It’s pretty amazing how quickly baking sheets can lose their brand-new shine and develop that infamous patina of brown, crusty, baked-on grease. And while there’s an argument to be made in favor of having that “well-used” look on your cookware and kitchen tools, baking sheets can easily get to the point where they just look… dirty.
But as most people (including myself) have discovered the hard way, that stubborn layer of grease isn’t easy to remove! It’s impervious to dish soap and water and most other standard cleaning methods, and many people have chosen to simply throw in the towel and say that it’s impossible to truly clean baking sheets.
But I always love a good challenge, especially one that involves solving a tricky cleaning problem! And after hours and hours of research, testing, and scrubbing, I’ve zeroed in on the three best methods for cleaning baking sheets, and I’ll be sharing those here with you today! :-)
A Note About Baking Sheet Materials
This post is written with aluminum baking sheets in mind, and more specifically, raw or bare aluminum baking sheets. If your baking sheets have a non-stick coating (which many aluminized steel baking sheets do), it’s best to stick to gentler cleaners and avoid heavy duty tools like steel wool, which can easily ruin their delicate finish.
And if you’re not really sure which material your pans are made of, make sure to test any method or cleaner on a little patch of the pan first to make sure it won’t damage it.
How to Clean Baking Sheets: The 3 Best Methods
1. Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Sprinkle the pan with baking soda to form an even layer. Pour some hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle (or screw a spray top directly onto the peroxide bottle) and use it to spray enough hydrogen peroxide to wet the baking soda.
Let the ingredients sit on the baking sheet for about two hours. After letting it sit, use a gloved hand or a sponge to scrub the baking sheet, and the baking soda mixture should quickly darken from all the loosened grease.
Rinse the baking soda mixture off of the baking sheet and check your progress on the stains. If it’s not quite clean yet, repeat the cleaning process again to remove the remaining grime.
Why It Works
Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide is one of my all-time favorite cleaning duos. (You can read all about this “miracle cleaner” and the various ways I’ve put it to good use in this post!)
It works equally well for cleaning grimy baking sheets, but I’ve found the most success when I’ve included a third ingredient: time. That baked-on gunk and grime may be stubborn, but giving the combination of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide time to do their thing really minimizes the amount of elbow grease you need to use to remove it!
2. Cream of Tartar and White Vinegar
Sprinkle cream of tartar evenly across the surface of the baking sheet. Pour some white vinegar into a spray bottle, then add it to the cream of tartar by spraying it with enough vinegar to wet it.
Allow the tartar mixture to dry on the baking sheet for at least eight hours (overnight is perfect.) After the wait, use a bit of hot water and a sponge or scrub brush to scrub the baking sheet thoroughly.
After giving it some elbow grease, rinse the baking sheet with warm water and check your progress, then repeat the process if necessary.
Why It Works
While it may seem strange to sprinkle on cream of tartar as a cleaning ingredient, it’s not so surprising when you consider where it comes from! Cream of tartar is a powdery byproduct of the winemaking process, derived from the tartaric acid present in grapes.
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By pairing cream of tartar with an acidic liquid like white vinegar (which contains acetic acid), you form a cleaning paste that can remove tarnish and grease from metals like aluminum, brass, and copper and restore their shine!
(Note: Some people make the mistake of using baking soda instead of cream of tartar in this method. Although mixing baking soda and vinegar will produce a reaction, the reaction is short lived and ultimately won’t be any more effective than soap and water.)
3. Bar Keepers Friend
And finally, there’s good old Bar Keepers Friend. Available as both a scouring powder and a cleaning paste, Bar Keepers Friend often succeeds at removing messes from metal where other cleaners fall short!
After donning a pair of cleaning gloves, simply apply a bit of Bar Keepers Friend to a grimy sheet pan and scrub with a sponge or brush. According to the directions on the container, you’re not supposed to leave this cleaner on a surface for more than a few minutes. The best way I’ve found is to clean smaller sections of the baking sheet one at a time, rinsing each section thoroughly with warm water after scrubbing.
Continue scrubbing your way around the baking sheet until the food stains are gone. Easy!
Why It Works
Bar Keepers Friend is another one of my top cleaners for tough tasks, because very few things work more effectively when it comes to cleaning aluminum, steel, ceramic, copper, and more. The secret to its success (which should come as no surprise at this point) is acid—oxalic acid, in this case.
Oxalic acid, which occurs naturally in plants like rhubarb, spinach, and sorrel, packs more of a punch than tartaric and acetic acids. It breaks down the molecular bonds that make tarnish, rust, and other tough stains so hard to remove, and it leaves behind an impressive shine too!
Because the oxalic acid and other ingredients are so strong, it’s especially important to be careful when using Bar Keepers Friend. Always wear gloves when cleaning with it, keep it away from your face, and be sure to rinse any surfaces it comes in contact with.
Bonus Tips For Keeping Baking Sheets Clean
- Once you’ve cleaned up your baking sheets and restored their shine, ensure that your hard work doesn’t go to waste by using these tips to keep them clean:
- When you know whatever you’re going to cook or bake will leave behind a mess, line your sheet pans with aluminum foil before using them. The mess will stay contained to the tin foil, and you can throw it out afterward!
- Whenever possible, try to hand wash your baking sheets soon after using them. The less time a mess has to sit, the easier it will be to clean.
- After washing them with soap and water, dry your clean cookie sheets thoroughly to keep bacteria at bay and to avoid rusting.
How do you use your baking sheets at home?
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How to Clean Baking Sheets (Step by Step)
Equipment
- Dirty Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- Baking Soda
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- Cream of Tartar
- White Vinegar
- Bar Keeper's Friend
Instructions
Using Baking Soda And Hydrogen Peroxide
- Sprinkle the pan with baking soda to form an even layer. Pour some hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle (or screw a spray top directly onto the peroxide bottle) and use it to spray enough hydrogen peroxide to wet the baking soda.Let the ingredients sit on the baking sheet for about two hours. After letting it sit, use a gloved hand or a sponge to scrub the baking sheet, and the baking soda mixture should quickly darken from all the loosened grease.Rinse the baking soda mixture off of the baking sheet and check your progress on the stains. If it’s not quite clean yet, repeat the cleaning process again to remove the remaining grime.
Using Cream Of Tartar And White Vinegar
- Sprinkle cream of tartar evenly across the surface of the baking sheet. Pour some white vinegar into a spray bottle, then add it to the cream of tartar by spraying it with enough vinegar to wet it.Allow the tartar mixture to dry on the baking sheet for at least eight hours (overnight is perfect.) After the wait, use a bit of hot water and a sponge or scrub brush to scrub the baking sheet thoroughly.After giving it some elbow grease, rinse the baking sheet with warm water and check your progress, then repeat the process if necessary.
Using Bar Keeper's Friend
- And finally, there’s good old Bar Keepers Friend. Available as both a scouring powder and a cleaning paste, Bar Keepers Friend often succeeds at removing messes from metal where other cleaners fall short!After donning a pair of cleaning gloves, simply apply a bit of Bar Keepers Friend to a grimy sheet pan and scrub with a sponge or brush. According to the directions on the container, you’re not supposed to leave this cleaner on a surface for more than a few minutes. The best way I’ve found is to clean smaller sections of the baking sheet one at a time, rinsing each section thoroughly with warm water after scrubbing.Continue scrubbing your way around the baking sheet until the food stains are gone. Easy!
Would this work on the inside of an oven?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Probably, but it would be a mess and take a long time! Try this instead: http://jillee.co/2bym52Q
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I decided to clean my stove top with this method last night. Worked great. You have to wipe clean a lot to get rid of the baking soda residue. No biggie! I then decided to try on a couple of big spills in my oven. Left it for about 4 hours. It was dry so I spritzed with a bit more peroxide. Wiped it all up with paper towels then used a damp rag to finish. Clean as a whistle!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The baking soda is chemically a weak base. If you wipe it up with a weak vinegar solution (weak acid) it should neutralize it and wash it away quickly. I used to use the horrible oven cleaners, then rinse that mess with vinegar to speed up the clean-up from the cleaner.
So glad to hear that Jeanne!
Thanks for the ” recipe!” I knew I’d heard about a combination that worked but couldn’t remember what it was! Now if you could post the “home remedies” for weed killers and ice melting, I’d know you were a miracle worker!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just kidding….you ARE a miracle worker! Thanks again!
White vinegar works great to kills weeds. You can mix vinegar, water and a few drops of dish soap to spray on weeds or squirt pour full strength on a sunny day. Works great on driveways and sidewalk cracks. I use full strength in the morning so it has the day’s sun and heat to process. Works just like the commercial weed killers, but is safe to use and cheaper. Don’t have to worry about pets or spray residue. CAUTION! It will kill other plants it touches. Will also prevent other plants from growing where poured until acidity weakens.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.On my gosh! I have been so frustrated by this exact gunky problem. I don’t have a dishwasher (by choice), so trying to keep my stainless cooking sheets and pan bottoms “buildup, yuck-free” has been a pain. Everyone in my family loves to cook, so you can imagine the amount of use our kitchenware goes through daily!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve tried baking soda and vinegar, baking soda and lemons…
I have Multiple Sclerosis and it’s definitely a challenge to scrub for a long time. Especially on one pot bottom or pan. Ugh!
Thank you so very much for this post! I’m absolutely going to give your recipe a try! I’m super excited about this!
I must add, we don’t use ANYTHING with harsh toxic ingredients – from cleaners, soaps, fragrances to makeup…none. So, this is why I’m excited about this post today!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great post! Why can’t we pin it from our iPads?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Can you help?
It’s easiest to pin straight from my pinterest profile: https://www.pinterest.com/byjillee/one-good-thing/ :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another thing that works well is COMET with steel wool.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for this post today. I have several pans that look like the one you cleaned up. It’s so great to use safe cleaners to accomplish a much needed result! I wonder if this would work on Pyrex? I’ll try it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.thank you for all your awesome, informative posts. I have a question, would you happen to know if this cleaner and procedure would work on cast iron by chance? I have 3 cast iron skillets that I love, but they are all getting rather grungy and I do need to get them scrubbed up and reseason. Thank you for any help you can offer! Love your entire site!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Try this, instead: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-restore-a-rusty-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203086
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow, Wow, Wow Jillee, Thanks So Much, I will definitely be doing this!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually use baking soda which is also very good
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually use baking soda that goes very well
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you! I feel the same about incorrect use of the apostrophe!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow , this is one simple trick i’ m going to try , ty sweetie.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you! I have a few “stainless steel” skillets that are not so stainless on the bottom anymore. Ithink I will try this mixture to these pans as I hate to see the bottoms.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you! Mine are 45 years old (OMG) and black. I will not throw them away as there is nothing wrong with them. Off to the kitchen.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would this work on a copper teapot?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Salt and vinegar is what u use on copper. ..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m not sure if it would work but I use BarKeeper’s friend for all my copper bottom stainless steel pans. It polishes and makes them look brand new and shiny.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I put my pan in a trash bag with a small dish (1/2 cup) of ammonia. Tie the bag shut, let it set overnight & in the morning….viola! All that gunk just wipes right off! Works on electric skillets too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bake all the time so I hate scummy pans.. I put my baking sheets in the oven when I self clean and they come out clean as a whistle. Love this for small spots though. Love your blog. You are wonderful
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When we moved into this house almost seven years ago, the former owners took pretty good care of it thankfully. However, the bathtub looks like it may have been painted or coated with a white whatever not sure what it is. When I clean the tub, the material peels off onto your hands and sponge/rag whatever I use for cleaning leaving white flecks on them. I can’t afford bathfitters and the like. Any ideas for fixing the surface of the tub and it stains easy too.
Thanks for any ideas.
I just love your posts
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Will this work with my darker cookie sheets?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I put mine in the oven when self-cleaning. Come out sparkling and no ingredients needed.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This post & this website is a newlyweds dream! LOL! Thanks for sharing this, I have a tons of pans that could use this tip!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.WOW, What a transformation. When you say “Spray”, do you have the hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle? Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bought spray peroxide in Walmart in the first aid section.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I stick a sprayer from an old spray bottle directly onto my peroxide bottle. I have had to cut the “straw” for some of my Costco purchased peroxide bottles, but other than that no problem.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yep, I buy it in a spray bottle at Family Dollar. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What volume percentage is your hydrogen peroxide. I don’t live in the states and I have never seen that brown big bottle in the grocery stores
Please log in or create a free account to comment.In the states we usually find the peroxide in the pharmacy. Hope this helps
Please log in or create a free account to comment.3% solution is what my bottle says.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.3% :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have an old hydrogen peroxyde bottle. Do you think it may still work, or does it have to be freshly open?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Older peroxide should work just fine!
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