What is the best way to clean a burnt pot?
by
Lea Grossman
+132
I made a thick soup for winter and by accident left it on the fire for too long. Now my soup pot is basically ruined! Any hacks to help me clean the burnt pot? Need to clean so I can make soup for this cold weather!
Leave it to soak with either dish soap or baking soda in the water. Scrub it each day with a plastic scrubber, or even a Brillo pad. Some of the black will be removed each day and if you are diligent you should be able to save your pot.
try this link for some ideas.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=A0LEV7z2gDxYgy8AFCdjmolQ;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?qid=20090314184839AAUcJSv
soak with boiling vinegar or cheap bottled lemon juice overnight, then scrub it out. should come off.
Boil cream of tartar and water in the pot. Might need to do a couple of times, then use an sos pad to remove any left behind black.
Try using Bar Keepers friend or Bon Ami Leave on as you would baking soda over night in a paste form,then scrub off and wash.
I have a different idea. Scrubbing is bad for the finish in the pot. If you scrub, it will make the things you try to saute in it STICK!
I do this. Boil water with 1/4 cup of dishwasher detergent in it. After and hour or so, pour water out. See if what's left with scrub out easily with a sponge. If it helped but it's not done, repeat. Good luck.
What your pot is made of will determine your best route of attack for cleaning it.
If your pot is stainless steel then you are lucky and your job will be pretty easy:
If your pot is aluminum then you have a bit of elbow grease to restore your pot:
Good Luck,
Queen Of Burnt On Goodness And Ordering Takeout
I have had this happen , just fill your pan till burnt area is covered with water, measure two cups of vinegar and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour then scrape ,it should come off ,good luck !
Purchase the cheapest denture cleaning tablets you can find, put the level of warm, not too hot, you need. Drop 4 of the tablets and leave it overnigh, you will be amazed!
Hot water and fabric softener sheet - let it soak. Don't know why it works, but it does and you don't really have to scrub that much.
try boiling tomatoes
My grandson burned a pot of beans in my pot and the burned beans were about ¼ inch thick. He soaked the pot all afternoon and he was afraid we would have to toss the pot. However, I cleaned the pot in 20 minutes. I made a thick paste of baking soda and vinegar, let it sit for 20 minutes then rinsed it out with warm water and clean pot. Good Luck!
baking soda with boiling water. let sit. drain, SOS pads
i agree with another comment. Vinegar is the best.
What's wrong with a name brand oven cleaner? Never tried but I bet it would work.
jF YOU HAVE A SELF CLEANING OVEN YOU CAN PUT YOUR POT IN AND AKK OF THE BLACK WIKK BE BURNED OFF. i USE THIS METHOD TO CKEAN MY GAURDIAN SERVICE WARE. gOOD LUCK
I use baking soda and citric acid to renew my pots. Mix equal amounts, moisten, then using a scrubby go for it.
Rub a cut lemon on the bottom first, then pour in a bottle of lemon juice with a cut of water. That's how I clean my really crusted aluminum pans.
Soak with a little water and a lot of dishwasher detergent overnight then scrub with stainless steel scrubby. Always works for me
Hot water with fabric softener sheets overnight...viola!
Vinegar heated up and left over night followed by a salt wash should work for you. Please never use oven cleaner on something your food is going to come in direct contact with.
Use bar Keepers Friend! Its works wonders, and is found in the isle with Ajax & Comet. Add a little water to the bottom and sprinkle in the bar keepers friends, let sit for a few, then scrub off. I LOVE this cleaner!
Put some water in pot and add a couple or 3 tablespoons of Cream of Tartar bring to a boil then simmer a bit. That should loosen the gunk.
My first step is always a generous amount of plain salt with enough vinegar to cover the burned on stuff. I put a snug lid on the pot and simmer on low heat for a while. You will be surprised at how much of the gunk just floats off. empty the mess down the disposal running lots of water to push it through. Then start your scrubbing effort with a heavy paste of salt and vinegar and a scrubbing sponge. If there are any stubborn spots left a little steel wool and elbow grease should take care of them.
Baking soda and water. Boil gently on stove. The crud scrubs off very easy.
i had faberware pots and pans. i found out to clean the food out of the pots, use cider vinegar and equal water. bring to a boil and let 'cook' the pot have you ever tried to get beet stains off the stainless steel pots? well this will do it. needs to boil at least a half hour. what kind of metal is the pot?
BAKING SODA WITH A LITTLE WATER IS GREAT ON ANY BURNED ON STAINING.
I have used straight ammonia poured into a large plastic bag, put lot into bag, close tightly and let it sit overnight. Gunk comes off easily.
Fill the pan with white vinegar, submerging all of the stains. Let the vinegar sit in the pan for two hours.Dip a nylon scrubbing pad into the vinegar and scrub across the pan to remove the burned residue.Rinse the pan with hot water.Pour an equal mixture of water and white vinegar into the pan and place on the stove or in the oven. Let the liquid boil in the pan for about 10 minutes.Remove the pan from heat, allow it to cool slightly and scrub it again with the nylon scrubbing pad. Rinse the pan and repeat as needed until you remove all burnt residue.
It's stainless steel? If you have this paste in your country. Otherwise -- boil some tomatoes and leave overnight.
You can try boiling tomatoes in it. The acid from the tomatoes should clean it. You can also try washing it with bi carb soda, let it soak or a bit first
Hey, this happened to me with my new Stainless Steel Stock Pot. Use a pot scraper...or even a single blade razor blade...and scrape off all you can. We then used "Bar Keepers" powder and an electric brush to get it clean. Since then, I use Pam every time I use it and am really careful!
We do not want to do that again!
Hi I would use baking soda and vinegar ,let it soak overnight and use pot scrub if still stained,this worked for me.Good luck
Try some fabric softener ... seriously
Put a dryer sheet in the pot with lots of water..bring to a boil, then let stand overnight.. then you should be able to wipe off the crud.. maybe need a second try if it's really bad.
make a paste with baking soda and dish soap rub it all over bottom where it appears burnt.
First cover the bottom of the pot with a couple Bounce Fabric Sheets; then dump in some DAWN detergent...the blue one; not Platinum. Add a little water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Put is aside for a couple days. You will not believe this magic.
I use dryer sheets covering the bottom and super hot water. Let sit over night or longer. I have even used fabric softener if no sheets on hand.
I just fill with water to cover the burnt on mess and then pour dishwasher detergent on the bottom over the hardened goo. I simmer the pot or pan over low heat till the burnt on mess starts flaking up and use a spatula to help it along. Works like a charm every time.
A inch or two of water. 1/4 cup laundry detergent. Bring to a boil. Turn off. Let sit until morning. Works every time.
A product called "Bar Keepers Friend" works good too.
I would strongly suggest Astonish oven and pot cleaner, I started useing it when stationed in Europe in the 70's (just yesterday - hahaha). It's all natural, lasts for a long time because you don't have to use a lot - anytime! You can purchase from Walmart ONLINE only. It's made in the UK and if you try it, you'll always make sure you got it on hand! I cleaned military dependent houusing for inspections and Astonish never disappointed me, my old fashion gas oven & cooking surface looks new after 12 years of everyday cooking! One trick to getting burnt food off of pans, is to put enough water to cover the bottom about an inch, boil the water and this should let you work it loose with metal spatula, then scrub as useual. Good Luck - Happy Holidays!
Fill pot with water up to the hardened gunk, add Cascade (powder or liquid) and boil for several minutes. Let sit and the hardened material will come right out.
I just burned my pot 2 nights ago. I let it cool, scraped out some of the carrots, added water and cream of tartar and let it boil awhile. turned it off, left it overnight and washed it out yesterday. Most of the black was loose and came off easily with a green scrubbbie.
spray it with easy off oven cleaner and place in plastic garbage bag overnight,wash it thoroughly and it will be like new
Use real hot water and Dawn (blue) Dish Detergent. Let it soak
the baking soda and vinegar works great no need for a lot of harsh chemicals
After you chose any method to use, pour liquid out..turn upside down and let sit for 15 minutes or more, gunk will come out easier. I always fill pot with water ,empty and then turn my pots upside down and let sit on flat surface for 15 minutes or so when they have hardened gunk on the bottom
Fill the pot to just above the stuck on parts. Add 1 dryer sheet and let soak for a couple hours. Should all come off.
Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, use a thick layer on the pan, let sit overnight, will scrub off the next morning, this also works on ovens....mine is spotless.
I ran out of scouring pads the other day and remembered that someone suggested wadded up aluminum foil. It works like a charm and I used no product only the foil. Easy. : )
When we are through with dinner, I immediately take all kettles and fry pans that have even a small trace of something stuck inside, sprinkle soda in bottom, fill with hot water and let set while clearing the table and loading dishes in dishwasher or sink to wash. By the time all that is done, I then go to my kettles and pans, run a rubber spatula around the inside and dump out. A nice clean kettle and no work. Even burned or baked on stuff comes out clean.
Bar Keeper's Friend will help polish the pot.
Fill it half way with water, add a half a dozen squirts of washing up liquid and then boil the water for 30-45 mins
Make a solution of 2/3 water and 1/3 cheap white vinegar, soak overnight.
Yes! Baking soda and vinegar Make a paste.Rub on and let sit.
Repeat as needed. I used a steel scrubby.
If you just put the pan back on the stove and boil some water with about 1/2 cup of baking soda in it, stirring every once in a while, the burnt on parts will come right off and you will have a shiny pot once more. It's absolutely magical. Stir it until you can't feel anything on the bottom and pour the solution down your drain to help clear out drain halitosis, too. It works on all kinds of pans. It usually comes off in one big sheet of burnt on food. If it doesn't all come off, repeat the process. It doesn't usually take more than a couple of tries, no matter what the pot is made of or how burnt on it is. Good Luck!
oven cleaner
Make a thick paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Let set overnight. It should do the trick. I saw this on a You Tube video and the results were amazing.
Place an unused fabric softener sheet (that you would use in your clothes dryer) in your pot, fill with the hottest tap water you have, and let it sit overnight. Maybe use 2 if it's very large. Everything will soften up and come right off.
You can remove burned-on gunk from metal pots and pans as well as ceramic or glass cookware without resorting to dangerous, expensive chemical cleaners. You can even clean crusty spills from your stove's burner pans with vinegar and cream of tartar.
Process for Use:
Cream of tartar is the powdered form of crystals of potassium bitartrate that occur naturally inside wine barrels and vats. To scrub and bleach away baked-on food and stains, mix equal parts of cream of tartar with vinegar to make a paste and apply it with a cloth to metal, glass, ceramic or non-stick pans. If the entire bottom of a pan is covered with scorched food remnants, mix 1/2 cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar per quart of water, and boil the solution in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Prepare enough solution to completely cover the scorched area. Scrub the pan when the solution has cooled, and repeat if necessary. Increase the boiling time for heavy buildup.
How It Works:
Both cream of tartar and vinegar are acids that soften and loosen the food particles from the surface of the pan. In a paste, partially dissolved cream of tartar crystals can act as a mild scouring and polishing agent to speed cleaning and to shine the surface. Cream of tartar also has mild bleaching properties.
I sprinkle bottom with cream of tartar, cover with water and bring to a boil
Put approximately 1/2" of water in the pan ... add 2 or 3 drops of liquid dish detergent & mix well, then boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Let the pan of water cool off to warm & lay a fresh dryer sheet over the burned product. Let this soak for at least an hour before removing it. (This is for badly burned on food particles.) For a small area of burned food, sprinkle with baking soda or cream of tartar; add 1/2" of hot water to the pan/pot & boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Pour solution down the drain for a quick clean up of grease in the drain. Wipe the pan/pot with a paper towel to clean it out.
This is my go-to for cleaning burned gunk out of my oven, so it should work well for your pot, too. Make a paste of Dawn liquid dish detergent and baking soda. Spread the paste on the gunk and let it "work" for about an hour. I've also left it in the oven overnight without a problem. The surfactants in Dawn and the abrasion of the baking soda will break down the burned stuff quickly and leave the surface spotless. This mix will also rejuevenate old discolored cookie sheets, stove drip pans, etc.
From my Mother-in-law this tip works for me every time. Rinse your pot with hot water, empty excess water and cover bottom of pan with Cascade POWDER to about 1" over entire bottom of the pan. Add just enough hot water to the pan t moisten the dishwashing powder. Let sit overnight and the mess will just rinse right out the next day. You must use Cascade (I've tried this with cheaper brands and it doesn't work). Try it!!
Put the pot in a heavy duty trash bag with 1/2 cup ammonia, seal the bag well, leaving air space and let sit for 24 hours. Just the fumes should soften the burnt on stuff enough to clean it more easily. I cleaned some really grotty drip pans and burner grids this way. It worked.....
I think it's been mentioned but I'll say it again. If nothing else works or you can skip to this....Ammonia. Place the pan and some ammonia in a large plastic bag. Seal the bag and let it sit. Over night should do it but if you want leave it for 24 hrs. I did this with our gas stove drip trays. It's amazing. I left the bags out side and hosed them off before washing them in the house. The smell will be very penetrating.
Fill your pot about half full with water, heat on stove to simmer, add bout 3/4 Cup of
baking soda, simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off and let it set till cool. Scrub and repeat if
necessary. Your pot will also shine.
Try mixing up some powdered sugar soap.give it a Lil soak.then scrubbing it should be ok then.fingers crossed xx
boil vinegar in the pot
Burnt messes in my oven I ALWAYS depended on EASY OFF Oven cleaner............spray it in your pan, around your pan, wherever it is burnt.........let it sit overnight and the next day you will see how sparkling clean. I used to take my racks and liners for burners outside on paper bags and spray them.
one of my instructors in culinary school taught us how to season a cast iron skillet and I have used this ever since to clean burnt pots. fill the bottom of the pan with regular salt, place the pan on a burner and heat. you may stir the salt periodically with a wooden spoon and the salt will begin to brown, but keep going until all the burnt product begins to pull away. as an executive chef I can swear by this process.
If it doesn't have a coating, use fine sandpaper made for metal. The sandpaper is black. This will take off anything!
Adding to previous comments; I love using baking soda and for really burnt on food I boil vinegar , wiping it out as it cools. Rincse with mild soap and if the stain is stubborn I sprinkle on baking soda and water. Usually I just wipe it using cold water, next morning. #stainlesssteel
I use oven cleaner from dollar tree when I have this kind of mishap, works wonders on pots (like new). Spray N let it sit, sometimes repeating it, with soft sponge. Also I use oven cleaner for top of stove, N knobs. Been doing it for years, time saving.
Boil some tomatoes in the pot, the acid in the tomatoes will clean it.
Fill the pan full of water put about 2 TBS dish washer soap and bring to a boil put the lid on and let it set overnight. In the morning it will be virtually clean. Will take very little scrubbing, If it doesn't suit you do this again and it will wipe clean. No scrubbing!
I was told years ago by a very old neighbor lady to fill my burnt pan with water to cover the burned stuff and one inch over it then add 2 tablespoons of bleach and 2 tablespoons of vinegar (white or cider) cover with a snug lid (It smells awful) bring to a simmer and simmer for about an hour then leave lid in place and let sit overnight -- in the morning the burnt stuff should be soft and easy to remove. It has worked numerous times for me
Try putting KOOL ADE let soak over night..Should be good as new when you get up..Good Luck
SPRINKLE IT WITH REGULAR SALT, LET SIT FOR A WHILE, THEN SCRUB OUT WITH CRUMBLED ALUMINUM FOIL; AS LONG AS IT IS NOT A COATED PAN.
Try liquid dishwasher detergent with a little water. Let it sit overnight
I find using washing powder to cover burnt on food add hot water bring to boil on the stove and leave overnight, next day rinse copiously with cold water and the burnt on food comes right off. I use this every time.
I burnt and I do mean burnt fudge in my stainless steel pan and used a can of coke and let it boil for awhile but did have to scrub with a scouring pad have to use some elbow grease but all came out
Put about 1/2" of water in the pan, then put a dryer sheet in it. Let it soak overnight, and it should wipe clean easily.
Never heard of that thing with the dryer sheet - wow!
Soooo What worked on your pot?
I would use PBW. It's Professional Brewers Wash. You can get it at home brewers stores or Amazon. I use it to clean my brewing equipment. It takes about 30 minutes to clean my equipment...and I mean sparkling clean. You soak burnt on food overnight and it should work and it's safe for the environment.
Spray with liquid fabric softener and let sit for awhile. Works great.
this is what I use
What You Need
Materials
* 1 cup of vinegar
* 2 tablespoons of baking soda
* 1 cup of water (give or take depending on the size of your pan)
* A burnt stainless steel pan that was left empty and unattended on a heated hot plate. oops!.
* A scourer, because I can't find any way to avoid it entirely
Instructions
1. Fill the bottom of the pan with a layer of water.
2. Add the vinegar.
3. Bring the pan to the boil. It should be looking a bit cleaner already.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the baking soda. Expect fizz!
5. Empty the pan and scour as normal; if necessary add an extra bit of dry baking soda.
6. If there are any super stubborn marks that don't come off with scouring, make a paste of baking soda and a couple of drops of water. Leave the paste on the marks for a while and return to clean as normal.
7. Ta-da! Now you can put your feet up and enjoy the many hours you saved yourself standing over the sink.
Additional Notes:
I'm almost ashamed to say, this is not my first time burning a frying pan (hopefully it is my last) and you can get them clean with just baking soda, water and a scourer if you're super committed. But this is much, much easier. I've also been told that this works really well for baked on food and grime especially milk.
I noticed that every time I stewed tomatoes from the garden, the pot came out shiny and new, so I've used that method ever since. It must be the acid in the tomatoes. I didn't care, it was free!
I use one cup & a half of water with two tablespoons Dawn. Mix and add to the pan. Boil for thirty minutes (adding water as needed). Pour out, cool pan, and the scrubbing is easy.
Try spray on oven cleaner. Spray inside, tie up in a plastic bag, let sit overnight. Use gloves to clean it the next morning.
Try baking Soda and let it sit overnight soaked lightly in a little warm water, just enough to cover. The next day scrape it and try again until clean.
What worked for me with an aluminum pot was scrubbing with a crumpled piece of aluminum foil. Took a little elbow grease (really just a little), and the burnt gunk came right off. May be worth trying a chemical solution (cream of tartar or ammonia or whatever) and then scrubbing out what's left of the crud with the crumpled aluminum foil.
I would put a heavy dose of baking soda on it and let it set overnight with a light mist of water on it. Make sure it stays wet though. The next day wet it again and scrape the wet baking soda off with a plastic scraping tool. You might have to do it again but it will work.
Yikes!, Try this site https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MZxpgnrFH4
If you have read all the solutions, I think you should give them a try, because I can't think of any more.....
A couple inches of water. 1/4 cup laundry detergent. Bring to a boil & turn off. Let sit overnight.
Rinse your dirty pot in hot water and drain. Then, sprinkle generously with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Add a few teaspoons of hot water back to your pan to form a paste with the baking soda and then begin scrubbing with a golf ball-sized piece of crumpled foil. Continue scrubbing until all of the burnt debris lifts, then rinse with hot, soapy water to finish cleaning.
Hometalk has a great guide that covers many different ways to clean a burnt pot using everyday things you probably already have at home: https://www.hometalk.com/diy/clean/house/how-to-clean-a-burnt-pot-44418154