Everyone knows how frustrating it can be to end up with burned food after all the work and time spent preparing the ingredients. But the frustration of trying to clean all the crusty, burnt food from the bottom of a pot can even be more aggravating. Yet, anyone, including professional chefs, can end up with a burnt pot. Often, scorching happens within a few minutes of stepping away from your cooker while cooking. So, how do you clean up the mess? Here are tried and tested methods on how to clean a burnt pot and give it its original, shiny state with very minimal scouring.

Baking Soda and Vinegar Method

Luckily, no matter how badly your dinner is ruined, your favorite pot isn’t. Whether the pot is blackened, discolored, or charred, there are many methods how to clean a burnt pot, so it looks as good as new. One of the most effective methods to clean a badly burnt pot or pan is baking soda and vinegar.

Made from acetic acid, vinegar is a multipurpose household cleaner thanks to its powerful acidic nature that dissolves even the most stubborn grime, grease, and dirt. Here is how to clean a burnt pot using baking soda and vinegar:

What You Will Need

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Water
• Scraper or plastic spatula
• Stovetop
• Scouring sponge

Instructions

1. Remove as much of the burnt food and debris from the pot as possible
2. Pour a good amount of white vinegar into the bottom of the pot while ensuring to cover all the charred areas.
3. Heat the undiluted vinegar and bring it to a low boil. Reduce the heat slightly and let the liquid simmer on the stovetop for 1-2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and allow the vinegar to cool slightly before adding 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the pot. Baking soda has a mild abrasive nature that helps remove stains.
5. Mixing baking soda with vinegar results in a fizzing reaction that helps loosen burnt foods. Wait until the fizzing and bubbling stop, then drain the mixture down the sink.
6. Lightly scrub the pot using a scouring pad or suitable dish brush to get rid of all stubborn burn marks. You can add some more baking powder to the pot’s bottom as needed to remove stains completely.
7. Rinse the pot and dry.

Boiled Lemons Method

Another method to clean a burnt pot and make it sparkle is using fresh sliced lemon and water. This method is nearly as effective as using white vinegar. That’s because the citric acid in lemon works like vinegar’s acetic acid to dissolve burnt food stains, dirt, and grime.

The boiled lemons method is ideal for those who don’t like the pungent smell of white vinegar. Instead, lemons will help clean your burnt pot while adding a refreshing fragrance to your kitchen. Lemons are also the best choice when cleaning copper cookware or stainless steel. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean a burnt pot using the boiled lemons method.

What You Will Need

• Water
• Fresh lemons
• Sharp knife
• Stovetop
• Scouring pad

Instructions

1. First, remove as much of the burnt food and debris from the pot as possible.
2. Cut at least two fresh lemons into halves and place them with the flesh side lying at the bottom of the pot.
3. Pour enough water into the bottom of the pot while ensuring to cover all charred areas.
4. Bring the water to a boil for about 5 minutes on the stovetop.
5. Turn off the heat and allow the water to cool to room temperature.
6. By now, you’ll notice loose burnt food particles that have come off the bottom of the pot. Discard the food particles, water, and lemon pieces.
7. Lightly scrub the pot using a scouring sponge to get rid of any remaining burnt particles and restore your pot’s shine.
8. Rinse the pot and dry.

Dishwasher Detergent Method

Dishwasher detergents contain enzymes that help remove stuck-on foods, stains, and grease from dishes. Unsurprisingly, your dishwashing detergent can help break down and remove tough, burnt food on pots. Here’s how to restore your burnt pot using the dishwashing detergent method:

What You Will Need

• Dishwashing detergent
• Scouring pad
• Scraper or wooden spoon
• Hot water

Instructions

1. Add one tablespoon of powdered dishwasher detergent or dishwashing tablet to the burnt pot.
2. Fill the pot with a small amount of hot water and let it soak for a minimum of 30 minutes.
3. Use a scraper or wooden spoon to remove charred food debris from the bottom of the pot. 
4. If the burnt food bits still can’t be lifted off the pot’s surface, simmer the water-detergent mixture for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot soak for a few minutes as the water cools.
5. Drain the liquid down the sink and use a suitable dish brush to scrub off any remaining burn marks on the pot.
6. Rinse the pot and dry.

Other Ways That You Can Clean Your Burnt Pot

There are many other cleaning hacks that can do wonders on your burnt pot and make it look new again. Here are three other ways that you can clean your burnt pot.

Coarse salt

Salt can eliminate scorch marks and greasy messes from your dirty pot. Combining salt with Dawn dish detergent and hot water will yield even better results. Alternatively, you can massage the salt into the burnt pot with the flesh side of a sliced lemon.

Dryer sheets

Dryer sheets are another effective burnt pot cleaning hack. To use this method, put water and dishwashing liquid into the pot and then add dryer sheets into the solution. Leave the pot to soak for at least one hour. This allows the dryer sheet to loosen burnt-on food, leaving you with a sparkling pot.

Soda

Soda helps remove grease and burnt grime. Add an adequate amount of any soda brand to cover the bottom of the burnt pot while it’s still hot. The resulting carbonation will help loosen the burnt grime, making your work much more manageable.

In Summary

Burnt pots are a common situation among homeowners and professional chefs. Luckily, there are many effortless and highly effective cleaning hacks that can help get rid of the stuck-on foods, making your pot spotless again. One of the most effective hacks is baking soda and white vinegar, which helps remove even the most stubborn residue, stains, and grease. Other methods, such as boiled lemons and dryer sheets, can also clean a burnt pot and restore its shiny appearance without much effort.