Clean Aluminum with Fruit

Written by Amy Gordon (last updated November 6, 2023)

Although aluminum pots and pans are some of the shiniest objects in the kitchen when new, they quickly lose their luster with use. Aluminum naturally oxidizes to create stains and discolorations on its surface. With time, these objects will often become downright ugly. While a thorough scrubbing can sometimes bring back the shine, it is not always effective, and the work you might put into scrubbing is often too painful and time consuming to be worth it.

Fortunately, there are other ways to return beauty to aluminum cookware. Simply use your pots and pans to cook various acidic foods, such as apples, rhubarb, lemons, or tomatoes. The acid from any of these foods will leave your aluminum pots and pans gleaming like new.

If you have no plan to cook with these or other acidic foods, there are other methods that you can use to return the shine to your aluminum. Simply boil one to two teaspoons of cream of tartar in a quart of water. You can increase or decrease the amount of cream of tartar and water you use depending on the size of the pot or pan, but keep the proportions approximately the same. Boil this mixture in your aluminum pots and pans for about ten minutes before rinsing.

The cream of tartar can also be replaced by a tablespoon or two of vinegar in a quart of water. Once again, boil this mixture for about ten minutes to return the shine to your aluminum. Avoid using any kind of alkaline cleaner on your aluminum pots and pans, like baking soda or bleach. Remember not to use abrasives, which may scratch aluminum surfaces, especially anodized or finished aluminum. Steel wool will scratch these surfaces, but it may be used on plain aluminum if no other method will remove burnt-on food.

Author Bio

Amy Gordon

Amy Gordon loves keeping things simple, natural, and safe so she can spend more time having fun. Every day she learns new things about making life at home easier and she loves to share it with you! ...

MORE FROM AMY

Use Air Freshener to Clean Your Mirrors

You can use many of your cleaning chemicals for multiple purposes. Air freshener works as a glass cleaner that will also ...

Discover More

Use Your Light Bulbs to Scent Your Rooms

Air fresheners that plug in or spray periodically can be expensive, especially when you consider the cost of refills. For ...

Discover More

Growing Green Peppers

Green peppers are a great treat that are very popular in the United States. If you want to grow your own, start by ...

Discover More

Keep Your Hardwood Floors Like New Bona's hardwood floor cleaner is the #1 choice of professionals. The no-residue formula is specially designed to be safe for floors, families, and the environment. Check out Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Refill today!

Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in Cleaning Tips from Tips.Net. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.