Remove Baked on Food with Baking Soda and Dish Soap ~ Homemaking 101 Tip #5

ByMary Beth Sharkey
9 Comments

A few months ago I was given {jumping up and down} a Martha Stewart enameled cast iron casserole.  I use this often in both the oven and on the stove top.  I had been able to keep it pretty sparkly and new looking but we were invited to a picnic for the 4th of July......I made my 'homemade' baked beans to take and the hostess didn't want them to get cold so she heated them up.....way too long.....and I was left with a burned on mess on my previously unscathed almost good as new pot.  What to do?  Well, I soaked the pot washing it out after every soaking and I was still left with this.

I knew I didn't want to use a Brillo pad on this surface so I brainstormed.

Since lately I have been using baking soda for just about everything under the sun I thought I would try it mixed with a little bit of dish soap and some water.  I put 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of dish soap and ½ inch of water in the pot and brought it to a boil.  I then turned it down to a simmer and after a few minutes I gently nudged the baked on food off with a metal spatula.

It came off easily without any effort.  I removed the pot from the heat, dumped out the water and after a few minutes used a paste of baking soda and water to gently wash the pot and I was left with a clean pot, no more baked on food and a patina on the enamel that while it was not present before this, it's a common occurrence on enameled cast iron and is considered a sign of well-loved cookware.

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Mary Beth is a wife, mother to three sons, and a clean freak. She aspires to help others create a happy organized home, and a cozy living space and shares easy recipes, DIYs, and home improvements for busy families.

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9 Comments

  1. I used this method for the first time about 3 months ago. Wow...is all I can say. Why did it take so long for me to hear about this? Try it, you will love it. Thank you for sharing a valuable cleaning tip.

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    1. I agree....I have no idea why I didn't know about this sooner. My Mom and Grandma probably used items like this as opposed to store bought. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by ~ mb

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  2. That's a great tip! *Rushes to buy more baking soda*

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  3. Awesome idea! I'll have to try to remember this! 🙂

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  4. Julia Stansel says:

    Great idea! You are handier than a pocket on a shirt girl! I will definitely have to try this next time I am out of vinegar. You can sprinkle the baking soda and then pour a little vinegar, the chemical reaction of creating carbon dioxide will also loosen burnt on stuff off. But there has been a few times I went to grab the vinegar and found it gone because the kids had used it for something. So am so glad to know another way because, this girl hates scrubbing anything! Life is too short to spending it scrubbing girl!

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    1. Thanks, Julia ~ the pocket comment made me chuckle! : )

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  5. That is a great trick!
    Thanks for sharing with us!
    Stacey of Embracing Change

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    1. You're welcome, Debra ~ thanks for the comment...I always appreciate them. : )

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