Can A Dryer Sheet Clean A Burnt Pan?

Many home cooks take a lot of pride in their pots and pans collection, especially regarding expensive, shiny, stainless steel pans. Unfortunately, regular cooking can and almost inevitably results in occasional burning. There are few things more heartbreaking than cleaning up after dinner, only to realize that your favorite pan has a big, ugly scorch mark.

Luckily, burn marks don't have to be permanent if you know how to get them out. Many people swear by plenty of tips and tricks, including vinegar and baking soda mix, lemons, specialty products, aluminum foil, and more, via the Taste of Home. While these methods are easy enough, they're not always effective, and it can be exhausting trying to find an efficient way to revitalize your cookware and bakeware.

But did you know something you probably have in your laundry room could be a cure-all? According to Kitchn, you can bring your pots and pans back to life with just dryer sheets, dish soap, hot water, and an hour of your valuable time.

Kitchn says you will only need dryer sheets and soap to clean your burnt pots and pans, Simply add a couple of drops of dish soap to the pan and then pour in just enough boiling, almost scalding water. Add your dryer sheet, and any scent will do, to the burnt pan and let it sit for at least an hour, but you can also let it sit overnight. Run the pan under hot water when the timer is up, and use the dryer sheet to scrub up any stubborn burnt bits, which should easily flake off. If there are burn marks on the bottom of the pan, allow it to sit a few inches deep in water for the same amount of time and repeat the process. 

While there aren't any hard-hitting scientific studies behind this method, Donna Smallin Kuper told Today that it likely works due to the dryer sheet's conditioning properties, which softens the hard scorches and makes it easier for them to come off. Remember that dryer sheets are a little pricey, single-use, and not the most environmentally friendly product on the market, so try to limit this hack to only the toughest stains.