How to Clean Guardian Cookware

Stains accumulating on Guardian Cookware or other aluminum pots and pans is not appetizing for service.

Guardian Cookware was premium cooking and servicing ware (pots and pans) that were sold at home-parties during the 1930’s through 1956. Still popular today many want to know how to restore their Grandmother's pots and pans.

Aluminum is cleaned differently than Teflon. After collecting & selling Guardianware, I found the best ways to restore all but the pitting. Follow these steps and you will have shiny cookware to be proud of for many years.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Elbow Grease
• SOS
• Cream of Tartar powder (spice aisle at grocery store)

1. 
    
   stains

   Wash pots and pans BY HAND, as soon as you are done cooking. Hot water with grease cutting soap such as liquid dawn is great. Do not let water sit for hours in your pans. Soaking during dinner is fine. This will prevent a lot of the staining.

2. 
    
   Handles can get bad

   To remove crusted on food particles or light staining, start by giving a good overall wash and use a soap filled pad such as SOS. You can add a squirt of lemon juice to help brighten.

3. 
    
   Cleaned but damaged

   Next to clean most stains, fill the pan with two cups of water and 2 TABLESPOONS (2Tbsp) of cream of tarter. Bring to boil and lower to simmer for 10-20 minutes watching to prevent boiling over. Repeat if necessary.

4. 
    

   To shine: Use wet and soapy SOS pad. Rub back and forth gently, do not rub in circles. Rinse and dry. Alternatively you can boil water in the pan as before, using mix of 2 Tbsp. lemon juice to 2 cups of water. Boil 10 minutes and Rinse immediately. Use the cooled lemon water and SOS to gently clean outside of pan and rinse.

5. 
    

   If your Guardian cookware has been stained for years and does not respond to this method you can clean in self cleaning oven following manufacturer instructions.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use Bleach
• Do not use Comet
• Do not use Oven Cleaner
• Do not use cleanser not approved for aluminum

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide

[bailey4]

on 7/7/2009 Good article on cleaning Guardian Cookware. I will pass it on to family who inherited some of the older pieces. 5*

[karileighk]

on 6/29/2009 Thank you very much for the helpful info. *5

[Wasatch]

on 6/6/2009 Good article on cleaning vintage Gaurdian cookware.

[skyedanzer]

on 6/6/2009 Terrific instructions and great pictures.

[langleycornwell]

on 6/3/2009 Helpful advice for cleaning guardian cookware.