6 surprising tricks that’ll rescue an impossible-to-clean pan

While a home cooked meal is delicious, we have all experienced the pain of a burnt pan. Even after a night of soaking, do you still find that you are vigorously scrubbing the next morning?

But even the worst burnt pans can be usually be rescued, so save yourself the scrubbing, and try these tried-and-tested methods. 

Add a touch of white vinegar

White vinegar is more than just a salad dressing, it has also proven to be a fantastic cleaning agent.

Once the pan is cooled, scrape out as much of the burnt residue that you can. Using a damp cloth, wipe away any remaining residue, before pouring a cup of vinegar into the pan and boil for seven minutes. Once the vinegar has cooled down add a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid (a great grease cleaner), grab a scourer, and gently wipe the burnt residue away while taking care not to scratch your pan. 

Soak in bicarb or baking soda

Nearly every dirty spot in your kitchen can be cleaned with bicarbonate of soda (bicarb or baking soda), including a burnt pan. Once again, scrape out as much burnt residue as you can. Next, half fill the pan with boiling water and add three teaspoons of bicarb and mix until combined. Leave the pan to sit for 24 hours before washing as usual. 

Use a dryer sheet

Soak your pan with dishwashing liquid and water. While the pan is soaking, throw in a dryer sheet and wait at least an hour. Surprisingly, all the grease and burnt bits usually come off, without scrubbing!

Freeze overnight

This might sound strange, but place the pan in the freezer overnight. Why? When burnt food is frozen, it actually is a lot easier to clean. Scrub off the burnt residue and wash as normal.

A splash of Coca-Cola

Not only a cool refreshment, but a cleaning tool, although it’s a bit scary that this works so well. Fill the pan with enough Coca-Cola to cover the burnt area and let sit for several hours. Use a scourer to remove as much of the residue as possible before washing as usual. 

A layer of tomato sauce

Pour a thick layer of tomato sauce over the burnt pan and let sit overnight. Why? The acid from the tomatoes eats away the burnt food. The next day you should only need to simply rinse the residue away.

Have you tried this? Or do you have another tip for cleaning burnt pans?