6 ways to clean a burned pan effortlessly

You may have already experienced this situation: Do you begin to smell a burn and wonder if anyone in the neighborhood has by chance forgotten a pan on the fire?

Until suddenly you realize that it was you who forgot the pan in the fire and that it is your kitchen that is in danger of being blown up.

Then it is that rush to turn off the fire, open the windows and put the pan out of the house until smoke stops.


When things are calmer and the pan has cooled down, you will realize that in addition to losing the food, you will have a hard time washing the pan because it has all burned out.

But calm down! Before you throw your pan away, try these 6 tricks to clean burnt pans easily and lessen your damage.

Read also: How to clean stainless steel: 13 safe ways and essential care


1. Detergent

Cover the bottom of the pan with water and add a little detergent. Bring the pan to the heat and wait for it to boil. With the pan cold, rub the burnt bottom with a brush or steel wool.

2. Water and salt

If the damage is not too great, you can try cleaning it with salt and water. First, take out all the rest of the food you can. Wash with very hot water, detergent and sponge.

Then cover the bottom with hot water and mix two spoons of salt. Wait at least 15 minutes and scrub the pan with brush and steel wool.


If any remnants of the burn remain, add more salt and water and bring to a boil. Allow to cool before rubbing again.

3. White Vinegar

Cover the burnt portion with white vinegar and simmer for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and rub with a sponge. This trick is especially recommended for stainless steel cookware.

Read also: Tips for conserving pans

4. Tomato Sauce

It sounds crazy, but tomato sauce is a good agent for removing burnt sugar from the bottom of the pan.

First put water in the pan until it covers the burnt part. Then add two tablespoons of tomato sauce and boil the pan. The burn should come loose during boiling.

5. Sodium bicarbonate

Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of the pan and add a tablespoon of water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, remove the mixture and allow to cool to clean.

The bicarbonate method is not recommended for Teflon-coated aluminum pans as it can damage the material.

6. Bleach

If nothing you have done before is no good, we will resort to a heavier method. Cover the burnt bottom with water and add bleach. Put the pan to a boil for 5 minutes.

Read also: Fast and effective cleaning: Learn how to clean each environment in 15 minutes

Open the windows wide and try not to inhale the vapors of this mixture as they are toxic. When the pan cools, protect your hands with latex gloves and rub the pan with a sponge.

These tricks can help you clean a burned pan, but depending on the material from which it is made, the result can be a pan damaged by the abrasiveness of the products. So only resort to the most aggressive methods if the options are to risk cleaning or throw the pan away, combined?

How to Clean a Burnt Pot or Pan without Chemicals (April 2024)


  • Kitchen, Cleaning
  • 1,230