People all over the globe use non-stick pans for cooking.
Their non-stick coating is ideal for tossing and turning sausages, flipping pancakes, and frying eggs.
If your Teflon pans have scratches on it, it may not be safe for you to use.
In this blog post, you’ll learn what to do with scratched Teflon pans, what you need to do to repair your these Teflon pans and when it’s time to replace them.
How to Fix Scratched Teflon Pans
If particles from your scratched Teflon pans end up in your food, it may become a severe health issue for you and your family, which is why you must avoid using your pans before you’ve fixed them.
Here’s a step-by-step guide you need to follow to make sure your pans are safe to use again.
1. Use a Sponge to Clean the Pan
The first step involves cleaning your Teflon pan thoroughly to get rid of dirty residue. Use a dishwashing soap solution and a soft sponge to clean your pan.
It’s advisable to use warm water as it can help loosen stubborn food particles.
After your pan has been cleaned, leave it on the counter to dry until all the moisture has been completely removed.
2. Use a Non-stick Cookware Repair Spray
The next thing you need to do is get a non-stick cookware repair spray. You can find them in stores that offer cooking materials.
Spray it on your pan from at least 1-foot distance and make sure it’s evenly coated and no surfaces are left unsprayed.
Since most non-stick cookware sprays are transparent, you’ll be able to see any old scratches on your pan under the evenly coated layer.
3. Let It Sit for Around 30-40 Minutes
Once you’ve covered your pan in an even layer of cookware spray, let it sit for somewhere between 30 to 40 minutes at normal temperature.
It’s important to keep it in a place where no dust particles or flies can land into the wet surface of the pan and make matters complicated for you.
4. Bake the Pan for 45 Minutes at 500 degrees
Before baking your Teflon pan, you should preheat your oven at 500 degrees Fahrenheit for around 10 minutes.
Once your oven is preheated, carefully place your pan on the middle rack, close the oven door, and let it bake for 45 minutes.
This should help set the spray of on the surface of the pan and restore the non-stick surface it once had.
When it’s done baking, leave the pan inside the oven for another hour to let it cool down before taking it out and letting it sit at room temperature until it’s completely cooled down and safe to touch.
5. Wash Your Pan Thoroughly
Once the cookware spray has been baked on the surface of your pan and cooled down, you need to give it another wash under lukewarm running water.
Use a sponge to gently rub the pan and see if the new coating stays put.
If it does, your pan is now ready to be used for cooking. If the coating comes off during the wash, you’ll have to repeat the procedure to make sure the pan becomes non-stick and safe to use again.
Dangers of Using Scratched Teflon Pans
The Teflon coating of your pan can easily get scratched if you use rough kitchen utensils to cook food or abrasive scrubbing pads to scrape off the residue.
Tiny particles from the scratched coating can seep into your food while it’s cooking or get dissolved into gas due to over-heating.
The toxic fumes released at high temperatures can create health issues in both humans and pet birds.
It can lead to symptoms that are similar to flu in humans, which is why you must always use your Teflon pans at a low or medium heat and be extremely gentle with kitchen utensils to avoid leaving scratches.
How to Use Teflon Pans Properly and Minimize Your Risk
Teflon (Non-stick) pans have been available for a long time and can be used to prepare delicate foods like eggs and pancakes and prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
But using kitchen utensils and scouring pads can leave scratches that can pose a severe health risk for you and your family.
You need to follow basic safety precautions when you’re cooking with Teflon cookware to minimize your risk.
Here are some tips you need to keep in mind the next time you think about putting your non-stick pans to use.
Make Sure Your Kitchen Is Properly Ventilated
Before cooking with your Teflon pan, make sure your kitchen is ventilated.
Open up your windows to allow any fumes to escape and don’t forget to turn on the exhaust fan.
Avoid Cooking at High Temperatures
You should always keep your pan on low or medium heat.
Avoid broiling as well as that calls for high temperatures that are not recommended for Teflon cookware.
Never Preheat an Empty Pan
Avoid preheating an empty pan as they can reach high temperatures in a matter of minutes and emit polymer fumes that are dangerous for your health.
Make sure there’s always some food or liquid in your non-stick pots and pans before placing them over the heat.
Season Your Pan before Using It
The best way to use a Teflon pan is to season it before every use.
It’s incredibly easy, and all you need to after cleaning your pan is to grease the surface with a little bit of canola oil or another oil of your choice.
After you’re done greasing it, you can place it on the stove over low heat and leave it for about a minute or two.
Turn off the heat and let it cool down for another few minutes. After it has completely cooled down, use a paper towel to wipe off the excess oil and dry it up once more.
Your seasoned pan is now ready to use for cooking. This method is done to fill any pores in the non-stick coating and make sure the food doesn’t get stuck to the pan.
Use Plastic, Silicone or Wooden Utensils
Using metal utensils to toss and turn your food in a non-stick pan can lead to scratches and scuff and reduce the life of your Teflon cookware.
It will also cause the pan to lose its smoothness and increase the chances of food sticking to the surface.
Since Teflon coating is supposed to prevent the food from sticking, it’s advisable to use wooden, silicone, or plastic spatulas and spoons for cooking.
This can help keep your pan as good as new for quite some time.
Hand Wash Them Gently
Make sure you’re washing your Teflon pots and pans very gently with a soft sponge and warm, soapy water.
Don’t Use Abrasive Scrubbing Pads
Never use abrasive or rough cleansers to clean your non-stick pans.
It’s always recommended to avoid using steel wool and scrubbing pads to clean Teflon cookware as that can leave nasty scratches.
Replace Old Teflon Cookware That Can’t Be Fixed
If the Teflon coating of your pan starts looking worse overtime with peeling, chipping, and flaking, you should replace your pans instead of trying to repair them.
When Is It Time to Throw Away Your Teflon Pans?
Every kitchen utensil has a life span and once it reaches its end, you need to throw it out.
If your Teflon pans are visibly deteriorating i.e. you can start to see the core of the pan, or the handles are beginning to melt, it’s time for you to replace them.
Recycling Teflon Pans
The Teflon coating of most non-stick pans can be hard to recycle as it can pose many health risks.
Since scratched or chipping Teflon pans aren’t safe to use for cooking, you should discontinue the use and consider recycling them if there are any centers nearby that offer recycling services for non-stick cookware.
Get in touch with your local waste management company and ask them about their policy regarding recycling Teflon pans. If they offer any services, you can send your pans over to them or follow their instructions on how to recycle your pans.
You can also get in contact with the pan manufacturer and ask if you can send your Teflon pans back to them. They may fix and recoat the pans with a fresh new layer of Teflon and resell them.
You can consider having your non-stick pans sand-blasted. Contact a sandblaster who operates in your area and ask them to get rid of the Teflon coating from your pans.
This can either make your pan recyclable or reusable without the non-stick surface.
Bottom Line
There’s a lot you can do with scratched Teflon pans – fix them at home, get them recycled, or make them reusable with sand-blasting.
You’ll be able to notice the signs when your non-stick pans have reached the end of their lifespan.
Remember the tips you’ve learned in this blog post to use your Teflon cookware properly and maximize their shelf-life.
Other cooking pans articles you may find useful: