I Tried This $2 Trick to Clean My Baking Sheets, and They’re Unrecognizable
Baking sheets have always felt like an enigma to me. I’ve heard that a “seasoned” baking sheet is perfectly normal, even preferable like with cast-iron pans, and doesn’t need to be returned back to its sparkly glory — but I’ve also seen several tips on methods on how to scrub it completely clean.
Since baking season is finally here, I decided to test out the winning method from The Kitchn’s baking sheet cleaning showdown: baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. I’ve tried plenty of tricks to clean my baking sheets with decent success, so I figured now was the time to properly clean the one that looks a little too well seasoned — i.e., it’s impossible to know what the original color was. Here’s what happened when I tried this game-changing trick.
The Best Way to Clean Your Baking Sheets
What You’ll Need
Instructions
- Sprinkle baking soda all over the baking sheet, making sure to cover the entire surface.
- Put hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle and spray an even layer until all the powder is wet.
- Let it sit for about nine hours.
- Finally, use a pan scraper to remove the dried paste.
- Scrub the pan with warm, soapy water and a scrubby sponge.
What Happened When I Tried This “Game-Changing” Baking Sheet Cleaning Method
As I scraped my baking sheet, I was feeling disillusioned that this method might not have worked well for me — the burnt (or, ahem, seasoned) parts of the sheet looked the same as when I started. However, I did see a little bit of the burnt brown residue mixed in with the dried paste, so I knew it had worked somewhat, but I was eager to scrub to see what would happen.
Once I tossed out the crusty dried paste and started washing the pan with dish soap and a Scrub Mommy, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I started seeing the shine of the aluminum I hadn’t seen in years, and although the results weren’t perfect, the difference was significant enough. Perhaps with one or two more attempts with this method I could completely restore my baking sheet, but overall I was extremely satisfied with how it turned out. Especially if seasoning on the pan is a good thing!
If you’ve never given your baking sheets a deep-clean, this method is definitely the most convenient. If your pans are in better shape than mine was, I bet it’ll make them sparkle in no time. The spray bottle makes it easy, and letting the paste sit overnight also requires zero effort — all with way less elbow grease than any other method I’ve ever tried. Plus, now I know the original color of my pans!
Have you tried this baking sheet cleaning method? Let us know in the comments below!
This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: I Tried This $2 Trick to Clean My Baking Sheets, and They're Unrecognizable