How to Clean Club Hammercraft Aluminum

Years of use can ruin even the most durable and well-built pots and pans. Club Hammercraft cookware is tough, sturdy and attractive. To clean Club Aluminum cookware handles, you should use the right tools and nonabrasive cleaners. It's important to get into the nooks and crannies of the handles to remove ground in grime and grease.

Club Hammercraft aluminum cookware comes in a wide range of colors and sizes. The consistent heat conductivity paired with the affordable price make it a prized possession for many home cooks.

The colorful, midcentury, rounded look continues to attract cooks to the Club Aluminum fan club. Hammercraft cookware is not only hard-wearing, it has an interesting history. Club Aluminum cookware was introduced as an affordable line that was originally sold at home parties touting its benefits in 1923.

Common pots and pans of that time were made of heavy cast iron. The trademark tight-fitting lids were created to seal in moisture and were lighter to lift from hot ovens.

For Club pans that are caked with a layer of old oil and bits of food, create a paste of one-part baking soda to one-part warm water. Gently rub it all over the outer surface of the pot or pan and leave it on for 20 minutes to an hour before rinsing. Repeat this as needed or leave the paste on overnight and scour with a terry cloth towel before rinsing.

American Kitchen Cookware recommends using a gentle plastic scrubbing pad for food that is stuck to the surface. Avoid using abrasive cleaners and scouring pads that can cause scratches and damage the finish on the cookware.

The Cast Iron Collector recommends soaking the soiled Club Hammercraft cookware in boiling or very hot water. Add 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar to each gallon of hot water. This will aid in removing dark stains from the surfaces of the pot.

For more serious baked-on residue, a short trip through a self-cleaning oven can remove the caked organic material. Allow the cookware to sit through the self-cleaning cycle for about an hour and rinse off the residue. Be careful of steel parts, including bail or coil spring waffle iron handles. These can become discolored in the hot environment of a self-cleaning oven.

The indents around the handles on the exterior of the Club Aluminum cookware can get grungy and be difficult to clean. Use a soft toothbrush and a mix of 4 cups of warm water and 1 tablespoon of a mild dishwashing liquid to take down the grime around the handles.

A long, narrow scrub brush that is often used for straws or bottles can also work well in these tight exterior spaces. Be careful not to get the metal wire beneath the bristles of a long-handled brush too close to the exterior. This can cause scratches that will attract oil and grease.