Looking for methods to clean your baking pans and make them look brand new again?
It may not be possible for you to restore these versatile tools to their original shine, but there are several methods you can use to get rid of all the nasty, stubborn stains and get your pans to look squeaky clean.
Let’s take a look at some common methods you can use to clean your baking pans.
How to Clean Baking Pans
Below are some of the common household things you can use to clean baking pans easily.
Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide is the most potent solution when you want to clean your baking pans
What You’ll Need
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Baking soda
- A plastic scraper
- A spray nozzle
Instructions
- Start with a relatively clean baking pan, one that’s been washed recently. If you just used your baking pan to prepare a meal, you should give it a quick wash with liquid dish soap and let it sit for a few hours in your kitchen before getting it ready for a deep clean.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda all over the surface of your baking pan and make sure you’re not leaving any spots uncovered.
- Screw on a spray nozzle on your bottle of hydrogen peroxide and spray it on the baking soda until it gets visibly wet.
- Let your baking pan sit for at least a couple of hours or overnight. The longer you wait, the better the results will be.
- After enough time has passed, scrape off the baking soda paste with a plastic scraper and dump it into your garbage can.
- After every last bit of the dried paste has been removed, give your baking pan a good wash and let it dry before putting it safely away.
Ammonia
Ammonia is known to be quite effective at getting rid of stubborn stains and dried food particles, but you need to be careful while using it as the chemicals can be harsh on your skin.
It’s advisable to wear protective eyewear and gloves when you’re handling ammonia.
Another thing you should note is that this method takes the longest time out of all, so make sure you’ve set some time aside for it.
What You’ll Need
- Ammonia
- Plastic garbage bag
- Steel wool
Instructions
- Place your baking pans inside a large plastic bag and carefully pour about half a cup of ammonia inside the bag.
- Seal the plastic bag and leave it out under the sun for at least a whole day. This should be enough time for the ammonia to loosen the greasy build-up.
- Once a whole day has passed, carefully open the plastic bag, remove the baking pans, and scrub them using a ball of steel wool. You’ll notice that the grease and gunk will come off very easily.
- After you’ve scrubbed the baking plans clean, wash them thoroughly before letting them air-dry.
You should keep ammonia safely out of children’s reach and make sure you’re not accidentally breathing it in while you’re handling it.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
This method is simple and involves cleaning items that you are likely to already have in your kitchen.
What You’ll Need
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Sponge
- Dish soap
Instructions
- Plug your kitchen sink, before filling it with hot water and adding equal parts white vinegar and baking soda to it. Half a cup of each should be more than enough.
- Take your dirty baking pans and carefully submerge them into the mixture and let them soak for somewhere between half an hour to an hour.
- Use the coarse side of your sponge to scrub your pan. It’s better to scrub in a circular motion to avoid leaving scratches on your pan.
- Once you’ve scrubbed the pan clean, give it a wash with dish soap and water to get rid of the vinegar smell and dry it right away to prevent rust.
Washing Soda and Cream of Tartar
If you have some cream of tartar and washing soda, this is the method you should try first.
What You’ll Need
- Washing soda
- Cream of tartar
- Hot water
- Scrubbing pad
Instructions
- Sprinkle cream of tartar and washing soda onto your baking pan, and then pour a little bit of hot water on top.
- Use a spatula to mix all of these ingredients until they form a paste.
- Spread the paste evenly all over the surface of your baking pan and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Use a non-abrasive scrubbing pad to scrub the stains, before washing off the paste and grime with water and dish soap.
Dryer Sheets
You may be surprised to learn this but dryer sheets can work wonders when it comes to cleaning your baking pans.
What You’ll Need
- Dryer sheets
- Warm water
- Dish soap
Instructions
- Place your baking pan inside your kitchen sink or on your counter.
- Add 1 or 2 dryer sheets and pour some dish soap on top before filling the pan with warm water.
- Let it sit like this for around 2 to 3 hours, and then throw out the dryer sheets and dump the water into the sink.
- Any tough stains and dried food particles will have loosened up, so you can use soap, water, and a sponge to scrub the baking pan until it’s clean.
Cleaning Rust from Baking Pans
Here is how you can clean rust from baking pans
What You’ll Need
- One potato
- Dish soap or baking soda
Instructions
- Slice the potato in half and then dip the cut end in dish soap or baking soda. You can try experimenting with both to figure out which one works best on your pan.
- Use force to rub the potato all over the rusted parts of the baking pan. The oxalic acid found in potatoes can help break down the rust.
- If the potato starts feeling too smooth, use a knife to slice the end and dip it again in baking soda or dish soap.
- Repeat this procedure until the rust has been removed.
- Wash off the residue and dry the pan immediately afterward.
Cleaning Baked-on Grease from Baking Pans
If you have baked-on grease on your baking pans, here are some of the ways to clean it.
From Aluminum Baking Pans
What You’ll Need
- Cream of tartar
Instructions
- Sprinkle cream of tartar generously all over your baking pan.
- Pour some water inside and place the pan over the stovetop for 5 minutes or until the water comes to a boil.
- This should help soften the grease. Rinse the baking pan thoroughly to get rid of the residue before leaving it out to dry.
From Non-Stick Baking Pans
What You’ll Need
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
Instructions
- Sprinkle some baking soda on all the areas of your baking pan that has baked-on grease, before pouring some vinegar over it.
- Let the mixture sit for at least half an hour before scrubbing the pan clean with a sponge.
To avoid baked-on grease on your non-stick baking pans, you should never use non-stick oil or spray to grease your pan. These substances can harden over time and become extremely difficult to clean.
From Stainless Steel Baking Pans
What You’ll Need
- Dish detergent
- Stainless steel scrubbing pan
Instructions
- Place your baking on your stovetop, pour some water into the baking pan, add 1 or 2 drops of dish detergent to it, and let it come to a simmer.
- Let it boil for around 5 minutes, take the pan off the heat, and wait for the mixture to cool down.
- Use a stainless steel scrubbing pan to scrub the pan clean.
Tips for Keeping Your Baking Pans Clean
Keep the following tips in mind to prevent a build-up of grime, food residue, and rust on your baking pans and make sure they stay clean and well-maintained.
- Line your baking pans with parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a silicone mat to avoid build-up of food residue and grease. You need to be careful, however, as fat can easily sneak beneath the foil or parchment and get burnt on the pan.
- Try coating your pans with a light layer oil to keep it from rusting.
- Dry your baking pans immediately after using them to prevent rust and build-up of bacteria.
- Try your best to hand-wash your baking pans right after using them.
- If you’re roasting some vegetables directly on your pan, you should brush the pan with a little bit of olive oil first before adding the vegetables as this may prevent sticking and your pans will be a whole lot easier to clean afterward.
Final Words
Follow these methods to ensure the longevity of your baking pans.
It’s also recommended to test the ingredients on a tiny spot first to make sure they’re not too harsh for your baking pan. Once you’ve managed to scrub your pans clean, you should do your best to clean them regularly so you can safely use them for a long time.
There’s nothing wrong with tiny scratches here and there, as long as your pans are being put to good use.
Make sure you’re choosing the right method for the type of pan you’re cleaning and using the supplies you already have in your kitchen to save as much time and cost as possible.
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