How to Clean Pans of Any Type Effortlessly

If you’ve ever had a momentary distraction in the kitchen and left a pan on the stove too long, let something boil dry, or burnt your food completely, you’ll know how hard it is to get that burnt pan clean.

You’ll be relieved to learn there are many effective ways to clean burned pans, and most of them are easy and use everyday household items you’ll find in your pantry. The majority of the cooking pans are made of stainless steel, but we have also included methods on how to clean pans made of other materials, too.

Read on to find out how to clean pans effortlessly and save yourself hours of soaking and scrubbing. 

How to clean stainless steel pans

Follow these simple steps for how to clean burnt stainless steel pans or enamel pans.

Materials for cleaning a stainless steel pan

Grab these everyday household items to help clean your burnt pan.

1. A squirt of dish soap
2. 2tbsp of baking soda
3. Scrubbing sponge or brush
4. Dirty, burnt pan or pot

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Starfrit The Rock Fry Pan, Stainless Steel (1 each)

Morton Kosher Salt, Coarse (3 lb)

Morton Kosher Salt, Coarse (3 lb)

Ecolution Fry Pan, Non-Stick, Black, 11 Inch (1 each)

Kitchen & Table 12-Piece Copper Cookware Set (each)

Lea & Perrins The Original Worcestershire Sauce (15 fl oz)

Cascade Dishwasher Detergent, Action Pacs, Citrus Scent (20 ct)

Open Nature Dryer Sheets, Dye & Perfume Free (240 each)

Steps for cleaning a stainless steel pan

Dishwashing soap cuts through grease and this is the first step for lifting the baked-on grease and getting a clean pan. Additionally, baking soda helps lift the stains and acts as an abrasive scrub.  

1. Squirt some dish soap into your burnt pan and follow with 2tbsp of baking soda.
2. Next, fill the pan with water—a couple of inches full or enough to cover the burnt part—and carefully place it on your stovetop. Then let it high simmer for a few minutes.
3. After a few minutes, take off the heat, and empty the greasy water in the pan down the sink. 
4. By this point, you might find that this has fixed your problem and your pan only needs a quick wipe with a sponge and dish to complete the process.
5. If it still looks like it needs some extra cleaning, then sprinkle some more baking soda into the pan, wet your scrubbing brush or sponge, and scrub for around a minute or until it’s sparkling clean. Rinse with hot water to clean all the baking soda remnants off.
6. If your pan has extra tough, old burnt-on layers, you may need to repeat this process or simmer on the stove for a little longer.

You should now have a beautiful, sparkling clean, and shiny pan!

How to clean a scorched pan

If you have let something burn or boil dry, follow these simple steps for how to clean a scorched pan.

Salt, especially coarse Kosher salt or sea salt, is great for getting rid of scorch marks in pans. 

1. Squirt some dish soap into your scorched pan and sprinkle in 2tbsp of coarse sea salt or Kosher salt. 
2. Fill the pan up with water, turn on the heat, and simmer on the stove for a few minutes. 

You can also try rubbing the salt into the scorch marks with a cut lemon before soaking. 

How to clean a non-stick pan

Non-stick pans are covered with a special coating that stops food from sticking when you cook. So, to avoid damaging this coating, do not use abrasive cleaners or steel wool scourers to clean a non-stick pan. 

Be smart by rinsing and soaking your non-stick pan in hot water immediately after burning, as this will eliminate most of the food debris and save you a bigger clean-up job later.

Follow these simple steps to clean a non-stick pan.

1. Pour 1 part white vinegar and 2 parts water into your non-stick pan, enough to cover the burnt parts. 
2. Then stir in 2tbsp of baking soda, place on the stove, and bring to a boil, then high simmer for a couple of minutes.
3. Turn off the heat, and while the mixture is still warm, use a silicone spatula or wooden utensil to scrape the burnt residue off. (Do not use metal utensils, as this will damage the non-stick coating).
4. Leave to soak until the water has cooled and then pour the dirty water away. Most of the burned-on food should have now come off, and you can wipe away any remaining residue with a sponge.

How to clean copper pans

Copper cookware is beautiful to look at and does add a certain element of sophistication to your kitchen. However, it can be a challenge to keep it looking untarnished and shiny, especially if you have burnt food on it.

Try these 2 methods for how to clean copper pans.

Cleaning copper pans with Worcestershire sauce

Use Worcestershire sauce—yes you read that right—to remove grease and make your copper pots shine.  

1. Pour some Worcestershire sauce onto a sponge or cloth, rub all over your copper pot, and let the sauce sit on the copper for a couple of minutes. 
2. Rinse off with hot, soapy water.

Cleaning copper pans with salt and lemon

For more stubborn copperware stains, try using coarse salt and lemon. 

1. Simply dip a half-cut lemon into some coarse sea salt or Kosher salt and use it as a scrubbing brush on your copper pot to remove burned-on food stains and residue. 
2. Then rinse the pot in hot, soapy water and dry. Your copper pot should look good as new.

Other handy tips for how to clean pans effortlessly 

Try these other handy tips to help make your pans clean and shiny.  

• Add 2tbsps of baking soda to your pan with a few teaspoons of hot water to form a paste consistency. Then scrunch up a golf ball-sized piece of aluminum foil and start scrubbing the bottom of the pan with it. Keep scrubbing until all the burnt debris lifts off. 
• If you have dishwasher pods around, try scrubbing a burnt pan with one of these. Rinse your dirty pan with hot water first, then leaving a little water in the pan, begin scrubbing at the stains with the dishwasher tablet. Leave the plastic wrapper on the tablet, as it will keep the tablet in shape and stop it from crumbling—the wrapper will dissolve while you’re washing anyway.  
• Ever thought of using a dryer sheet to clean pans? When you’re soaking a burnt pan in hot, soapy water, add in a dryer sheet and let it soak for up to an hour. (You can also use a tablespoon of fabric softener). The dryer sheet helps lift the food residue, leaving your pan clean and shiny. 
• The acid from 2 or 3 cut lemons is excellent at breaking up and loosening burnt-on food and will leave you with very little scrubbing to do afterward. Cut the lemons in quarters and boil them for 5-10 minutes in enough water to cover the lemons. Then rinse and your pan should easily wipe clean.

Sparkling clean pans

Distractions in the kitchen happen from time to time, and we’ve all burned a pan or two. Knowing how to clean pans using everyday household items means you can keep your pots and pans looking brand new for longer. 

Keep some dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, and coarse salt in your pantry so you can make those burnt pans sparkle with very little effort. Shop a whole range of cleaning products on Instacart and get your groceries delivered the same day.

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