Using the right pot to cook your sauce or the right cookie sheet to bake your cookies can mean the difference between an average meal and a mouthwatering masterpiece. Although pots and pans are essential in the kitchen, with frequent use they tend to quickly develop unsightly stains. Here are seven simple and efficient tips for cleaning stained pans and pots that will make them sparkle like new.
1. Remove stains with a white vinegar boil
You can recognize a well-used pot or pan by the dark stains marking the interior surface. It's possible to return your pots and pans to a brand-new look with just a little white vinegar and some time. If a stain is on an aluminum pot or pan, fill it with enough water to reach and cover the stain before adding one teaspoon of white vinegar for every cup of water. A 5-minute boil on the stovetop followed by a cold water rinse is enough to remove even the toughest stain. Stainless steel pots and pans will require two cups of white vinegar to be boiled for 30 minutes. Once this is complete, you can dump out the vinegar and follow up with a hot water and gentle detergent rinse. Complete the stain removal process with a cold water rinse.
You can recognize a well-used pot or pan by the dark stains marking the interior surface. It's possible to return your pots and pans to a brand-new look with just a little white vinegar and some time. If a stain is on an aluminum pot or pan, fill it with enough water to reach and cover the stain before adding one teaspoon of white vinegar for every cup of water. A 5-minute boil on the stovetop followed by a cold water rinse is enough to remove even the toughest stain. Stainless steel pots and pans will require two cups of white vinegar to be boiled for 30 minutes. Once this is complete, you can dump out the vinegar and follow up with a hot water and gentle detergent rinse. Complete the stain removal process with a cold water rinse.
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2. Give oven cleaner a chance with pans and pots
One of the most useful materials when it comes to pans and pots is Pyrex, but it also stains easily. Leave the traditional water and soap method far behind with Pyrex cookware, and instead turn to oven cleaner for stain removal. Carefully coat the pan or pot with oven cleaner and place it in a trash bag. Once you've knotted it shut, the trash bag can sit overnight, allowing the oven cleaner to break down baked-on stains. In the morning, remove the cookware using rubber gloves and give it a gentle wash and scrub.
One of the most useful materials when it comes to pans and pots is Pyrex, but it also stains easily. Leave the traditional water and soap method far behind with Pyrex cookware, and instead turn to oven cleaner for stain removal. Carefully coat the pan or pot with oven cleaner and place it in a trash bag. Once you've knotted it shut, the trash bag can sit overnight, allowing the oven cleaner to break down baked-on stains. In the morning, remove the cookware using rubber gloves and give it a gentle wash and scrub.
3. Consider ketchup for copper stains
The natural acid in ketchup makes it a delicious condiment but also makes it effective at removing stains from the surface of copper pots and pans. There’s no need to waste money on expensive tarnish removers when a layer of ketchup will do the trick. Cover the entire surface of the pot or pan with ketchup and let the cookware sit for 30 minutes. Rinse off the pan or pot thoroughly, and dry with a microfiber towel to protect the surface.
The natural acid in ketchup makes it a delicious condiment but also makes it effective at removing stains from the surface of copper pots and pans. There’s no need to waste money on expensive tarnish removers when a layer of ketchup will do the trick. Cover the entire surface of the pot or pan with ketchup and let the cookware sit for 30 minutes. Rinse off the pan or pot thoroughly, and dry with a microfiber towel to protect the surface.
4. Turn to denture tablets for enamel cookware
Keeping dentures sparkling white and clean is as simple as dropping them into a glass of water mixed with denture tablets. You can apply the same strategy to remove stains from cookware that’s made from enamel. Let the tablets do the heavy lifting by simply filling the pan or pot with warm water and dropping in two tablets. Once the tablets stop fizzing, dump the water out and rinse the pot or pan. If there’s anything left, a gentle scrub should remove it entirely.
Keeping dentures sparkling white and clean is as simple as dropping them into a glass of water mixed with denture tablets. You can apply the same strategy to remove stains from cookware that’s made from enamel. Let the tablets do the heavy lifting by simply filling the pan or pot with warm water and dropping in two tablets. Once the tablets stop fizzing, dump the water out and rinse the pot or pan. If there’s anything left, a gentle scrub should remove it entirely.
5. Break through tough stains with baking soda
Frequently used cookware proves itself to be essential time and again, but the more you use a pot or pan, the harder stains are to remove. If washing pots and pans by hand has long been a trusted cleaning method, consider adding 2 tablespoons of baking soda to traditional liquid soap for a faster-acting cleaning solution. Baking soda is gentle on most pot and pan surfaces and works quickly to cut through grease.
Frequently used cookware proves itself to be essential time and again, but the more you use a pot or pan, the harder stains are to remove. If washing pots and pans by hand has long been a trusted cleaning method, consider adding 2 tablespoons of baking soda to traditional liquid soap for a faster-acting cleaning solution. Baking soda is gentle on most pot and pan surfaces and works quickly to cut through grease.
6. Create a DIY aluminum foil scrub
It’s likely that the difficulty with removing stains from pots and pans originates not with the cleaning method, but with the tool you're using. It’s easy to want to reach for a traditional dish scrub brush, but soft bristles don’t stand a chance against baked-on stains and grease. When it’s time to get rid of difficult stains, swap out the scrub for a ball of bunched-up aluminum foil. Creating and using a DIY foil scrub cuts down stain removal time while still protecting the surfaces of your pots and pans.
It’s likely that the difficulty with removing stains from pots and pans originates not with the cleaning method, but with the tool you're using. It’s easy to want to reach for a traditional dish scrub brush, but soft bristles don’t stand a chance against baked-on stains and grease. When it’s time to get rid of difficult stains, swap out the scrub for a ball of bunched-up aluminum foil. Creating and using a DIY foil scrub cuts down stain removal time while still protecting the surfaces of your pots and pans.
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7. Freeze pots and pans for stain prevention
Stains developing on pots and pans are often linked to the length of time food is left to sit in the cookware. The residue that has time to harden on the surface is much harder to remove and often leads to long-lasting stains. To keep stains at bay, set a messy pot or pan in the freezer and let the leftovers turn to ice for a couple of hours. Once the grime or burnt food is frozen in place, you can quickly chip it away without needing to worry about leaving a stain.
Stains developing on pots and pans are often linked to the length of time food is left to sit in the cookware. The residue that has time to harden on the surface is much harder to remove and often leads to long-lasting stains. To keep stains at bay, set a messy pot or pan in the freezer and let the leftovers turn to ice for a couple of hours. Once the grime or burnt food is frozen in place, you can quickly chip it away without needing to worry about leaving a stain.