The 2 Pantry Ingredients You Need To Clean A Burnt Pan

There comes a point in every well-loved pan's life where no matter how much elbow grease you put into it, it still comes out of the sink looking like it's been slathered in coal dust. Before going out to buy a can of cookware cleanser, poke around your pantry for white vinegar and onions. Yup, these two ingredients combined with some heat are all you need to get that pan looking as good as new.

Whether you have small kids, or mischievous pets, or are simply trying to limit the number of harmful chemicals stored in your home, turning to natural cleaning solutions is a great way to decrease toxin exposure. A can of Bar Keepers Friend will run you about $8 and is listed as "non-toxic," yet it still has a "harmful if swallowed" warning label and a list of unrecognizable ingredients like "mono-c10-16-alkyl derivs." Mono-what-now? On the flip side, white vinegar and onions are culinary staples that are not only safe to ingest but delicious and good for you, but also more cost-efficient than single-purpose cleaners.

This hack comes to us thanks to TikTok user @kamanabhaskaran who learned how to clean her pans using pantry staples from her grandmother. You only need one large red onion for cleaning — not even the whole thing — and about ¼ cup of white vinegar, the miracle cleaner. Cut ¼ from onion, then dice into smaller pieces making sure to leave the peel on. Throw the onion into the burnt pot and add the ¼ cup of vinegar. You want the vinegar to completely submerge any black staining, so you can add more if needed. Place the pot on your stovetop and turn the flame to high, this should get the onion-vinegar concoction boiling.

Once everything is boiling, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to gently lift the burnt particles from the bottom of the pan. They should come up easily because the acidity of the onions and vinegar will eat right through those stubborn grease stains. Once you've lifted off everything wait for the pan to cool off, then dump the contents. Any leftover bits can be scrubbed free with a scrubber pad. Dry off and make sure to marvel at how good-as-new it looks.