Cleaning Burn Stains While Cooking

Everyone has seen those nasty stains that are left behind when you burn something in a pot or pan. Typically, the absolute worst thing that you can do when dealing with this type of stain is to wait. Cleaning burn stains while cooking doesn't need to be a difficult process, and can help prevent those burn stains from actually setting into the cooking ware. Most of the methods that are listed here will use products that you already have on hand, so it wont' require you to spend a lot of money to go out and get anything new.

• Baking Soda. Using a ratio of one teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of water, create a homemade cleaning mixture. Put this mixture into the burnt pot or pan, and then return to the stove. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, and allow it to simmer for about twenty minutes or until you start to see the burnt mess start to float. Remove the pot from the heat and pour out the cleaning mixture. You should have been able to remove most, if not all, of the burn, then simply clean as you normally would.
• Soap. Another great method of cleaning burn stains while you are cooking is to use a little bit of liquid dishwashing detergent and water. Fill up your pot or pan to about an inch away from the top with water, and then add two teaspoons of dish soap. Once again, bring the water to a boil, and allow it to simmer for about ten minutes. Turn off the heat after the time has expired, and then cover. Allow the pot to cool down for thirty minutes, soaking while it does so. After the time has passed, use a wooden or plastic spoon and scrape off any burnt material that remains.
• Vinegar. By utilizing some white vinegar and water (a mix that is roughly 50/50) you can remove most types of cooking stains, and a burn stain is no different. Once again, put the cleaning mixture into the pot or pan, and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about thirty minutes, adding more cleaning mixture as needed. As the burnt pot simmers, you should notice that the burn stains are being removed with no problem. If there are any stains left after the time has expired, pour the cleaning mixture out of the pot or pan, and gently scrub the remaining mess away.
• Specialized cleansers. Perhaps the single most expensive, and effective, method for removing burn stains while cooking is by using some specialized cleaner. Most of these cleaners can be found at your local department store, and all you really need to do is follow the directions.