! ” a third added.

But one said it “did nothing” and Nancy replied: “If the racks are very blackened they’ll need longer and long grass works well. Alternatively, use the washing soda soak and use the grass method every few weeks as a maintenance.”

“It works … I’ve been using the method for several years – all weathers, all temperatures.”

For those looking for quick results, they use Dr Magic Oven And Grill Cleaner or Pink Stuff cleaning paste to remove tough stains and stuck-on foods on the racks.