A Case For Why You Might Not Want To Deep Clean Your Baking Sheets

Are you unknowingly sabotaging yourself in the pursuit of clean baking sheets? While it may seem counterintuitive, you might be missing out on a whole host of benefits by giving your pans a deep clean. Over time, your baking sheets develop a natural non-stick surface as a result of oil and grease buildup. In other words, they become "seasoned." This can significantly boost the efficiency of your pans — increasing their browning effect, corrosion defense, lifespan, and ease of cleaning. However, a deep clean can strip away those benefits. So think twice before you try to bring life back to your well-loved baking sheets.

When it comes to your baking pans, there is a major difference between one that is considered seasoned and one that is simply dirty. You should definitely clean any burnt messes from your baking sheets and wash them after every use. For a standard dirty pan, it may take some elbow grease, but it won't require special solutions to achieve a clean wash. On the other hand, a seasoned pan may look dirty on the surface, but its deep stains won't come off when you wash it, no matter how hard you scrub. That layer is actually the oil and grease from your food that has baked onto your pans, leaving behind a brownish tint. It ruins the bakeware's shiny clean look, but it also provides a major assist. By avoiding a deep clean, you can save yourself lots of scrubbing and have a better-working, seasoned baking sheet.

You obviously want your dishes to look clean, but that doesn't mean they need to be completely spotless. It may be hard to part with the idea of a shiny baking sheet, but those baked-on stains are useful. Similar to a cast iron skillet, the oil and grease buildup from your previous meals can actually help keep your food from sticking to the tray. Most aluminum pans need some form of butter or oil to achieve that non-stick effect, but with a seasoned pan, that work is done for you. Additionally, a well-seasoned pan is far better at browning your meals than a spotless aluminum sheet. It works to effectively absorb the heat in your oven and distributes it evenly across the pan, giving you that quintessential golden color. Further, the baked-on coating provides the pan with a defense against corrosion, so you won't need to revive your rusted baking sheets anymore.

And if you aren't quite convinced yet, how about prolonging the life of your beloved pans? That's right – deep cleaning can actually degrade your baking sheets. Intense scrubbing with rigid scouring pads scratches the bakeware. Plus, harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners used in the process can erode the surface of your trays, removing the coating on non-stick bakeware. With that out of the way, your food will cling to the bare metal surface and make it even harder to clean off in the end. The only thing that should stick with your well-seasoned pan is you!