How to Remove Burnt-on Food Residue From Pots and Pans

Before you reach for steel wool, try these effective and mild methods of removing persistent food residue from pots and pans. And don’t get us wrong, steel wool is effective for burnt-on food, but it's also very harsh. Any metal scrubber or brush is, especially for fragile non-stick pans or cast iron pans. Instead, we can offer 5 excellent ways to clean any type of pot or pan. These methods utilize household staples like baking soda, dishwasher tabs, and even Alka-Seltzer, so no shopping is needed!

Baking Soda and White Vinegar

A mixture of baking soda and white vinegar is used to clean a wide variety of surfaces, and a dirty frying pan is certainly one of them. This method helps loosen any burnt-on food and scorch marks, even if your pan is badly burned. 

 

This is a powerful cleaning solution that unites abrasion and a chemical reaction created by alkaline baking soda and acidic vinegar. This method is suitable for all types of frying pans. 

 

For this method you’ll need: 

 

Warm water 

 

White vinegar

 

Baking soda. 

1. Bring a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar in a frying pan to a boil. This step will help loosen the burned-on particles. 

 

2. Remove the frying pan from the heat and empty it. Then sprinkle baking soda on any burned areas. Let the pan cool to barely warm but not too hot to handle. 

 

3. Add more baking soda and gently scrub the pan in circular motions using a sponge, plastic brush, or plastic scraper. Avoid using metal scrapers, as these are too abrasive and will damage the pan. 

 

. Pour a little bit of vinegar; the fizzing can further loosen any burnt-on bits. Continue working the product into the trouble areas of the pan. Then rinse and dry with a clean towel. 

 

The pan should look completely clean at this point. If you see any especially persistent burns, you can repeat these steps again until the pan is completely clean. You can also use one of the other methods listed below.

 

Baking Soda and Dish Detergent

Another effective solution for baked-on food is a mixture of baking soda and dish soap. Baking soda adds a scrubbing element, dish-washing dissolves grease and loosens grime, and hot water helps soak the baked-on stains. 

 

This method is suitable for stainless steel, aluminum, enamel, and copper pans, but it’s a bit too strong for cast-iron and nonstick pans. 

 

For this method you’ll need: 

 

1/2 cup warm water 

 

1/2 cup baking soda 

 

1 tablespoon dish detergent.

1. Combine all the ingredients in the dirty pan and let the frying pan soak for around an hour. 

 

2. If you’re dealing with especially stubborn burnt-on stains, you can heat the cleaning mixture in the dirty pan. Bring it to a boil, and gently loosen any stuck-on bits using a wooden or silicone spatula. 

 

3. Remove the frying pan from the heat and empty it. Let it cool down until you can handle it. 

 

4. Scrub the pan with a sponge or scrubber, and add a bit more dish soap. Then rinse and dry using a towel. Voila, the frying pan should be spotlessly clean, and shiny!

Alka-Seltzer  

Yes, you read that right. The same Alka-Seltzer that can relieve hangovers and indigestion is helpful for cleaning a surprisingly wide variety of items around the house. And your dirty pans are no exception. Like the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar, the citric acid in Alka-Selter creates a fizzing action that can help dissolve burnt-on food residue.

This cleaning trick can work for any type of frying pan, but please avoid cast-iron pans to preserve the seasoning. 

 

For this method you’ll need: 

 

6 Alka-Seltzer tablets 

 

Hot water.

 

 1. Fill a dirty pan with hot water and add the Alka-Seltzer tablets. Let the mixture sit and work for 1 hour. 

 

2. Empty the pan and use a sponge or plastic scrubber with some dish soap to clean away any stuck-on residue. 

 

3. Thoroughly rinse the pan, dry it with a clean towel, and you should be all done.

Lemon and Baking Soda

In this method, we’ll show you how to use a real lemon cut in half as a scrubber. This method works for any type of frying pan, and in our experience, it’s especially effective for stainless steel pans, as it gives the metal a polish and shine, along with loosening the burnt-on food particles.

For this method you’ll need:  

1 lemon cut in half 

 

Baking soda. 

 

1. Clean the frying pan using dishwashing soap and a plastic scrubber. Remove as much grime and grease from the pan as you can. Rinse the pan. 

 

2. With some water still in the pan, sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the surface of the frying pan. 

 

3. You can use one half of a lemon as a scrubber. The lemon juice and baking soda will react and start fizzing to loosen the burnt-on food. 

 

4. Rinse, then repeat if necessary with more baking soda and the other half of the lemon. Then give the pan one final rinse, and it should be shiny and clean.  

 

Dishwasher Tabs

Dishwasher tabs have strong grease-dissolving ingredients that can clean off leftover food particles. All you’ve got to do is presoak the dishwasher tab with some hot water in the frying pan. Note that this method may be too abrasive for non-stick pans.  

 

For this method you’ll need:  

 

1 dishwasher tab

 Hot water. 

 

1. Bring water to a boil in the dirty frying pan. Then dissolve a dishwasher tab in the water. 

 

 2. Let the water boil for 2-3 minutes. Then take the pan off the heat and let it cool down. 

 

3. Use a brush with plastic bristles to scrub and clean away the burnt-on residue in the pan. 

 

4. Empty the pan and rinse it with warm water. Dry the pan with a clean dish towel. 

 

How to protect a frying pan from burnt-on food residue

1. Add plenty of oil and let the pan heat up thoroughly before putting food in it. Pan-frying food in a dry or cold vessel will make food stick. 

 

2. When pan-frying food, let the food brown thoroughly before moving or flipping it. Shifting food prematurely can make the crispy skin stick and tear. 

 

3. Clean the stove-top before putting a pan on it. Otherwise, grease and dirt from the stove-top can transfer to the bottom of the pan. The heat will make it stick to the pan and make it very difficult to remove. 

 

 4. Wipe down a frying pan while it’s still warm with a paper towel. The burnt-on bits will come off more easily while the pan is still warm. 

 

5. Avoid over-washing your frying pans. Scrubbing too much can remove the non-stick coating or seasoning from a pan, so just wipe down the pan with paper towels whenever you can. This will also extend the life of your pots and pans.

My trick to remove burnt stains from pan.

I add water to cover the bottom of the pan well, add some onion peels and let it boil well. once it is cooled, scrub the bottom with a spatula, normally it comes out easily, or else I use a brush with plastic bristles to scrub well, then throw the water, then scrub with the scrubber and dish washing soap.

Normally before washing any pot or pan, I soak it well, scrub with the brush with plastic bristles, wash it, as it removes all the residues from the pots come out easily, easy to scrub lightly, my pots are clean. Remember to wash the brush well and hang.

 

For my iron tawa, when it is warm enough to handle, I put few drops of dish washing liquid and scrub, it gets clean, wash well, then wipe dry and keep, so it doesn't rust. 

 

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