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.
More Ideas You'll Love
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?
More Ideas You'll Love
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!
PS
Please log in or create a free account to comment.She even plagiarized the pictures.
This is a hoax and was plagerized. I pinned the other one. It was the most re pinned from all my pins. I’m telling you HUNDREDS of repins. I decided to try it. NOTHING happened. I tried again. Same result. I deleted it. Used to follow Jillee. No longer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Autoplay of advertising videos is the reason that I won’t be back to this site.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Industrial pans like the one you cleaned can just be left in the oven when you put the oven on self clean. I do it all the time, they come out like new.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I drop a comment whenever I especially enjoy a article on a website or I
have something to contribute to the discussion. Usually
it’s a result of the sincerness communicated in the article I read.
And on this post New Life For Old Cookie Sheets .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.. . Again. | One Good Thing by Jillee. I was actually excited enough to post a thought :-P I do have a couple of questions for you if you do not mind.
Is it just me or does it appear like a few of the comments appear as if they are
coming from brain dead individuals? :-P And, if you are posting at additional sites, I would like to follow anything fresh
you have to post. Could you list all of your public sites
like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?
Excellent web site you have here.. It’s hard to find good quality writing
like yours nowadays. I truly appreciate individuals like you!
Take care!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This isn’t homemade, but I spray my baking sheets with EZ Off oven cleaner, put them in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes, then just rinse off the gunk, and voila! Clean.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use this same method to clean the grates off my stove top. Works great.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I want to to thank you for this wonderful read!! I definitely
Please log in or create a free account to comment.loved every bit of it. I’ve got you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post…
I think miracle is a bit of an oversell. It kind of worked but I had to scrub a LOT. I’m happy that it got some of the funk off, but it was definitely more work than this post implies.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A friend buys a mouth guard and fills it with baking soda and peroxide during his shower. His hygienist compliments him on how white his teeth are and stronger gums.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I hate to resurrect such an old post, but I came across this today and decided to try the “Miracle Cleaner + Time” formula on my glass top stove, and I just have to tell you it worked WONDERFULLY. I only had to push (I hesitate to say scrub or use elbow grease because it wasn’t really either) a little on the worst of the offending spots to get them removed. Thank you for sharing the “Miracle Cleaner.”
Please log in or create a free account to comment.ʏou’re in point of fact a good webmaster. Тhe web sitе loadinɡ speed is incredible.
It kiոnd οf feels that yοu’re doing anу unique trick.
Moreover, The contents аre masterwork. ʏoou have Ԁone
Please log in or create a free account to comment.a magnificent activity on this topic!
Through its long history, Kenmore barbeque grills have been manufactured by a large number of grill companies and importers.
There is certainly a model for your cooking style
Please log in or create a free account to comment.and life style. This offers the user ample cooking space, with this kind of space
one can experiment with different kinds of recipes
and food additives.
This did not work at all.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Right away I am going to do my breakfast, afterward having my breakfast coming over again to
Please log in or create a free account to comment.read more news.
Hi. Tried this and it hardly made a dent in the gunk. Will try again, but not sure what to do differently. I made the paste using a lot of baking soda and HP and then I left it overnight and just a tiny bit came off. Nothing like your picture.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If baking soda & baking powder are old or have been sitting on the store shelves for too long they won’t interact with the peroxide/vinegar. I always try to grab the boxes at the back of the shelf because if they were stocked properly the oldest products are at the front of the shelf.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the cleaning tips. My cookie sheets need some of this kind of cleaning.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have tried twice, on the same cookie sheet. Both times I let it sit for 8+ hrs, and had No luck with this “miracle cleaner”. the 1st time I just let it sit over night then cleaned and scrub it in the morning. The 2nd time I started in the morning and about every 2hrs I would go in and scrub the sheet a little pack all the “miracle cleaner” back down and into palce. And still nothing. I fell like it was a waist of time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I tried this on my one especially burnt pan and it did nothing. I left it plenty of time but the stains remain.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.