How to Clean Pans With Baking Soda
Your complete guide to cleaning every kitchen pan with baking soda
Cleaning pans with baking soda can eliminate burned-on food and tough stains on all pans—non-stick, stainless steel, ceramic, cast iron, and more. Add natural cleaning agents like vinegar, lemon juice, or salt for more scrubbing power. Baking soda is a non-toxic, inexpensive household ingredient with mild abrasive properties.
Read on to learn step-by-step instructions for cleaning pans with baking soda to get them looking great.
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Wooden spoon
- Dry towels or cloths
- Nonstick-safe nylon scrubbing brush
Materials
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Lemon
Instructions
How to Clean Nonstick Pans With Baking Soda
Nonstick pans can benefit from mixing baking soda and water to remove lingering food smells and flavors. Baking soda also works as a mild abrasive to help clean stubborn stains and scorched oil.
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Create a Paste
Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of water. Sprinkle baking soda liberally over the water to create a thin paste.
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Rest, Rinse, and Wash
Let the pan sit for several hours, then rinse and wash the pan.
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Remove Stubborn Stains
Remove stubborn stains on nonstick pans by boiling a solution of 4 tablespoons baking soda and 1/2 cup water in the pan. Let the pan cool.
Rinse the stain with straight baking soda and a nonstick-safe nylon scrubbing brush.
How to Clean Stainless Steel Pans With Baking Soda
Try these three methods for cleaning stainless steel pots and pans with baking soda based on the severity of the food stains or burned-on mess. Each method is a progressively stronger option.
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Use a Baking Soda Paste
Wet the pan with water and add baking soda, enough to make a paste or slurry. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes.
Scrub off the crusty food or burned-on oil using a scouring pad or scrubby side of a sponge. Repeat or leave it to sit overnight if it doesn't work the first time.
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Boil Water and Baking Soda in the Pan
Tougher stains require tougher methods. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of baking soda to a pan and 1/4 cup of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil in the pan. As the water evaporates and while the pan is still hot, scrub off the film of baking soda and food residue with a scrubby sponge or kitchen scrub brush.
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Submerge Pan in Boiling Baking Soda Solution
To remove years of burned-on stains on both sides, boiling the entire pan should loosen caked-on stains.
Fill a large pot, like a stock pot, with water. Add the pan, submerge it, and bring it to a boil. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of baking soda to the pot.
Reduce heat to a gentle boil, boiling for 15 to 30 minutes. Brown residue should begin to flake off.
While the pan is still hot, remove it from the boiling solution. For lingering, stingy stains, create a paste or slurry by adding more baking soda and water to the pan. Scrub away the stains.
How to Clean Ceramic Pans With Baking Soda
Ceramic pans are metal cookware with a ceramic coating. The ceramic coating gives pots and pans a non-stick coating without using Teflon.
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Soak Pan in Soapy Water
Soak the pan in warm, soapy water for 30 minutes. Use a grease-busting dish soap.
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Scrub Pan With Baking Soda
Remove the wet pan from the soapy soak. Sprinkle baking soda over the pan and scrub away food residue and stains using a scrubby sponge.
For stingy stains, add some white distilled vinegar to the paste.
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Soak in Baking Soda Solution, If Stain Persists
For persistent or years-long residue, sprinkle the pan with baking soda and add two tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Scrub away the caked-on residue with a sponge or kitchen scrub brush.
How to Clean Cast Iron Pans With Baking Soda
When cleaning cast iron pans, refrain from soaking in water, soap, and acidic items like vinegar or lemon juice since they can create rust and destroy the pan’s seasoning. Baking soda remains an effective cleaning agent.
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Create a Baking Soda Paste
Cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of baking soda. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to make a paste.
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Scrub With the Paste
Scrub the pan with a stiff-bristle brush or scouring pad. Do not add soap. The abrasive power of baking soda will help remove food residue, and its deodorizing property neutralizes odors on the pan.
Rinse and repeat if necessary.
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Season the Pan
Dry the pan and rub the entire surface with oil. Place the pan on medium-low heat on a stovetop burner or in an oven set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour.
How to Clean Enameled Pots With Baking Soda
Porcelain-enameled cast-iron cookware, such as Le Creuset, has a seemingly bulletproof, relatively nonstick surface, but it can get crusty like any other type of pan. The secret to removing stubborn buildup is boiling water with baking soda.
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Boil Water
Fill the pot or pan with about 1 quart of water—or more if necessary to cover the burned area. Bring the water to a boil on medium heat.
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Add Baking Soda
Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Stir with a wooden spoon. Let the mixture simmer for several minutes.
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Scrape the Pan
Dump out the pot's contents and rinse the pan with warm water and let dry.
How to Clean Copper Bottoms on Pots and Pans With Baking Soda
Baking soda with vinegar and lemon can restore the copper bottoms of pans to a shiny finish.
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Cover the Bottom
Turn the pan upside down, and sprinkle baking soda over the copper bottom. Pour vinegar over the bottom of the pan.
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Scrub With a Lemon
Use a half lemon as a "scrub brush" to scrub all over the bottom of the pan. Scrub upward along the sides, too, as needed.
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Rinse and Dry
Rinse the pan thoroughly and dry it with a cloth.
How to Clean Burned Pans With Baking Soda
Cleaning a burned pan can be difficult when cleaning off scorch marks. Cook off the burn with baking soda and water.
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Make a Paste
Cover the bottom of the pan with baking soda. Add water to make a thin, pasty solution.
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Heat the Pan
Heat the pan on the stove until it comes to a boil, and then remove it from the heat. (Don't burn it again!)
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Wait and Wipe
Wait for the solution to cool. Wipe or scrub the pot to remove the burned-on food.
How to Clean Cookie Sheets
It doesn't take long for new cookie sheets to start looking old with brown stains that don't come off no matter how hard you scrub. Return your cookie sheets to perfection with a thick paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
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Mix Baking Soda With Hydrogen Peroxide
Mix baking soda with a small amount of ordinary household hydrogen peroxide to create a thick paste.
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Apply Paste
Apply the paste all over the stained area of the cookie sheet.
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Wait
Wait two hours.
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Rub Off the Paste With a Cloth or Sponge
No heavy scrubbing is necessary. If any stain remains, rub it with your fingers or a kitchen sponge; it should come right off.
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Flip and Repeat
Flip the cookie sheet over and repeat the process on the bottom side.
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Wash and Dry
Wash and dry the cookie sheet as usual.
How to Clean Roasting Pans
Clean any roasting pan with stuck-on food using baking soda, water, and vinegar.
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Sprinkle the Surface
Sprinkle the surface generously with baking soda.
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Create Fizz
Combine 1 cup of hot water and 1/3 cup of vinegar. Pour the solution into the pan. The baking soda and vinegar will fizz for a moment.
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Soak and Scrape
Let the pan soak for a few hours. Scrape the surface with a spatula or other suitable scraper and continue to soak.
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Wash and Rinse
Wash the pan with straight baking soda and a scrubbing brush.
How Often to Clean Pots and Pans With Baking Soda
Because baking soda is only mildly abrasive, you can use it anytime your pots and pans need a thorough cleaning. This can be as often as every time you use them, or you can reserve this method for the most stubborn, stuck-on food and stain situations.
Tips to Keep Your Pots and Pans Clean Longer
- Allow pots and pans to cool before washing them; hot stainless steel cookware can warp if submerged or splashed with cold water.
- Avoid using steel wool, scouring pads, oven cleaners, bleach, or strong abrasive cleaners—these can scratch your cookware.
- Thoroughly dry your pans immediately after cleaning them to prevent the development of water spots and dried, white calcium spots.
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How long should you soak a pan with baking soda?
The severity of the crusted-on food residue, burned food, or char marks should guide whether to soak a pan for a few minutes, 30 minutes, several hours, or overnight.
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Is baking soda and hydrogen peroxide effective for cleaning pans?
Combining baking soda and hydrogen peroxide is a stronger cleaner for cleaning pans than baking soda alone.
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Is it safe and effective to mix Dawn and vinegar with baking soda?
Mixing Dawn dish soap, vinegar, and baking soda creates a non-toxic and effective cleanser. Vinegar and baking soda create a foaming cleaner that combines with the sudsing effect of Dawn for longer-lasting bubbles.