I have looked at a lot of burnt pan topics but I don't see what I need. My pan is not something I can boil in. I have a small toaster oven pan that seems to be double thick, not really thin. I have a black layer of burnt on ready to eat foods (fish sticks etc.) that I cannot get off.
I have tried vinegar with baking soda and peroxide and a few drops of soap and I have tried Dawn scrubber spray but it didn't work. There is a circle that is not burnt in the middle of the pan, and burnt black all around the edges. I have soaked it. I can't boil it because its a cookie sheet sort of pan. Any suggestions? I have tried the Magic Eraser (is that useful for anything) and the green scrubbie pads. I can't tell what it is. It's not coated for sure, but I imagine its aluminum.
By kristi from VA
You can try oven cleaner and letting it soak for a while or dish washer detergent, diluted and left to soak. It may be easier to replace it. The best way to avoid this happening is to spray it with a spray like pam before each use and then a proper cleaning afterwards.
I find PAM bakes onto a sticky gummy mess, so I don't usually use it... obviously my plan isnt working so well either :-)
Another thing to help out with this in the future is to cover the pan with aluminum foil before each use. I usually do this and there's little clean up.
There is a product called Greased Litnin'. It is carried in Wal-Mart and Dollar General and such stores-it is in a White non-aerosol spray bottle.You can smell with the first squirt that this is an oven cleaner-type formula. Spray, soak for 30 minutes or so,scrape with the blade of a table knife, discard scrapings, spray again, soak 30 minutes, scrub with a metal twisty-type pot scrubber in hot water, and it should all come off.
I have cleaned worse than your cookie sheet with it. How about a stove vent fan mesh cover that was gunked up with 6 or 7 years' worth of grease, so that it was actually hard?
If it's aluminum, watch what you put on it. You might totally ruin it. Some products make aluminum oxidize and the taste and smell is something you'll never get out. You might try a product called "Barkeeper's Friend", but before trying that, try soaking with denture cleaning tablets overnight and see what happens.
Try a good old SOS pad. They really shine things up-very good on aluminum. Also, you might after you get it clean, you can cover it with aluminum foil. I have tried everything and this works the best. I have also used ovencleaner and let them sit overnight on newspapers after they are sprayed. That works really well, also works to clean bbq grills too. Hope you have great results!
Spray it with oven cleaner. Put the pan inside a plastic garbage bag and seal it shut. Leave it for 24 hours. Use rubber gloves to take it out.
You might try using a Magic Eraser. I have had good luck cleaning tough items with it.
Hi Kristi,
I got this use from the 'Queen of Clean' on one of her TV shows.She was cleaning a BBQ grill. I have since cleaned everything included; my 'Set it and Forget it' rotisserie, my toaster oven and my regular oven.
She took the grills and separately wrapped them in paper towels. She than took household ammonia and sprayed them until the paper towels were soaked. She placed them in a tightly wrapped plastic bag and left them overnight. The next day took them out, washed them in warm sudsy water and they were clean! I have used the above suggestions and this is the only one that never fails me. Be very careful though with the ammonia. You will need to plug your nose and if possible, cover your eyes with safety glasses. The fumes are obnoxious.
Well, I tried the oven cleaner over night in a bag, seems the pan was coated. Ate off a lot of the coating and left the gunk where the coating was still there. Grr. tried the sos pad on what was left, some came off. Now its a multi-surfaced coated/non coated/gunky pan!
I agraee with the greased light'n cleaner but for for futeure use try parchment paper. Its better than aluminum foil for baking. I use it for baking meats as well as cookies. The only thing is you have to turn your meat cause it doesn't brown as well as it would with foil.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I've read through the solutions for removing burned food from stainless cookware, but I have burned apple pie juice on an insulated cookie sheet, which cannot be soaked. Any suggestions, besides throwing it out?
I've soaked a thick cloth (old bath cloth) in whatever I'm using to clean with (usually dishwasher detergent and water) and laid it over the area and tilted it into the sink so water doesn't run all over the place. I let it soak over night and most of the time it comes right off. Sometimes I have to re-wet the cloth and soak longer but not usually.
Sprinkle baking soda on it like cleanser and scrub with a sponge. Baking soda reacts with the carbon in a burnt spot.
try a 50/50 solution of cream of tartar and white vinegar. i read it somewhere on the net and have been using it like crazy on my pans with old crud on them. they look fabulous. mix it in a custard cup and spread on (use your fingers). let sit for a little bit then scrub with your scrubber of choice. neat trick!
Borax is great for cleaning stuff. Make a paste with your favorite cleaner and scrub. Or try soaking it in the bathtub.
Have you tried the Dawn power disolver spray? I love that stuff! It makes my cookie sheets look like new.
I've done the same as Glenn'sMom above, I use an old washcloth or hand towel, soak it in water and lay it over the burnt area. It will loosen.
I've also put water in the pan and put it back in the oven, the water gets hot as does the pan which makes it easier to remove the burned goop. This works great for stovetop pans as well.
I use spray on oven cleaner when my cookie sheets & baking pans start looking bad. I just spray on & let it sit over night.
This is a trick that my grandmother showed me. Anytime you have food stuck on or baked on a pot or pan, you fill the pot or pan with tap water as hot as you can get it, then place a drier sheet in the pot or pan, and let it sit overnight. The drier sheet will "magically" loosen any baked on food. I have tried it, and it works wonderfully.
Trick from dear old Mom: Plug kitchen sink & run tap water as hot as possible. Put pan in sink and sprinkle thoroughly w/ powdered dishwashing soap, then let soak overnight. In AM burnt stuff should slide right off. ( Oftrn not necessary to even soak overnite). Rinse and clean as usual -- might need a scrubby sponge (safe abrasive looping) or the plastic edge of common handled kitchen scrubber that holds soap to scrape a few last remnants, or run it under the ,very hot water again, sprinkle with dishwashing powder (or similar such as Barkeeper's Friend & repeat. Any remnants should slide right off!
When something has burned on a cookie sheet OR even on the oven bottom.....shake some salt on it....This causes the juices to burn to a so it can be removed easily.
