How to Make Burnt Pans Look New Again Without Scrubbing All Day

If your favorite pan is burnt and looks like it’s beyond saving, don’t throw it out just yet—instead, try this cleaning trick that’ll bring it back to life in no time. All you need are two basic pantry staples: baking soda and distilled white vinegar.

When combined, the two inexpensive ingredients create a fizzing reaction that helps remove burnt-on debris. Not only is this cleaning method fast (it takes less than 30 minutes!), but it relies on natural ingredients and doesn’t require any chemical cleaning products. To ensure further damage isn’t caused, it’s essential that you use non-abrasive scrubbing tools and steer clear of steel wool and rough scrubbing pads.

Below, cleaning experts share a step-by-step cleaning guide, an alternative cleaning method, and their best tips for removing burnt-on food so you don’t have to toss your favorite pan.

How to Clean a Burnt Pan

To clean a burnt pan like a pro and save it from having to be thrown out, follow this step-by-step method recommended by Alicia Sokolowski, a cleaning expert, president, and co-CEO of AspenClean.

1. Loosen the burnt layer. Before you start cleaning the burnt pan, fill it with enough water so that all the burnt areas are covered. Then, bring it to a boil in order to soften the burnt food that’s stuck to the pan and make it easier to scrub off.
2. Add baking soda and distilled white vinegar. Once you notice that the burnt-on food has loosened, pour the water out of the pan. Next, generously sprinkle all the burnt areas with baking soda and add a splash of distilled white vinegar. “The fizzing reaction will help lift residue,” Sokolowski says.
3. Let it sit. Allow the baking soda and distilled white vinegar to sit inside the pan and do their work of lifting the stubborn burnt-on food for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Scrub the pan clean. Use a non-abrasive scrubbing sponge or a microfiber cloth to remove all the loosened debris.
5. Rinse the pan. Once all the debris has been removed, rinse the pan with water and thoroughly wash it with dish soap.
6. Polish the clean pan. To restore its sparkling shine, use a clean, dry microfiber cloth to polish the pan and give it a like-new shine.

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Other Tricks for Cleaning Burnt Pans

For an alternative way to save burnt pans from having to be thrown out, use a foolproof cleaning staple: Bar Keeper’s Friend. According to cleaning expert Jhon LeBaron, co-owner of family-owned Primavera Cleaning Service, Bar Keeper’s Friend is one of the best products you can use to clean burnt pans.

“You want to use it liberally with a scrubbing sponge and just a small amount of water so it makes a paste,” LeBaron says.

The cleaning expert says it works best when you scrub the pan in a circular motion before washing it. While this cleaning trick is not a fast fix, and it may take a couple of applications to remove burnt-on food, LeBaron says the method is truly effective.

“It will not be quick, but I have seen pans which looked far beyond saving become shiny and new looking,” LeBaron says.

Best Tips for Cleaning a Burnt Pan

• For a chemical-free way to clean burnt pans, Sokolowski recommends using natural products such as baking soda and distilled white vinegar.
• When using vinegar for cleaning purposes, always use distilled white vinegar. Do not use other types of cooking vinegar, such as apple cider or red wine vinegar.
• “For stubborn spots, make a paste of baking soda and a bit of water and scrub gently,” Sokolowski says.
• To prevent scratching the pan and causing irreparable damage, cleaning experts warn against using any abrasive cleaning tools, whether it’s an abrasive scrubbing pad or steel wool.
• To remove any leftover residue and to give the pan a beautiful shine, Sokolowski suggests using a clean, dry microfiber cloth for final polishing.