How to clean a frying pan from soot at home

Old cast iron or aluminum pans produce the most delicious food. That’s true. But, over the decades they accumulate such a layer of soot that it becomes not only unsightly, but dangerous. Have you seen how an overcooked skillet covered in old grease burns? That’s scary and dangerous! So let’s talk about how to remove soot from the frying pan.

Cleaning a cast iron skillet

Cast-iron, smoked to blackness frying pans are cleaned for a long time. You can not hope for a quick result. But you can use even the most extreme methods.

Almost any attempt to scrub off the soot requires physical effort. So you’ll need a stainless kitchen scraper and gloves. Gloves one thick rubber gloves, the other that will help to bear the high temperature. Also, you have to scrape the soot off, so you’ll need a knife that isn’t stingy and a spatula.

A universal option for cleaning the pan inside and out is to boil it in an alkaline solution

This method works if there is a sufficient concentration of lye. For a good effect, put the components according to the recipe (we are talking about the amount). Cast iron and aluminum pans without non-stick coating can be cleaned in this way.

Use “home” means that have an alkaline reaction. Here are two “working” compositions:

1. For 8-10 liters of water take:
   • 200 grams of 72% laundry soap;
   • 500 grams of soda ash;
   • 200 ml of silicate glue.
2. For 5-6 liters of water take:
   • 100 grams of silicate glue;
   • 100 grams of mustard powder;
   • 100 grams of soda ash.

These ways of cleaning fouling from the frying pan are often called “Soviet” because that’s what was done back in the days of the USSR. They have been tested over the years and they definitely work. But be prepared for the fact that in the pits and scratches will remain black plaque. It can only be removed by grinding. And not by hand.

Instead of soda ash, you can take baking soda, but the result will be worse.

Clean the soot from heated dishes. Fat is removed simply. To avoid getting burned, take thick gloves. The soot comes off worse when cooled. So while cleaning is unfinished, let the solution boil. Periodically immerse the frying pan in the solution, boil for 5 minutes, and clean again.

Boiling order

In the above recipes there is soda ash or baking soda. It is added to the solution, usually last. Pour a little at a time, waiting for the reaction to take place (foam rises). When the foam falls off, you can lower the pan into the solution.

In general, the order of removing soot from the pans is as follows:

1. In a large enameled/stainless pot (bucket or saucepan) bring water to a boil.
2. Add components without baking soda, stir until completely dissolved.
3. Gradually pour in the baking soda, stir each portion and wait for the reaction to end.
4. In the boiling solution put a cast-iron frying pan, cauldron or pot.

Boil the pan from 30 minutes to several hours. It depends on the thickness of the soot. After boiling, you can leave the pan in the solution for a few hours. Where the layer is small, it dissolves completely, where it was thick – you will have to remove it with a knife/spatula, then clean it with a scraper.

The same method is suitable for frying pans made of aluminum alloy, enameled dishes. But there are important points: the pan should be without non-stick coating, and the enamel should not have chips.

Several recipes with onions, apples and potato peels and the results with them can be seen in the video. Interesting experiments and their results.

How to remove soot from the frying pan without boiling

There are more modern options – for example, a mixture of Coca-Cola and citric acid. You need stainless steel utensils – the composition is caustic. The drink is poured into it, 100 grams of citric acid are added to 4 liters. We pour citric acid in small portions, waiting for the end of the reaction.

Boiling is not necessary, just leave the dishes in the solution (soak). Periodically check its condition – the soot will dissolve. Be careful: not all alloys and materials normally tolerate this composition. If you see color changes or the appearance of caverns, take out the dishes and rinse under running water.

Burn off the soot from a cast iron skillet

The soot on a cast iron skillet or pan can be scrubbed off with fire – burn it. If the handles are wooden or plastic, they must be removed. The pan should be put on the fire and wait until the soot starts to fall off. At first it smokes and smokes, then it hardens and begins to fall off. It takes a lot of time to clean it. You can speed up the process if you run a knife blade over the soot. Not scraping, but just swiping. Pieces of blackness fly off, exposing the metal.

You should not burn the pan indoors because there will be a lot of smoke. The exception is if you have a fireplace with a good draft. You can throw a cast iron skillet into it and wait for it to scrub off.

In general, you can burn the cookware on a fire. Utensils made of cast iron can withstand such a procedure, but if it is a frying pan made of aluminum alloys, you can burn only in the flame – on hot coals can melt.

Another way is to use a blowtorch. This option is better, as you can control the heating process, change the intensity of firing in places with different degrees of contamination.

Recovery after cleaning

After boiling or firing, a cast iron or aluminum pan loses its non-stick properties. Before cooking, it is necessary to restore the protective film. First, we calcify the pan with coarse salt. Put it on the fire, pour about 500 grams of rock salt. Roll the salt constantly stirring. How long? About 15 minutes after the salt is as hot as the pan.

Pour out the salt, wipe the skillet with a paper towel, brushing off any salt residue. Don’t wash it. Just wipe with a paper or woven kitchen towel.

Next, restore the protective oil foam on the bottom of the pan. To do this, pour a tablespoon of sunflower oil into the skillet, spread with a brush over the surface and sides. Put back on the fire and heat through again. Smear the oil from time to time. Try to make sure it’s not only on the bottom, but on the sides too. Don’t pour too much. The point is to form a film. There’s no need to boil the oil. When a light sheen appears, turn it off, cool it. Warm skillet can again wipe the inside with a paper towel. Now you can safely cook.

Cleaning fouling from non-stick frying pans

There is nothing on the inside of non-stick pans and they should only be cleaned from the outside. Even then, you cannot use abrasives or scrapers. Only chemicals and ordinary kitchen sponges or brushes with artificial bristles remain.

You can clean a non-stick frying pan from the outside by using:

• Grease dissolving agent.
• Grill cleaner.
• Glass ceramic cleaner.
• Oven cleaning gel.

The products are different, but the method of use is the same. It is necessary to apply to the back side of the frying pan, wait for some time. If necessary, rub with a brush or hard side of a sponge, then rinse with water. Repeat the treatment if necessary.

Remedies for removing soot from the outside of the frying pan

What exactly are the means that give a good result? Various. Most people praise “Shumanit.” This is a “thermonuclear” means. It means odor and effectiveness. It can not be applied to aluminum or cast iron, but with stainless steel or enamel works perfectly.

All other products are about the same. I can recommend a few from personal experience.

1. Good dissolves “medium” fouling “Mr. Muscle” for the kitchen. It is necessary to apply a couple of times and rub thoroughly, but the grease is dissolved.
2. Silite Bang for grills works a little worse. It seems to be more effective, but it worked slower. I had to apply it 3-4 times.

   

3. Old burnt fat, which has become not red, but black, removes Amveev product for cleaning ovens. After keeping the gel on the pan for 15 minutes, put it under a stream of water. The old soot comes off. It just comes off. Small areas remain. You can reapply the product, but it is faster to rub.

Probably all the other products will work about the same. There is simply no “magic” product. Just choose the one that works best for you. And one important tip: do not try to clean a non-stick frying pan from the inside with chemicals. After cleaning it, you’ll send it to the trash. Everything will burn at all and always.

How to clean with improvised means

Not always the right product is at hand. You can try to remove plaque from the frying pan with the help of baking soda and ammonia. In the baking soda (a couple of tablespoons) add ammonia until you get a porridge. Apply it to the frying pan and leave it for 15 minutes. Rub it with the hard side of a kitchen sponge. This way you can clean off not too old and thick plaque.

Nasha alcohol has a very caustic odor, so you need to open a window. And it is better to work in a respirator and thick rubber gloves.

Not very dirty frying pan, from the outside will help to clean off baking soda and vinegar. Apply baking soda on the back side, pour vinegar and wait until the reaction is over. Next – take a sponge in your hands and rub. An extra dose of baking soda helps, dip a piece of sponge in dish detergent, then – again in baking soda.

There is one recipe for cleaning the back of the pan of personal invention. Apply degreaser (I have Brill professional), crush a tablet for dishwasher and pour it on top, leave it for 10 minutes. During this time, a couple of times “pelotovat” sponge so that the powder from the tablet dissolved and more evenly distributed. The fat, which has turned into a hard-to-clean jelly, ceases to be sticky and is scrubbed off. But rubbing is still necessary.