Pot cleaning

[Josephhgoins]

I ran accross this in a very old cook book and it works really well.

If you have a cast iron skillet with something burnt on it while it is still warm return to eye and cover burn with water. Add a teaspoon of baking soda and bring to a boil. You can now clean with a standard scrubby with almost no effort.

Also, to clean Pyrex or Stainless steal from baked on grease soak in warm water with bleach added. The bleach will keep working as long as the water stays warm. I do this once a year during the summer. I fill a tub outside with water add bleach and then several dishes or pots and let it soak all day in the sun.

Everything looks just like new!

Just thought I would share.

[Josephhgoins]

Just thought of a warning.

If you have the nice coated cast iron you should just fill it up with bleach water and allow to soak. According to their care instructions, bleach can discolor the outside.

(funny only the Le Crueset says this, the Lodge I have says nothing of it.)

[ravenmaniac]

My husband's grandmother used to clean her cast iron this way! You bought back fond memories to me, thanks. She cooked some excellent food in her cast iron skillets.

[Trishagirl]

cooking in cast iron helps your health if you are iron deficient also!

[freebie]

Thank you for this tip also I believe cast iron is good for your health as well.

[dolphin]

What a great tip! I need to try this next I burn something in my iron skillet or pot.

[Saule]

Another thing to help loosed burned on crud in your saucepan or whatever is a used dryer fabric softener sheet. Just put it in the pot, fill with warm water and let stand overnight. I usually do this then do the boil with baking soda trick. I am also trying to pay more attention and not burn so many pots!

[Judi Dial]

We have a wire brush that is used only on pots (we don't buy pots w/ nonstick coatings). If/when I really burn something onto the pan and scrubbing and nothing else works, DH gets this out and the drill and scrubs off the charred stuff and then I wash the pan. Certainly not recommended for daily or weekly use, but the once every year or two things get REALLY bad, it's nice to be able to hand him a pot and say, "Here, I can't get this clean...use your magic tool."

Judi

[DukesAngel]

For my day to day pots and pans I have stainless steel. When something is burned or greasy cooked on, I just use a paste of baking soda and water. Everything scrubs right off. I do the same for my pyrex.

For my dutch ovens (which are only used for camping so they are cast iron) once a year I will put them through the clean cycle on my oven and then reseason them. I never use soap to clean them because I don't want the oil coating to strip off, I just rinse them with water.

[pita1213]

my mom used to do the same thing with the clean cycle on the oven for her cast iron skillet.
i have stainless steel pots and pans. i have a canister of bar keepers friend that i bought 6 years ago that i use on them when they get bad looking. whenever it finally is used up, i'll use baking soda on them.

[daughter of pearl]

Saule, I've used the dryer sheet trick and it works like a charm...and Judi, I LOVE "go get your magic tool"!!

I have stainless steel and they've been pretty easy to keep nice, but this is one of the things that scares me off getting cast iron.

[Josephhgoins]

for my stainless I just soak in bleach water. It gets all the left over grease and what not off.