How to Clean Burnt Sheet Pans (and When to Skip It on Aluminum)

Stainless steel sheet pans

1. 1

   Put on gloves and scrape off the loose bits

   Put on rubber gloves. The washing soda label says it is an eye irritant and to avoid long skin contact by wearing gloves. Then wipe or scrape off any crumbs and loose food so the paste can reach the brown crust.

2. 2

   Mix the paste fresh

   In a small glass or plastic bowl, stir together 4 tablespoons of washing soda and 2 tablespoons of warm water. That is the 2 to 1 paste Arm & Hammer gives for tough pot and pan stains. For a big pan with a lot of crust, double both amounts.

3. 3

   Spread it on and wait 30 minutes

   Spoon the paste onto the brown and black areas and spread it into an even layer with the back of the spoon. Set a timer for 30 minutes. That is the maker’s stand time, so do not cut it short.

4. 4

   Scrub with a non-scratch sponge

   Scrub the crust in small circles with the scrubby side of a non-scratch sponge. All-Clad says its stainless bakeware should get a gentle nylon scouring pad, never an abrasive pad, so let the paste do the work instead of your elbow.

5. 5

   Rinse it very well

   Rinse the pan under warm running water, then wash it with dish soap and rinse again. The label says washing soda is harmful if swallowed, so get every bit of it off before the pan goes back in the oven.

6. 6

   Check it, and go again if you need to

   Dry the pan and look at it in good light. Thick crust that has been baking on for years may need a second round of Steps 2 to 5. That is normal, and it does not mean you did anything wrong.

Aluminum sheet pans (the gentle way)

Nordic Ware says its natural aluminum pans will develop a patina, a darker color that comes with time and use, so the goal is to lift stuck food and brighten the pan, not to make it look new.

1. 1

   Soak it overnight

   Fill the pan with warm water and a squirt of dish soap and leave it overnight. Nordic Ware says stubborn food on its aluminum pans can be soaked overnight.

2. 2

   Scrub with baking soda

   Pour out the water. Sprinkle baking soda over the stuck spots and scrub with a damp non-scratch sponge. Nordic Ware lists baking soda, along with lemon juice, vinegar and cream of tartar, as ways to brighten its aluminum pans.

3. 3

   Wash, rinse and dry

   Wash the pan with warm, soapy water, rinse it and dry it. Keep it out of the dishwasher, because Nordic Ware says dishwasher detergent will discolor these pans or leave them rough.

When it will not work, and what to do instead

Sheet pans take a beating, so not every pan comes back shiny.

• The crust is still there after two rounds on stainless. Some people make the paste with 3% hydrogen peroxide in place of the water. That pair is what oxygen bleach powder is made of, so follow the safety box: mix it fresh, use it right away and never seal it in a jar.
• Your aluminum pan is dark all over. That is the patina Nordic Ware says these pans develop with time and use.

Why it works

That brown crust is not only burnt food. A lot of it is cooking oil heated over and over until it hardened. Lodge, the cast iron maker, explains that heated oil changes from a wet liquid into a slick, hardened surface, which chemists call polymerization. That is why dish soap barely touches it: soap is great at loose, fresh grease, and this layer is not loose anymore.

Washing soda is a fairly strong alkali (the opposite of an acid, like vinegar), and the American Cleaning Institute explains that an alkali can turn fat into soap. Give the paste its 30 minutes and it softens that hard layer enough for a sponge to lift it, the way a dried egg pan wipes clean after a long soak.

Baking soda is a much milder alkali, and it is one of the things Nordic Ware lists for brightening its aluminum pans. That is why it gets the aluminum job.