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Lifestyle

How to Clean a Burnt Pan With Salt in 20 Minutes

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at George Mason chapter.

The worst part of cooking is always cleaning the dishes afterwards. If you make a mistake and accidentally burn your pan, it gets even worse. Who wants to soak and scrub a pan for hours just to get it clean? Not me. But worry not, fledgling adult, for there are better ways. Let me show you how to clean a burnt pan with salt:

What You Need:

Burnt pan

Water

Plain table salt

Scrub sponge

Step 1: Soak It Up

how to clean a burnt pan with salt espresso tea
Elizabeth Vana

Once your burnt pan has cooled, fill it with some warm water and 2-3 tablespoons of regular table salt. Stir the salt around, ensuring that it mixes evenly with the water. Then, let the pan soak

Step 2: Boil It

how to clean a burnt pan with salt dairy product milk
Elizabeth Vana

After two minutes, transfer the pan to the stovetop and boil the water for 15 minutes. Make sure to wipe off any extra water from the bottom of the pan. Then sit back, and let the pan bubble (without any toil or trouble).

Step 3: Salt Scrub

Cleaning soup
Elizabeth Vana

Boiling should get most of the burn residue off your pan, but if it doesn’t, the next step is a salt scrub. Pour out most of the hot salt water, leaving about half an inch still in the pan. Pour in a couple more tablespoons of salt, and use a scrub sponge to wipe away the rest of the mess.

#SpoonTip: Be careful of the hot water. Use dish gloves or wait for it to cool before you start cleaning.

Step 4: Rinse and Dry

how to clean a burnt pan with salt espresso tea
Elizabeth Vana

Wash the pan normally with hot soap and water, and leave it to dry. And that’s it! It’s been about 20 minutes, and your pan is squeaky clean without you breaking a sweat. Adulting isn’t so hard after all, is it?

While some foods may taste better burnt, scraping burnt food off a pan is still a bummer. Lucky for you, you know how to clean a burnt pan with salt, so you’ve got it made. Celebrate your adulting accomplishment with some ice cream. You deserve it, champ. While you’re at it, why don’t you use this extra time to figure out what kind of adult you are?

Elizabeth Vana

George Mason '17

Growing up with a wild imagination in a small town, I've always dreamed about living and writing about fantastic adventures. Food is no exception. Whether it's experimenting with different ways to eat cheese or trying the newest kale trend, I'm always up for a foodventure.