Re Bacon:
I lay it on a rack in a rimmed baking sheet (I keep a sheet just for this and other messy jobs) and bake it at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes or so. I bake it very crispy because I want to chop it for casseroles. This also gives me the bacon fat, which marries very nicely with various vegetables, and lives in a jar in my refrigerator.
I don't mind the smell, any more than I mind the smell of chicken stock cooking. But that's me.
As to cleaning the racks: I flip the rack over and soak it in hot water with soap until everything loosens, spray off everything loose, and hit the resistant spots with an electric toothbrush kept in the kitchen for such jobs.
