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So your well-loved stainless steel frying pan is starting to look a little too, well, loved. Don’t panic: Despite the name, stainless steel can, indeed, start to look burnt or discolored over time and with heavy use. Good news is this is totally normal, and these stains are rarely permanent.

Here are a few of our favorite cleaning tools and household products to use on stainless steel pans, depending on the degree or type of burn. So whether you’re dealing with nasty splotches of polymerized oil, burnt food, or rainbow-hued heat tint, we’ve got you covered.

Table of Contents

1. 5 Methods to Clean Burnt Stainless Steel Pans
   1. Dish Soap and Stainless Steel Cleaner
   2. Vinegar and Baking Soda
   3. Salt
   4. Baking Soda
   5. White Vinegar
2. Ready to Clean?

5 Methods to Clean Burnt Stainless Steel Pans

If you’ve found yourself with a burnt stainless steel pan, don’t panic. Wipe as much as you can off with dish soap, a sponge, and warm water. Once you’re down to the remaining stubborn residue, turn to one (or more) of these solutions you likely already have the materials for.

Dish Soap and Stainless Steel Cleaner

Before you start cleaning your pan, be sure to remove any remaining charred-on food. Cover the debris with water and dish soap , then let the water boil as you gently scrape at the food with a wooden spoon.

Once any burnt-on bits are removed, douse the pan in your powdered cookware cleaner of choice. Let it sit for a few minutes, then scrub with a stainless steel scrubber. Rinse and repeat as many times as needed to fully remove the debris.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

When combined, vinegar (an acid) and baking soda (a base) produce carbon dioxide bubbles that can help loosen bits of stubborn stuck-on food. First, sprinkle baking soda all over the affected area, then use a sponge to scour the inside of the pan. Once you’ve removed as much of the mess as you can, add a small amount of vinegar: the mixture should foam up immediately. Scrub thoroughly, then rinse and repeat until the stain is fully dissolved.

Salt

If you’ve ever used coarse salt to scrub out your unfinished cast iron skillet, you know that it’s an effective tool for scouring away charred, sticky messes. Sprinkle coarse salt over the areas that need cleaning, then let sit for about five minutes before scrubbing with a rough sponge, scouring pad, or lemon for an all-natural solution.

Baking Soda

While not quite as effective as Bar Keeper’s Friend or other powdered cleaners, baking soda is still a solid, cheap option for cleaning stainless steel cookware that you likely have on hand already. Make a paste of baking soda and water, using it to cover the burnt parts of your pan. Once you’ve gotten it as clean as possible, rinse out the pan, repeating the process if needed.

White Vinegar

Vinegar isn’t just a natural disinfectant—it’s also an effective tool for tackling messes like grease, grime, and hard water stains. Simply boil water and a few tablespoons of white vinegar together in your stainless steel pan—just enough to cover the mess in question—then dump it out and wash with soapy water. For more stubborn messes, try the above method of combining vinegar with baking soda.

Ready to Clean?

With the sheer number of options available for cleaning burnt stainless steel cookware, you can feel a little less nervous using your pan on a daily basis. So don’t be shy about cranking the heat—as long as you have a few simple pantry ingredients on hand, you can almost always restore your pan back to its original shine.

How do I remove burnt-on food from a stainless steel pan?

GlobeHome recommends starting by filling the pan with water and a little dish soap, bringing it to a boil, and gently scraping with a wooden spoon to lift charred bits. After that, apply a powdered cleaner , scrub with a stainless-steel scrubber, rinse, and repeat until the residue is gone.

Can I boil vinegar in my stainless steel pan to remove stains?

GlobeHome says yes: boil enough water to cover the stain with a few tablespoons of white vinegar, then dump the liquid and wash with soapy water. For more stubborn marks, follow with a baking soda scrub or treat with Made In’s Stainless Steel Cleaner.

Is it safe to cook on high heat or will that ruin my pan?

You can crank the heat for everyday cooking, but very high or prolonged heat can cause rainbow-hued heat tint or polymerized oil stains. With simple pantry fixes — boiling vinegar, baking soda paste, or a powdered cleaner — you can usually restore the finish; for tough cases try Made In’s Stainless Steel Cleaner.

What household items work best to clean a burned stainless steel
pan?

Use common pantry items: dish soap and boiling water to loosen debris, baking soda paste to scrub, vinegar plus baking soda to foam away stuck bits, or coarse salt for scouring. For persistent discoloration and buildup, reach for the Stainless Steel Cleaner from GlobeHome.