Not A Pretty Picture ~ How to Clean Dirty, Stubborn Residue from A Stainless Steel Pan

It's not a pretty picture, folks, but just something you have to do when cooking occasionally...clean that ugly, stuck-on stuff off your stainless steel pans.

There are several ways to remove that yucky residue from your pans, but I use what I think is the the most simple and effective method that utilizes items you generally have on hand.
                                     
Let's start with a photo of the pan after it has been cleaned...

                                              All Shiny and Ready to...

                                          Cook Your Next Fab Dish!


                       Same Pan Soaking up All That Stubborn Residue...

                                       With A Simple Little Formula!

To achieve a brilliantly clean stainless steel pan, all you need is this:

Supplies

• baking soda (expired is ok)
• bottled lemon juice (expired is ok) or fresh lemon juice
• steel wool soap pad (maybe) 

And, all you need to do is this:

Method

1. Rinse and scrape off with the back of a silicone, rubber or non-metal spatula whatever dirty yuck you can from the pan.
2. Sprinkle the dirty stuff in the pan with baking soda (cream of tartar works well too...baking soda is more cost effective).
3. Sprinkle lemon juice (great way to use bottled lemon juice that is past expiration date) over the baking soda.
4. Soak the pan overnight.
5. Scrape the yucky residue from the pan with the back of a non-metal spatula such as silicone or rubber.
6. Rinse with hot water and wash with dish detergent.
7. If you have anything leftover in the pan that bugs you, just follow up with a steel wool soap pad.
8. Rinse with hot water and dry.

Wasn't that easy...now, pat yourself on the back and Enjoy your shiny, clean pan!