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!
I can’t wait to try this, thank you for all your tips!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am going to try this on the back of my good Pampered Chef professional cookware that my hubby uses. Needless to say I have given up trying to keep the back of egg/saute pan clean. LOL I’ll let you know how it works.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would it work on non-stick pans?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would not try it on non-stick, since the baking soda is abrasive it may scratch the surface.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband wants to thank you for all of your cleaning tips. I read your blog daily, and then when
Please log in or create a free account to comment.there is a new tip I’m like you and go “I have to try that.” Needless to say, our house is a lot cleaner than it was before. He’s very OCD about cleanliness( I’m more of a chaotic type) so he’s a lot less stressed now. Thanks Jillee!
I must say I am thoroughly impressed with this site regularly! I go home with a new cleaning experiment or homemade cleaner recipe and I am so excited, and the best part the results are always amazing! Thank so much for all your hard work, it truly has made me a happy camper and my house sparkles and shines much longer between cleanings:)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.again! Awesome tips! Cleaning my oven this weekend with you oven hints! Long weekend = clean oven! LOL!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Cool! Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How does one ‘sprinkle’ peroxide? Thanks in advance for the tips everyone!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a spray bottle to spritz it on.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That is genius. I think it doesn’t work for some people because the covering of peroxide isn’t distributed evenly enough.
I bought a generic shaker at local food supply store. You can get them for like 50 cents or a $1 sometimes. Amazon has a set for just about $5. I do a lot of cleaning with baking soda, so it is SO worth it for me. I bought on that has a lid on it so not to let moisture into the shaker holes.
http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Stainless-Pepper-Shakers-Dredges/dp/B000JUTCEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365444502&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+shaker
Also, I use baking soda sprinkled in my stainless steel sink, around my faucet, etc and spray with vinegar. It does all the cleaning work for me and I just rinse away with water or sometimes get a small toothbrush for the hidden areas. Wipe up any water on the counter with a towel and done.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I re-purposed a green plastic container from parmesan cheese. Works great – the lid has options for pouring or sprinkling and it snaps shut.
use a spray bottle….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You put your thumb over the opening of the bottle, turn the bottle upside down and shake the bottle gently. If that’s too difficult you can put peroxide in a small spray bottle. Empty and rinse the bottle when you finish or the peroxide will eat the rubber gasket in the spray bottle trigger.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Peroxide now comes in a SPRAY BOTTLE !!!!!!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I get mine at Walmart, and get a bottle of peroxide to refill it with !!!
You must have been reading my mind. I have the brown build up around the edges and on the backs of my pans too, and I was just wondering yesterday what would take that off without a ton of scrubbing. I love all of your tips and tricks and read your blog daily and I “pin” most of your posts. Keep them coming!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just wondering if it would take of the non stick stuff on it?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My stepdad manages rental property and so he does a lot of cleaning of really terrible things. He says that the mistake most people make is assuming that they have to do the work. You should find a good cleaner for the job you need to do and then get it on there and go away. Let it do it’s work. Sometimes, you’ll still have a little scrubbing to do, but nothing like if you just started scrubbing right away.
Which is one of the reasons why he’s so interested in my new homemade cleaners, because with the storebought stuff, you’re walking a thin line between giving it the time it needs and letting the harsh chemicals eat away at the surface.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think I’m going to try this on the underside of my pots and pans, too. They’re just as good with the gunk on them but I want them shiny and pretty again!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always wondered how to get that junk off! Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.oh for heaven’s sake, am I ever excited about this one! You have the best ideas, and I love your blog.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love this blog! Little tips like this give me a reason to go buy stuff like Peroxide. Sure, I should already have some in my house for my first aid kit, but then it never gets used and I end up throwing away full bottles that have been expired for 4 years… Now I have a use for it other than expiring in my first aid kit.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Using hydrogen peroxide to clean out wounds, scrapes and cuts kills the good cells as well as the bad cells in your body. Just use some simple soap and water. Your cut will heal faster and with less scaring.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean wounds and infected areas but after the HP needs to be rinsed, use sterile water. it will stop the process of the HP killing the good stuff.
Just dip your hand in yogurt and it’s all good.
Don’t get too excited ladies and gents! This does not work.It didn’t work for me and check out many many other posts it didn’t work for.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Your exactly right got so excited to try it went out and bought the stuff for it put it on waited over 2hrs then took it off and it looked exactly how it first started out nothing happened not something I would try again