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Mildred asked: How can I clean an aluminum pizza pan? This pan has years of baking, and it has baked-on grease. It is still good for baking, but very ugly. I need suggestions if it is worth keeping.
Pizza pans are notorious for greasy, baked on messes. Restoring their shine won’t be easy, but with a little bit of work you can greatly improve the look of your pan.
You Will Need:
- Clean sink
- White vinegar
- Baking soda
- Large pot
- Water
- Cloth souring pad
Steps to Clean the Pan:
- Start by filling the large pot with water.
- Add approximately two cups of white vinegar per gallon of water.
- Bring the water and vinegar to a boil on the stove.
- Plug the sink so it will not drain.
- Pour the boiling water in the sink.
- Add the pizza pan to the solution in the sink. If you can’t submerge the entire pan, just rotate it frequently so the entire surface has a chance to soak. Be careful, the metal will be hot.
- When the water cools enough to touch, sprinkle the pan with baking soda.
- Scrub with the cloth scouring pad. The acid in the vinegar will help to loosen the baked on, greasy residue. The baking soda will act as a mild abrasive to help scrub it away. Do not worry about the fizzing reaction that occurs when the baking soda and vinegar water meet. This is normal and will dissipate quickly.
- If the water gets cold before the pan is clean, drain the sink and repeat the process.
Additional Tips and Advice
- If the aluminum pan is NOT anodized, Bar Keepers Friend works beautifully. Simply wet the pan, sprinkle with Bar Keepers Friend and wipe clean with a cloth scouring pad. Do NOT use Bar Keepers Friend on anodized aluminum. Wash and rinse the pan thoroughly to remove any residue from the cleaning product.
That is really a nutty solution; forgive the pun.
Adding baking soda to vinegar is adding a base to an acid, which basically recombines OH- with H+ to make H20 (water).
You are just neutralizing the acid in the vinegar with the baking soda.
KBARB: I don’t know about the chemistry of this solution; sounds like you’re a bit more educated in that area than I am.
But…I gave it a try this afternoon with three old pizza pans which had gotten so “baked on” over the years that I was going to throw them away, and the vinegar/baking soda mixture worked for me. So does Mr. Clean Magic Eraser; it just takes a heck of a lot more elbow grease.