Works For Me: Cleaning Pots

I recently scorched a big soup pot so badly I almost threw it out.  Even after soaking overnight, the crusty gunk wouldn't budge.  I tossed the question out to my friends on Twitter, and I received several good tips.  Many people said they use spray-on oven cleaner, which wasn't especially helpful, since it assumes there has ever been a single moment in my life in which I have cleaned an oven (I haven't.  My general oven-cleaning philosophy is that you should just gunk it up really well for five or six years and then move).

I pulled together a few of the pot-cleaning tips and tried my own method, filling the pan with about two inches of water and a generous amount of dishwashing liquid mixed in.  Then I brought the soap and water mixture it to a boil on the stove top, and would you believe that with only a few scrubs, the gunk came right off?  I've since tried it several times, with the same results every time.  Works for me!

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Comments

[$5 Dinner Mom]

Cool! Good to know! When we lived in the Dominican Republic, I learned to scrub "the gunk" with bleach. Worked like magic!

:) Erin

[Blue Castle]

Now that's a tip I can use. I hate to admit how many times I burn stuff on the bottom of my pans.

Another way to avoid cleaning your oven - get a self-cleaning oven. :) It totally rocks.

[LifeAtTheCircus]

Hey...my W4MW also had to do with dishes...looks like we're thinking alike this week. :-)

[EveryChapter]

Wow, great idea. My mom always used baking soda and that seemed to work okay as well, (but dishwashing liquid is handier!)

[It Feels Like Chaos]

Great tip! Thanks for hosting this Works for me Wednesday; I love learning new tricks!

[Tara C.]

Try a little baking soda in with the water and dish soap when you boil it. It helps loosen everything too.

[Heidi @ Blue Eyed Blessings]

Wow! What a cool and simple, yet usable tip. Love it! Thanks for passing on the advice.

[Jenni]

Fill the pot with warm water and soak with a dryer sheet overnight. Works great! Last week I was out of dryer sheets, so I tried using a small squirt of hair conditioner instead and that worked wonderfully as well! And I only soaked it for a few hours.

[Margot]

Thanks for a great tip. I seem to have the same problem now that I have switched to a gas stove - I'm just not used to it.

[Carol @SheLives]

Yeah, y'gotta love those Twitter people. They're good for all kinds of info and amusement.

And I will try your newly learned method next time I scorch a pot. Which will undoubtedly be the next time I attempt to cook.

[Roan]

A friend told me to make a thick paste with Bar Keeper's Friend in the bottom of a scorched pan. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so, then the burnt stuff will come right off with not much effort. Had to do this recently when I burnt rice. Yuk!

[Kristin]

I actually gave that tip to my mother when i was in Highschool. I can't remember who told me, or where I saw it, but that's been our "trick" for years. Such a trick, that I don't even think of it as being a tip anymore.

We used to burn the Macaroni, from our stovetop Mac 'n Cheese every single time. I need a tip to stop burning it in the first place! LOL

Kristin

[Upstatemomof3]

Awesome! I will have to remember that. I have been known to forget to turn down a boiling pot and burn food to the bottom. :)

[se7en]

I am so with you on the oven idea... they were not meant for cleaning, just replacing - however we have never afforded a replacement so eventually I began my every number of years scrubbing - not a pretty day in the land of parenting...

Regarding pots... I tend to turn a pot on and then surf with my laptop while waiting for things to happen - they usually do! Since the pot and laptop are in different rooms. So my special friend is vinegar... pour it over the black burnt part and leave and it usually peels off and takes the smell with it (no evidence of my tardy cooking!).

And my 7 yr old daughter who is always reading over my shoulder just asked me: Why does that mum always have "Rocks in her Dryer" I said you were very busy... she thinks you should have done something about them by now!

[Leanne]

Great tip. I always burn rice and I use cola. Just pour enough into the pan to cover the burnt bits and put it over the heat. It works like a charm, it stinks though.

[Heather L.]

What a great tip! Thanks for sharing!

Wish I could say the same about never cleaning an oven. I work in the school cafeteria and have scrubbed many a huge convection oven in my day. Blah!

[Raise Them Up]

I'm glad you saved your pan! Thanks for the tip. :)

[Nikki]

I was going to recommend the dryer-sheet method- but someone beat me to it! It really works great too.

[Sheila Gregoire]

I have used that same stuff for cleaning my pots! I just wish they made some industrial strength type stuff to get the stench out of your kitchen when you burn something that badly, though. Who knew rice could smell like that?

Visit To Love, Honor and Vacuum today!

[kerry @ colored with memories]

i wish i had known this a few ruined pots and pans ago!

thanks for sharing.

[Nicole @ Here's The Diehl]

i'm with you on the oven cleaning thing...it's the worst.

[georgie]

wow what great info/tips...

Congrats on your 2008 okie blog nom!

[Melissa Multitasking Mama]

I just bought some new pots so this is a great tip so I don't ruin these!

[Jean]

I don't even use soap when boiling water in pans/pots to remove burnt gunk on bottom.... it still works every time! Just boil/simmer until it is loose. Sometimes I don't even need to SCRUB to finish removing gunk- just pour it out.

[mandy]

that works for me too. Another tip is to save your dryer sheets. Put one of those in the pan w/ some hot water. The chemicals in the dryer sheet will break away all the sticky gunk...even lasagna!!

[mandy]

Should've read ALL the comments before I left mine. Disregard please...=/

[CarolinaMama]

These are always so fun and informative. Thanks much!

Loved your letter to your Dad!

[Amanda T]

How did you know that I needed this tip? ;) Seriously. I'm off to boil soapy water.

[A&EMom]

Last time I cleaned my oven, I burnt my hand on the light bulb. Oh for crying out loud. I quit.

[Kara]

Great idea and so simple! Love, love, love it!

[Marla Taviano]

I have that exact same oven philosophy. Except that we've moved 10 times in 11 years, so mine never got too bad. :)

[Bev]

Good to know since I'm pretty good at burning stuff til it looks like hopeless charred gunk.

[Kim G]

I do nearly the same except I use baking soda. Bring a small amount of water to a boil, sprinkle some in and let it foam away the crud. Works even when your son burns a whole can of corn to the bottom of a pan over an open flame. Not that something that ridiculous would ever occur . . .

[Tidymom]

Great tip!!!

I have a GREAT little gadget from Pampered Chef that I can't live with out, just for that kind of thing- it's a little scrapper and it get's anything off of any pot/pan!! I keep it on my kitchen sink I use it so much!!

~Tidymom

[Aimee]

Yep. I do that any time I have a scorched pan or have burnt/dried on junk (particularly "cheese" sauce from Shells & Cheese). Works every time.

[Photoqueen]

Well, I never would have thought of that! Thanks for the tip!!

[Amy]

I have used the same method a few times with powdered detergent for the dishwasher, and that works fine, too. You can also use a big pot to boil the things that catch the gunk under your electric or gas burners-I don't know what the catch things are called-and it gets the burned-on gunk off of those, too.

[Roberta Anne]

That is a great hint.
Roberta Anne

[Angie @ Many Little Blessings]

I'll have to remember that if I need it in the future! Sounds like a great tip!

[Farrah]

I hadn't thought about boiling soapy water to help it out. I've heard of dryer sheets though. Thanks for the tip! I just might use it next time.

[The Happy Housewife]

I have not read all the comments so I hope this isn't a repeat. An easy way to get baked on crud off dishes is to let them soak overnight with a dryer sheet. I have no idea why this works, but it does!
Toni

[Maggie's Mind]

Awesome tip! Kind of makes some sense, but I'd never thought of it.

[MooBeeMa]

Since I'm knee-deep in caring for my mother in law I am posting about long term care policies today.

[Jerri]

Great tip! I have also boiled water and baking soda in a pan that has burnt food on it and it worked well, too.

[Fatima]

Tomatoes, boiled on the stove in the scorched pan, work very well. The acid in the tomatoes works great to clean stubborn pans and stained-up aluminum pans to a bright shine.

[kimberlee]

Well, I love your oven cleaning tip! LOL

[Heather AKA American Girl]

I need a tip for cleaning the buner covers for a gas stove...the ones that your pots sit on above the flame...mine are horrible and I can't seem to come up with an easy solution...any ideas?

[Jennifer]

I've boiled water to remove gunk, but I like the idea of adding soap if the stuff is really stuck.

If you preheat your pans before putting anything in them you'll avoid a lot of "stickyness". Preheat on medium-high heat. For uncoated pans (stainless steel etc.), the pan is warm enough when a bit of water "dances" on the surface. If the water evaporates, the pan's not hot enough yet.

[Betty Adams]

Thanks for letting me add my WFMW tip
Betty

[pam at beyondjustmom]

Love that tip to boil the water to get pots clean. A guy friend showed me that and it does work wonders!
Also, I made a mistake on my first link-- it goes nowhere-- and corrected it the second time. Please delete #166 from BeyondJustMom. Thanks, and sorry for the mess up!

[Maria]

OMG! That's what I was going to write about today! If that doesn't work you can also use Bar Keepers Friend if it isn't nonstick.

[Runningamuck]

That is a VERY usable tip. Especially in my house. Thanks!

[Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates]

That is a great tip! I am so glad to know that, not that I've ever scorched any pots or anything - heh,heh.

[in a world surrounded by men...]

I am cracking up at your oven cleaning philosophy!!! I feel the exact same way. Who looks in an oven???

[Amber]

I learned this the hard way as well!!!!!!!!!

[just another day in paradise]

wow, I'm embarrassed to say my husband taught me that trick (you'd have to know him to understand, but let's just say kitchen savvy--he ain't!). : )

[LFinn]

I just posted my second WFMW post on having cookies at any time! Thanks for this great blog "collection".

[Amanda Boyer]

I can't see all the links this week :( Great tip!

[Missy]

Great tip! Thanks for sharing!Looking forward to more Works for me Wednesdays.

[Missy]

Great tip! I'll have to store that one away. Looking forward to more great tips!

[boysmum2]

Great idea, always useful to have little tips like that in the back of your brain for future use.

[Susan]

I can't see the links this week either. I thought I was the only one. I love the tip too. I tried that last week in desperation, but mine was so bad, it still needed scrubbing.

[Erica M]

lol I was home over the holidays and mom was about to throw out her favorite 20qt pan when my brother came in and told her to boil soapy water. After a few times, it came clean as new!

[Amy]

Awesome tip! I *blush* have thrown pans away! Thanks a million! :)

[Jen]

I second dryer sheets..thet make great scrubbers. I soak a dryer sheet in a bowl then miceove it. The steam cleans the microwave splatter, easily wipes out!

[Melissa - Bumblebaby Mommy]

For some reason I can't see the Mr Linky list. Here's my post
http://bumblebabymommy.blogspot.com/2009/01/save-on-dishwasher-soap.html

Its about dishwasher soap for 8 cents a load!

[GiBee]

My mom has done this for as long as I can remember... here's an extra tip: For really, REALLY bad burned on gunk, add a slosh of clorox to the dish washing soap and water and boil away! It really works!

[Tiff @ The Faery Inn]

Genius! Thanks for sharing!

[Dawn]

I use that method A LOT!!!

[Jennifer @ cooking like a frugalite]

Thank you so much for hosting this linky. This is my first time participating. It was fun! I love the boiling water tip; I use this for my microwave, too. Boil the water in the micro which creates a steam that makes the gunk come right off.

[Trish]

That sounds like a great idea for cleaning pots. I've used water and baking soda and scrubbed and scrubbed, but that did take a while and wasn't always very easy. I'll keep this in mind the next time I need to clean a pot, thanks for sharing!

[Jane]

I have also had terrific luck with a dryer sheet. I put one sheet and leave it soaking overnight. Great for casserole pans that are not stove top safe. I also use this to clean my oven a few wet dryer sheets spread out on the baked in stuff does the trick. Easy peasy with odor! Well, my kitchen then smells like Bounce!

[Alaina]

I am so trying this when I get home...thanks so much!

[susieshomemade]

Great tip. I use vinegar and elbow grease:-)