Burnt cooking pots and pans require extra attention before starting the dishes. While frustrating, baked-on grime and grease can be removed to ensure that your pans look 100% new and sparkling! Don’t throw out a hopeless pan until you read these five ways to clean a burnt pot.
There are some things to know before getting started! The right materials make a big difference. First, stock up on some high-quality bristle brushes and scouring pads. While they aren’t generally recommended for daily cleaning of pots and pans due to their abrasiveness, these tools are essential for lifting caked-on, burnt-on messes from cookware when there’s a tough job. Keep some microfiber towels on hand to do the final cleaning after the burnt debris has been successfully dissolved.
Safety is also important when cleaning burnt pans. Always wear dishwashing gloves when trying the techniques below. In addition to keeping skin protected from drying out, dishwashing gloves also stop debris from getting beneath fingernails during cleaning.
Here Are Five Tested Methods To Clean A Burnt Pot
The Baking Soda & Vinegar Method
This technique must be tweaked slightly based on the type of cookware being cleaned. Let’s start with the recommended stainless steel and cast iron skillets method. First, remove or scrape away any excess food debris. Next, coat the basin of the cookware with a thin layer of water. Sprinkle baking soda into the basin until the water and baking soda form a paste.
After allowing the paste to settle for anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, based on how thick the burnt layer looks, use a soft-bristled brush to scrub away the paste gently. You should see the burnt debris rub away until the cookware is clean.
When cleaning burnt copper or aluminum cookware, you can boost baking soda’s efficacy by adding a little vinegar. However, vinegar should be avoided with other cookware because its acidity can cause rusting. All you will do with this technique is substitute the water used to make the baking soda paste with a thin layer of vinegar. If burnt stains are stubborn, leave the pan to soak with the paste intact overnight before scrubbing it away.
The Lemon Method
Use this one exclusively for aluminum cookware. Lemons provide a powerful, all-natural way to lift grease and debris from surfaces. First, remove any excess debits from the pan. Leave the cookware sitting in the sink basin. Next, cut up to three lemons into quarters. Add the wedges to a pot of boiling water for up to 15 minutes.
Once the lemons look slightly tender, pour the contents of the pot into the sink to “wash over” the sitting cookware. Use caution to avoid allowing the hot water to splash onto your skin. Once the wedges have cooled slightly in the sink, use a scouring pad to rub the lemon water into the cookware to remove burnt debris. Squeeze the juice from the wedges over stubborn burnt areas to help loosen debris.
The Dishwasher Tablet Method
Relying on natural cleaning ingredients alone isn’t always enough to get the job done. An ordinary dishwasher tablet can be a powerful way to lift debris from cookware. All that’s required for this method is a standard dishwasher tablet. Start by rinsing the burnt cookware using hot water in the sink. Next, use a dishwasher tablet to gently scrub the cookware’s surface instead of a sponge. Once debris begins to loosen up, a sponge or brush can help it along. Use a combination of the tablet and sponge until the cookware is clean.
The Deglazing Method
This is a more advanced technique to clean burnt pots. It requires some additional attention because you will be using the stovetop to loosen food debris from the surface of the cookware. The deglazing method is effective for pots and pans made with any material. Here’s how it works:
Gently remove any loose debris on the cookware.
Set one of the burners on the stove to a low heat setting.
Place the cookware on the burner.
Pour a cup of water into the pot or pan. Allow the water to come to a boil.
Once the water boils, use a spatula to scrape the pot’s basin or pan to gently loosen any debris starting to “soften” under the influence of the heat. Avoid using a plastic spatula that can melt or damage when submerged in the hot water. A wooden spatula is ideal. If you must use a metal spatula, take caution not to scratch the interior of the cookware.
Once you’re satisfied that the debris has been scraped away, empty the heated water into the sink.
Allow the pot or pan to sit out without drying it.
Once the pot or pan is cooled, scrub it using a brush or sponge to remove any remaining debris.
Finally, wash the pot or pan using your normal washing method.
Extra caution is needed with this method because the pot or pan placed on the stove will be very hot to the touch. Never leave the pot or pan unattended during the process. If others are in the home, let them know what you’re doing to prevent someone from accidentally touching an extremely hot piece of cookware with their bare hands.
The Salt Method
Most people don’t know that the naturally abrasive texture of salt makes it an incredible cleaning tool in the kitchen. Cooking salt can be used as a strong cleanser when cookware becomes burnt and stained. Use salt when trying to clean burnt cast iron pots and pans.
The simple technique of using salt to clean burnt pots and pans starts with removing all loose food and debris from the cookware. Next, sprinkle about a tablespoon of salt into the basin of the cookware. Use a soft-bristle brush or sponge to spread the salt. With each pass, the salt will begin to lift burnt pieces from the cookware. For especially stubborn burnt marks, allow slightly moistened salt to sit inside the basin to form a thin layer of salt paste for a few minutes before scraping it away.
Feeling Overwhelmed by Housekeeping Tasks?
Taking care of a home can feel overwhelming. Nobody is born with tips for cleaning burnt pots or pans. Moreover, not everyone is taught all the tips and tricks for maintaining a clean home and kitchen growing up. That’s why getting professional help for keeping a home sparkling can be so helpful. If you’re looking for highly rated house cleaning services in Toronto, look no further than Cleaning Heights.
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