Cleaning frying pans at home

In every home there are frying pans in the kitchen, and every housewife asks the question of how to clean them. There are many ways to clean frying pans. Some of them require physical effort, others use special cleaning agents.

What is carbon deposits?

The dirt that forms over time on the surface of the frying pan is called carbon deposits. They consist of food particles, oil, and fat. Carbon deposits that have just formed are yellow-brown in color. Over time, they darken, reaching a black color.

If not cooked properly, oil and fat can release harmful substances – carcinogens. They are very harmful to human health and can lead to cancer. Therefore, it is very important to clean the frying pan from carbon deposits regularly.

How does carbon deposits form on the coating of a frying pan?

Meat is fried and stewed in a frying pan almost every day, vegetables are sautéed. Frequent use of the cookware leads to the formation of carbon deposits. This happens for the following reasons:

• small drops of boiling oil or melted fat fall on the walls;
• food particles stick to the bottom, and sometimes food burns;
• Open flames promote the formation of soot.

Even if you wash the frying pan thoroughly after each use, you will not be able to avoid the formation of carbon deposits.

How to use frying pans correctly

It is better to use each specific type of this cookware in accordance with the operating instructions. Four simple rules are universal for any frying pans.

1. After purchasing new utensils, be sure to wash them with detergent or soap solution.
2. Some types of products are lubricated with vegetable oil before use.
3. The size of the burner should not exceed the size of the bottom. Open flame will damage the outer coating of the walls.
4. A sharp temperature change is harmful to the cookware and can change its properties. Do not put hot pans in the refrigerator or cool them with cold tap water.

Key Features of Cleaning Frying Pans at Home

Sometimes just washing dirty dishes is not enough. Heavy dirt requires special attention. At home, you can use various cleaning methods.

There are special tools for cleaning frying pans, such as metal sponges and scrapers. Various substances are used for washing, both special ones and those stored in every kitchen. But not all of them are universal, some may not only fail to cope with the work, but also damage the dishes. Each type of frying pan has its own nuances of washing and care.

Ceramic

If the food is burnt or a layer of carbon has formed, then the housewife faces the question: how to clean a ceramic frying pan without damaging the coating? It cannot be rubbed hard. It is better to use a soft cloth or sponge for washing. The use of powder and abrasive materials is generally prohibited.

To remove a small layer of carbon from a ceramic frying pan, you can use alcohol, wiping the walls with cotton wool soaked in it. There is also a method using toothpaste. Thanks to its whitening properties, it can completely clean light coatings.

You need to treat the ceramic coating with care, then it will last a long time.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION! Compared to all others, ceramic frying pans are safer. In addition, the consumption of vegetable oil for frying is minimal.

Cast iron

Cast iron is the least demanding in maintenance. It is good to use metal scrapers and graters to clean cast iron pans. But if the carbon deposits are old, it is better to soften them first. This can be done using the simplest substances, vinegar and soda. But for this, the pan will need to be boiled.

Both before the first use and after such cleaning, the cast iron pan should be treated with vegetable oil and calcined.

Aluminum

You can't clean aluminum pans without a non-stick coating with anything. Rough materials, acids, and alkalis are contraindicated. Neither long soaking nor washing in a dishwasher is advisable. Washing with detergents and ammonia solution is suitable for them.

If Teflon or any other coating is applied, then washing is carried out in accordance with the rules for caring for this material.

With marble coating

The surface of such a frying pan is Teflon with the addition of marble chips. Therefore, the cleaning rules for them are the same as for all others with non-stick coatings. They cannot be rubbed with abrasives and metal sponges and should not be soaked for a long time. You can clean a marble frying pan using soda, soap and alkaline solutions, as well as in a dishwasher.

How to clean frying pans from scale and carbon deposits until they shine

It is necessary to keep not only frying pans in order and clean in the kitchen, but also other household utensils: pots, saucepans, cauldrons, etc. Carbon deposits and scale can form in any utensils. There are many ways to remove dirt, from cleaning products thought out by manufacturers to folk remedies, tested by many years of experience.

Sometimes it takes just a little effort to clean your dishes until they shine. The main thing is to choose the method that is suitable for the type of dirt and type of pan.

Melamine sponge

A melamine sponge can cope with any dirt. It is recommended for household needs: cleaning tiles, plastic, wall surfaces, including wallpaper. It will clean both scale and carbon deposits from a frying pan and other dishes. But you should not ignore the health hazard issue.

Experts do not recommend using melamine sponges to clean dishes. This is only possible if the cleaning is done from the outside.

Alcohol

Regular ethyl alcohol will perfectly cope with a small layer of carbon deposits on ceramic or other dishes. Due to the property of alcohol to dissolve fats, it will be easy to wipe off dirt without damaging the non-stick coating. You need to wet a cotton ball or soft cloth in alcohol and simply wipe the surface.

Ammonia mixed with vinegar and baking soda is a suitable cleaning agent for aluminum cookware.

Detergent with water

A simple detergent is best suited for daily washing of frying pans. Surfactants and various additives perfectly remove fresh dirt, and if you believe the advertising, they also break down solidified fat. It is important to observe the following conditions:

• do not pour ice water into a hot frying pan;
• To wash the frying pan every day, it is good to use a foam rubber or other soft sponge;
• In case of heavy soiling, it is better to pour a little detergent into the bottom of the pan, fill it with warm water for a few minutes, and then rinse.

Anti-fat gel

There are special gels that help deal with carbon deposits and old grease. They can be narrowly focused, for example, for cleaning cauldrons, and more broadly focused - for washing stoves, ovens, dishes, etc. They are sold both in retail stores and online.

Such gels are good for use and cleaning pans, but they must be used in compliance with all safety precautions and in full accordance with the instructions for use.

Boil the frying pan

If the layer of carbon deposits is thick enough and it is impossible to use abrasive components and caustic substances or they are simply not at hand, then you can resort to boiling out the fat.

1. Fill the frying pan with water.
2. Place on the burner and bring to a boil.
3. Leave for 20 minutes.
4. Let cool and rinse in the usual way.

If necessary, you can repeat the process.

In this way, you can clean the frying pan not only from the inside, but also from the outside. To do this, you need to put it in a container filled with a soda solution (100 g / l), for example, a basin or a bucket, and boil it according to the same scheme. Instead of soda, you can use a soap solution.

Cleaning with a dishwasher

Almost any dishware can be washed in modern dishwashers, unless otherwise specified in the instructions. Frying pans are perfectly washed from fresh dirt. And, as many dishwasher owners claim, even long-standing carbon deposits on frying pans and pots are washed off after several intensive washing cycles.

BY THE WAY! A dishwasher uses water and dishwashing detergent more economically and efficiently than a sink.

Eraser and grater

The previously washed and dried surface of the frying pan with a ceramic coating can be rubbed off the plaque with an ordinary school eraser. This method is not the most effective. It can only remove small stains.

Hydrochloric acid

Hydrochloric acid is an active chemical substance. Cleaning agents based on it are very dangerous and are not suitable for surfaces that come into contact with food. Frying pans can only be cleaned from the outside. Hydrochloric acid-based products should be used very carefully. If the non-stick coating has even the slightest damage, then hydrochloric acid should not be used.

Activated carbon

Activated carbon is mixed with detergent and the pan is soaked for about an hour. Then the dirt is scrubbed off with a sponge and rinsed with water. This method does not clean all the dirt, but it is a good alternative to other cleaning agents.

Citric acid

Citric acid is a great replacement for strong-smelling vinegar. Its cleaning ability is no worse, and the absence of an unpleasant smell is a clear plus. In order to clean the frying pan, you need to do the following.

1. Fill it with water and add a packet (25 g) of citric acid.
2. Place the pan on the gas and bring the liquid to a boil.
3. As soon as the water boils, you need to turn off the gas.
4. Let the pan cool naturally.
5. Rinse with clean water and a sponge.

Hydrogen peroxide and soda

At home, you can clean frying pans with hydrogen peroxide and soda. The procedure in this case is as follows.

1. Mix the peroxide and soda into a homogeneous paste. You will need a little peroxide, the soda should not dissolve completely.
2. Heat the frying pan and apply the prepared mixture to the contaminated areas.
3. Wait 10-15 minutes.
4. Remove dirt with a sponge or brush and wash the surface.
5. Repeat if necessary.

This method is good because it is completely safe for both the frying pan and the person.

How to clean small stains

The easiest way is to remove dirt as soon as it appears. For modern ceramic dishes, simply rinse it with warm water. You can use a sponge or cloth. After washing, wipe the surface dry with a napkin or towel.

How to Clean a Heavily Dirty Frying Pan Effortlessly

If the contamination is extensive, and you can't rub the surface too hard, and you don't want to put in a lot of effort, then it's best to soak the frying pan in warm water with soda or detergent. You don't need to leave it for a long time, half an hour will be enough.

An easy way to clean a thick layer of carbon deposits

When the carbon deposits on the surface of the frying pan have settled in a thick layer, it is not so easy to remove them. It is impossible to clean them without any effort. The easiest way to wash dishes is in a dishwasher. In this case, a person only needs to load it correctly and turn on the desired mode.

What you shouldn't use to wash the outside and bottom of a frying pan

Modern frying pans also have a special coating on the bottom so that the cookware can be used on glass-ceramic hobs. Therefore, the outside of the frying pan should also be cleaned carefully. Do not use metal scrapers or strong chemicals.

How to properly care for a frying pan

To care for a ceramic frying pan, you only need to remember three simple rules.

1. Do not use metal accessories.
2. Do not expose to temperature changes.
3. Wash and clean off carbon deposits in a timely manner.

ATTENTION! Do not forget that the average service life of a frying pan with a ceramic coating is 2 years. With proper care - up to 5 years.

Proper care and careful use will increase the service life of any frying pan. If you do not neglect the simplest rules, then the cookware will always remain as new.

VIDEO: How to clean frying pans from carbon deposits and grease.