Burnt pots are sometimes the bane not only of amateurs, but also of professional cooks. In damaged pots, subsequent dishes will burn even more. However, the bothersome burning can be dealt with using home remedies.
Burned pots do not have to throw them away right away, we can save them by using home methods. At the same time, we must remember to choose the method according to the material from which the pots were made, since they require different treatment.
Burned stainless steel pots do not require special treatment, so we can clean them with baking soda, baking powder, vinegar, washing powder, citric acid, salt, dishwasher tablets and activated charcoal.
The case is different with burnt enamel pots, which are much more delicate. To clean them we do not use washing powder, vinegar and coca-cola. Instead, we can reach for salt, baking soda or dishwasher tablets.
If you burn an aluminum pot, remember not to clean it with wire cutters and rough sponges, as well as baking powder, baking soda and washing powder. Dishwasher cubes, salt and vinegar will work best.
On the other hand, to clean a burnt ceramic pot, it is not recommended to use salt, which could damage the ceramic coating. It is worth trying vinegar or a water solution of soda.
We can dry-clean cast iron pots with salt using a brush or a potato. Boiling water in them or wet washing with baking soda is also a good way.
And how to deal with burnt Teflon-coated pots? We can prepare a slurry of water and salt, leave it overnight, and rinse it thoroughly in the morning. Carbonated water will also be effective, as the carbon dioxide during cooking helps peel off dried food residues.
We can use homemade products to clean burnt pots. We suggest how to do it.
We can use salt in two ways – wet and dry. The first method involves pouring a thick layer of salt on the bottom of the burnt pot and pouring a small amount of water. We leave the resulting solution for at least a few hours. Then we wash the pot with a sponge and rinse out the salt. If we are not satisfied with the result, we can boil the salt solution and only after it cools down wash the pot.
In the case of the dry method, we spill the salt on the bottom of the pot and scrub it with a sponge or toothbrush until the burn is removed.
For light stains, it’s enough to pour a small amount of baking soda or baking powder (for example, two tablespoons) into the bottom of the pot and pour water over it to make a mush. After a few hours, we wash the pot with a sponge. For tougher stains, we need to boil the soda solution in the pot and try to remove the burn with a wooden spoon or spatula.
We pour a few cups of water over the dirty pot and add the same number of tablespoons of vinegar (for example, three cups of water and three cups of vinegar). Heat the solution and leave it to cool. Burnt food should be easy to remove.
Sprinkle a few teaspoons of citric acid on the bottom and walls of the dirty pot. After a while, pour hot water over the pot and boil the solution. After it cools down, we can easily remove the dirt and scorch.
Scorched pots will also save dishwasher tablets or washing powder. All we have to do is sprinkle a few tablespoons of powder on the bottom of the pot or crush a dishwasher cube. Pour warm water and leave it overnight. In the morning we wash the pot and rinse it thoroughly. For faster results, we can boil the dissolved detergent for a few minutes.
main photo: unsplash.com/Annie Spratt
