How to Clean Discolored Enamel Cookware

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Things You'll Need

  • Baking soda

  • Water

  • Nonabrasive scrubber

  • Liquid dish soap

  • One-quart glass container

  • Baking powder

  • Chlorine bleach

  • Vegetable oil

  • Paper towel

Enameled cookware can stain and discolor with normal use over time. Stains on the cooking surface of either non-stick finishes or regular finishes can sometimes be simply boiled away, but if a stain is stubborn, you can remove it using items readily available in the pantry. Common household products and simple cleaning methods will soon have your enameled cookware looking like new again.

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Baking Soda Method

Step 1

Sprinkle enough baking soda to cover the stain.

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Step 2

Pour 3 to 4 cups of water over the baking soda. Boil the mixture for 10 minutes.

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Step 3

Cool the mixture. Examine the inside of the pot for any remaining discoloration and scrub gently if necessary with a nonabrasive scrubber.

Step 4

Empty and rinse the pot. Run the pot through the dishwasher to remove all traces of the baking soda.

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Liquid Dish Soap Method

Step 1

Cover the stain with liquid dish soap.

Step 2

Pour 3 to 4 cups of water into the pot, covering the liquid dish soap. Simmer the soapy mixture gently for 20 minutes.

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Step 3

Let the pot cool. Scrub the stained area gently with a nonabrasive scrubber.

Step 4

Empty and rinse the pot and run it through the dishwasher.

Cleaning Non-stick Finishes

Step 1

Add 2 tablespoons of baking powder to a one-quart glass container.

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Step 2

Add 1/2 cup chlorine bleach to the baking powder in the quart container.

Step 3

Add 1 cup of water to the quart container and carefully mix the baking powder, water and bleach solution. Pour the mixture into the non-stick pot.

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Step 4

Boil the mixture gently for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Let the mixture cool completely. Carefully dispose of the bleach solution and rinse the pot thoroughly with water. Wash the pot with soap and water and wipe it dry.

Step 6

Apply a small amount of vegetable oil to the inside of the pan. Wipe with a paper towel.

Tip

Baking soda left on aluminum longer than one hour will etch the surface and damage the pan. Magic Eraser is a very useful tool for cleaning and maintaining cookware.

Warning

To avoid damage, never let the boiling mixture of baking powder, chlorine bleach and water come in contact with the enameled finish while using the cleaning method for non-stick surfaces. Always protect eyes when using any cleaning solution, especially in conjunction with methods that require the cleaning solution to be boiled. Boiling can cause cleaning solution to spatter and fly into the eyes. Keep unprotected hands away from boiling solutions. Let boiled solutions cool to the touch before proceeding with the cleaning method. Keep children away from boiling cleaning solutions and cleaning products.

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