Just one cooking disaster can leave your stainless steel pans covered in burnt food that is a headache to remove. Luckily, this TikToker shared a cleaning hack that will save your cookware and your hands from fruitless scrubbing.
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The scoop
TikToker Kasha Cabato (@kasha.cabato) posted a viral video explaining this all-natural cleaning hack with just one ingredient: baking soda.
@kasha.cabato Reply to @mads__walker here's how to deep clean your stainless steel pans without harsh chemicals or barkeeper's friend #nontoxicliving #allnaturalcleaner #diyhomehacks ♬ original sound - Kasha
Baking soda is a nontoxic cleaning agent that works wonders on burnt stains. Cabato breaks down her baking soda hack for stainless steel pans in her TikTok.
First, she puts her pan on the stove and covers it with a generous amount of baking soda. She adds enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and then turns the heat on high. She lets the water boil and completely evaporate.
Next, it's scrub time. This trick works best when the pan is still hot, so Cabato suggests donning some gloves before bringing the pan to the sink. Cabato adds dish soap and uses a scrubber brush to remove the built-up grime.
"After a few minutes of scrubbing, your pan will practically be good as new," Cabato says.
How it's helping
This technique will help you remove stains easier than traditional cleaning methods with harsh chemical cleaners. Not only will you avoid toxic cleaning products, but this method is much cheaper, too.
Chemical cookware cleaners are often respiratory hazards and skin irritants. A popular stainless steel cleaner, Bar Keepers Friend, comes with a litany of hazard statements and instructions to prevent contact with skin and eyes and avoid breathing dust from the product.
"Bar Keepers Friend is made with harsh chemicals that I prefer not to use on something that touches my food," Cabato writes in response to a comment about the popular cleaner. "Plus baking soda is even cheaper!"
A box of baking soda will cost a dollar or two depending on the store, whereas chemical cleaners are generally more expensive.
Baking soda is a better choice for the environment as well. Chemical cleaners are introduced to the environment when they evaporate into the air or wash down kitchen drains.
Cleaning products can pollute the air you breathe and contaminate water sources. These agents can pollute streams and rivers and endanger wildlife, and toxins from cleaning products are often difficult to break down and can take years to degrade.
If you want to make better choices for your health, finances, and the environment, this cleaning hack is the way to go.
What everyone's saying
TikTok users in the video's comment section were impressed by Cabato's baking soda hack and are probably regretting all the unnecessary time spent scrubbing stainless steel cookware.
One user writes, "Wow that's amazing!"
"Just tried it! Wow, it was magic," another TikToker says.
"Thank you so much," a user adds. "My pan was way worse, and now it looks brand new."
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