How to Clean Badly Burnt Cookware

Get rid of burnt-on messes using ordinary ingredients.

Cleaning burnt cookware can be a real chore. Some pans seem to defy any amount of scrubbing you do. Minimize sore muscles from scrubbing with a few tricks using everyday kitchen ingredients. No matter what method you use, always use a scrubbing pad that is appropriate for the finish of your pan.

Things You'll Need

• Salt
• Baking soda
• Dishwashing liquid
• Pot scrubber
• Wooden spoon

Instructions

1. Wet the burnt residue thoroughly with water, then sprinkle the pan generously with table salt. Let the pan sit for at least 10 minutes, then scrub the area. Repeat if needed.

2. For a little more power, make a paste out of water and baking soda. Liberally cover the affected area with the mixture and let it sit over night before scrubbing. Do not use this method on aluminum pans, however; it may corrode the finish.

3. For gentle yet effective removal of burnt-on foods, scrape off as much as you can with a wooden spoon, then fill the pan with water and liquid dishwashing detergent. Boil the mixture for 10 minutes, drain and scrub with scouring pad.

Tips & Warnings

• Check out the resources below for additional information!

References

• The Kitchn: How To Clean Tough Burnt Stains Off Stainless Cookware
• Martha Stewart: Clean Very Dirty Pots
• Martha Stewart: Tackle Badly Burned Pots