How to Clean Baking Trays in 6 steps

Baking trays can quickly become greasy and sticky, no matter how much we might put them through the dishwasher. A lot of us assume that the dishwasher will do all the hard work of cleaning baking trays for us, but unfortunately, to get them properly clean you’re going to have to do it manually.

If you have non-stick baking trays, you may not need to put as much effort in to clean them, which is a good reason to make sure you buy non-stick trays in the future!

It’s a smart move to wear some rubber gloves for cleaning, not just to protect your hands from grease and grime, but to stop the dish soap and hot water from irritating your skin.

1. Get some paper towels and wipe away as much grease and grime as you can from the baking tray. You don’t need to hunt down every last bit, just remove any bigger bits that have gathered in the corners.

2. Fill your sink with hot water, and add some dish soap.

3. Soak the tray for at least an hour, which should allow the soap time to get through the remaining grease and dirt. If your tray is too big to fit in the sink completely, turn it over after an hour to let the other side soak. Leave for another hour.

4. Time for some work! If your trays are non-stick, use a soft cloth or sponge and wipe away the grease. It should now come off fairly easily.

5. If your trays aren’t non-stick, you can be a bit tougher on the dirt. Use a scouring pad or steel wool ball and go for it.

6. Once this is done, put your trays through the dishwasher for a final clean, and you’re done.

If you want to keep your baking trays as clean as possible in between washes, it’s a good idea to line them with foil or baking paper. Foil doesn’t react well with acidic foods such as tomatoes and lemons, so keep that in mind when you cook these items in the oven. You can buy single use foil baking trays if you really hate cleaning them, but think of the waste and damage to the environment this can cause.