Can You Use Coffee Grounds To Clean Greasy Oven Grates? Here's What We Found

Cleaning your oven grates. Simply reading that might have made you sigh, cringe, or suddenly remember that you have been putting this off for months now. Old grease, burnt bits, and that mysterious black crust that feels like it is more work than it's worth. Cleaning an oven grate is one of those chores that feels like a full-body workout, complete with awkward angles and stubborn grime that refuses to budge. If you have ever soaked, scrubbed, and still ended up with grates that look, well, maybe only a little better than before, then you are not alone.

So when a tip pops up online claiming that coffee grounds can clean greasy oven racks, it is bound to grab your attention. It sounds almost too easy. A few scoops of used grounds, some hot water, a little patience, and the mess is supposed to just clean away. Sounds like a dream, but does it actually work?

The answer is, not really. While coffee grounds can act as a mild abrasive, they are not tough enough to cut through serious oven grease on their own. The most it might do is loosen some light buildup or give you a little extra grit when scrubbing for thick, cooked-on grease, because you will definitely need more than what's left in your coffee filter. Although not completely useless, coffee grounds are not the miracle fix they are made out to be. 

If you are curious about this hack, here's how you can try it. The most common method is to start by removing your oven grates and placing them in a sink, tub, or a vessel where they can lie flat and soak. Then, sprinkle used coffee grounds over them (about 1 to 2 tablespoons should do). Pour some warm or hot water, and let everything soak for about 45 minutes. Some people even seal the grates in a large bag with coffee and water to help the mixture stay in contact with the surface.

After soaking, rinse everything off or wipe it down with a sponge. Some people even tried incorporating some natural cleaning hacks, like dish soap, vinegar, and baking soda, into the mix. The goal is to add a bit of texture to the soak, just enough to help with lighter grime, but not meant for heavy-duty cleaning.

This soak might remove some surface dust, newer spills, or areas that aren't heavily coated. But when it comes to deeply-set grease, the results are underwhelming. And depending on how much you use, you might end up with a mess of soggy coffee grounds to clean out of your tub or sink, especially if you don't have a strainer in place. Not a total fail, but this hack works best on light messes. For anything more than that, you'll still need to bring in the stronger stuff.