There are better ways to clean burnt pots and pans besides chemical cleaners. Here are seven natural ingredients found in your kitchen that women themselves vouch for!
We’ve all done it at some point – placing pots on the stove and forgetting all about it, or leaving the heat on too high and blackening the pan. Scouring and scrubbing ugly marks and stains off pots and containers can be quite a pain, and this is especially so if the utensils are being used time and again. Home bakers and cooking enthusiasts can relate to these woes daily.
1. BAKING SODA
Sprinkle baking soda powder – a cup or two – on the bottom of the burnt pan, pour some water and allow to simmer for 15 – 30 minutes. The thickest crusted, the burnt mess has been known to fly off the pot with this method, leaving it as good as new. A pinch of ordinary rock salt will work just as well.
2. VINEGAR
Pour in white vinegar on to the pan and simmer it for a bit. Scrub the pan gently using a regular kitchen scrub brush. The burnt stuff will come out right away. This is one of the purest and most natural kitchen cleaning product. Fresh lime juice works just as well.
3. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Add 1/2″ hydrogen peroxide (available as bars) or 1 tsp of the powder to the burnt pot. Heat it till it starts to bubble and simmer for a few minutes. Scrubbing with a brush allows it to break the carbon bond and get the residue off the pan. The process can be very smelly but works wonderfully with minimal burnt stains.
4. FABRIC SOFTENER
Bring water to a boil in the burnt pot and pour in a tablespoon of liquid fabric softener. Soak this for several hours or overnight. The charred bits will be washed away, or a gentle scrub might be needed to remove them.
5. KETCHUP
Pour a thick ketchup/sauce layer over the burnt pan and leave it overnight. The next day, burnt food can easily be rinsed away. Acid from the tomatoes loosens the thick mess, leaving the pan as good as new.
6. CREAM OF TARTAR
Pour two tablespoons of cream of tartar into a cup of water in the pan, boil it and keep aside for a while. Cool this before washing with warm, soapy water and a gentle plastic scrub. Repeat this process if the residue still isn’t coming off.
7. COKE
Fill the burnt vessel with coca-cola and allow the coke to sit for several hours, even overnight if required. Use a scraper or scrub to remove the burnt residue, followed by a wash with a gentle plastic scrubber. It’s incredible but scary how this one ingredient works!
The above ingredients not just work to remove stubborn residue and burns, but are safe and natural. Artificial cleaning liquids and detergents do not promise the same results.
