How to Clean Burned Food off a Pot

Burn your dinner again? Charred food is tough to remove from cookware. The process often involves backbreaking scrubbing with harsh cleaners that leave your pot (and your skin) damaged. This quick method uses naturally acidic materials to break up charred food in a pot or skillet, making it simple to remove with a sponge and liquid dish soap.

Things You'll Need

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• Half a lemon, cut into four wedges
• Liquid dish soap
• Sponge

Instructions

1. Fill the burned pot or pan halfway with water. Add the white vinegar and the lemon wedges and stir.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for about five minutes, but keep an eye on it to make sure the water doesn't boil away. If it does, remove the pot from the heat early.

3. Let the cleaning solution cool in the pot for about 20 minutes, or until you can touch it with bare hands.

4. Pour out all remaining liquid and scrub the debris in the pot with liquid dish soap and a sponge. The burned food should come off easily. If it doesn't, repeat the lemon-vinegar boil and then scrub it again.

Tips & Warnings

• This process will remove food, but it won't remove scorch marks.