These home remedies will make your pots shine like new

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Kitchen accidents happen.

Soaking a burnt pot in hot water can help, but it might not be strong enough.

Learn how to get burnt food off pots and pans with 7 easy methods.

burnt food on a frying pan

The Spruce / Ana Cadena

Before Getting Started

Abrasive cleaners and scouring supplies should never be used on non-stick surfaces.

Add Vinegar and Scrub Clean

Add enough vinegar to cover the bottom of the pan.

When the fizzing stops, scrub the pan.

Heating water in a burnt pan

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Rinse well and repeat the steps if needed.

Use the baking soda and lemon method to scrub the outside of copper or copper-bottomed pans.

This method is very abrasive and should not be used on non-stick pans or seasoned cast iron pans.

Adding baking soda to the burnt pan

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Place on the stove and boil for 10-15 minutes.

Add enough white vinegar to cover the burnt food and then sprinkle with baking soda.

Wait for the fizzing to stop and wipe out the pan with a non-abrasive sponge.

Wiping baking soda paste with steel wool

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The fastest way is to fill the pan with hot water and baking soda and heat until boiling.

Empty the pan and add more baking soda and enough white vinegar to cover the bottom.

After the fizzing stops, scrub the pan.

Nonstick pan filled with water and half cup of baking soda pouring in

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Dropping alka seltzer tablets into a pan filled with warm water

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Soaking a dryer sheet in a pan filled with warm water

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Using half a lemon to scrub a burnt pan

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Adding a dishwasher tablet to water in a pan

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Using crumpled up foil to clean a burnt pan

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wooden spoon for preventing pot burns

​The Spruce / Ana Cadena