How Do You Get Burnt Grease Off The Bottom Of A Frying Pan?

How do you get burnt grease off the bottom of a frying pan?  Let’s be honest when we clean our pots and pans, we pay more attention to the inside than the outside.

But this is where burnt grease usually builds up over time.

If you plan to rely on scrubbing only, then be repaired to use some serious elbow grease.

There are a few creative ways to clean burnt grease off the bottom of your frying pan, without much elbow grease needed,  these include the following:

• Oven Cleaner
• Baking Soda
• Vinegar
• Baking Soda, Salt & Vinegar
• Sandpaper

Once burnt grease has built up on the bottom of your frying pan, you’ve got two options.  You can either find a creative way to clean it or you can buy a new frying pan.  

Actually, there’s a 3^rd option which is, you can continue to use your stained frying pan but if you’re OCD like me when it comes to cleaning this really isn’t a valid option.

This was a situation I recently faced. Because I was going to start a new YouTube cooking channel the last thing, I wanted was for my viewers to see me cooking using stained pots and pans.

So, I had two options, I could either find a way to clean them or buy a new set of pots and pans.

To be honest, 2 of my favorite cooking pans had burnt grease stains on the outside of them which I just couldn’t remove.  I scrubbed them for hours, but I just couldn’t get the results I wanted. 

So, I did what we all do, I turned to Google.

I found some fantastic articles online that showed some creative ways of cleaning your pots and pans, inside and out. 

The results were great.  My pots and pans looked so much better; however, I didn’t achieve the brand new look I was trying to get.

The key lesson I learned from all this is, if you want to keep your pots and pans free from built-up burnt grease then the best policy is to spend extra time cleaning the outside not just the inside, after each time you use them.

Even if they look clean on the outside still give them a good scrub with warm soapy water using a scouring pad.

Let me share something funny with you.  I deep cleaned all my pots and pans at the beginning of December and for Christmas, a family member bought me a new set of cooking pots for my YouTube channel.  Time wasted! BUT lesson learned. Lol

P.S Don’t forget to check out my YouTube recipe channel and if you like what you see please SUBSCRIBE and LIKE.  Ok, that’s enough of the self-promotion. lol

How To Use Oven Cleaner To Clean Your Frying Pan

What you will need:

• Oven cleaner
• Safety gear
  • Gloves
  • Eye protection
  • Face mask
• Lots of ventilation

Steps

1. Heat some water in the frying pan for about 5 mins.
2. Then take the frying pan over to the sink and spill the water.
3. If you have any windows in the kitchen open them for ventilation.
4. Wearing your safety gear, spray some oven cleaner over the bottom of the pan and leave it for about 10mins.
5. Scrub the base with medium pressure and you will notice the grease starting to break up.
6. Rinse well and check if it needs more work done.
7. Repeat this method until the base is completely clean.

This method is easy and quick.  Best of all it didn’t take much elbow grease. 

You might need to repeat the steps a few times for the best results.

When using oven cleaner, make sure your area is well ventilated.  Open the windows if possible, put on the extractor fan, and wear all the safety gear.  It’s better to be safe than sorry.

How To Use Baking Soda To Clean Your Frying Pan

What you will need:

• Baking soda
• Small bowl
• Damp cloth

Steps

1. Make a paste using baking soda and some water.  For every 3 tablespoons of baking soda use 1 teaspoon of water.  Mix this well,  make sure the baking soda has completely dissolved.  You can use a small bowl or a small container to make the paste.
2. Apply a good amount of paste to the bottom of the frying pan.  Before doing this make sure that the pan is cold.  This won’t work if the pan is warm.  You can use your fingers to massage the paste into your pan.
3. The paste can be applied to the outside as well as the inside of your pan.
4. Leave it overnight in a dry place such as the oven or the pantry.  The longer you keep the paste on the better the result will be.
5. Wipe the pan using a damp cloth.  You will notice a big difference.
6. Repeat these steps if needed.

Baking soda is just amazing.  You can use baking soda for many cleaning hacks such as:

• Unblocking your kitchen and bathroom sink.
• Clean the inside of your refrigerator.
• Give your oven a deep clean etc.

So, when I came across baking soda to clean my pots and pans, I wasn’t surprised.

Baking soda does a fantastic job of removing any baked-on residue on your pots and pans.

How To Use Vinegar To Clean Your Frying Pan

What you will need:

• White vinegar
• Large bowl or container that is bigger enough to submerge your frying pan.
• Dry cloth
• Scouring pad

Steps

1. Make a vinegar solution.  Adding one part of vinegar to two parts of cold water.  You need a large bowl or some sort of container that is big enough for your frying pan to fit in and be completely submerged.
2. Submerge your frying pan into the vinegar solution and leave it overnight.  The longer you leave it the better the result will be.  You can place the container in the oven or leave it in the bathtub overnight.
3. After it has been left overnight, wipe it down with a cloth and give it a light scrub using a scouring pad and some soapy warm water.
4. Repeat these steps if needed.

Like baking soda, vinegar can also be used for many cleaning hacks such as:

• Cleaning windows.
• Removing sticky residue from surfaces.
• Cleaning jewelry etc.

Vinegar contains up to 20% of acetic acid, this is what breaks down the burnt grease on your frying pan.

You will find that vinegar will not only clean your pan but it will give it a nice shiny finish.

If you have a facemask, use it, as vinegar fumes can be very strong, better still open some windows too.

How To Use Baking Soda, Salt & Vinegar To Clean Your Frying Pan

What you will need:

• Baking soda / Salt / Vinegar
• Bowl
• Water spray bottle
• scouring pad

Steps

1. Make a paste from baking soda and salt in a bowl.  3 tablespoons each should do but use more if cleaning multiple pans.
2. Use your fingers to massage the paste wherever the burnt grease has built up.
3. Make a vinegar solution (one-part vinegar to two parts of water), using a spray bottle, spray your frying pan with the vinegar solution.
4. Leave it for 30 mins and give it a good scrub using a scouring pad.
5. Repeat these steps if needed.

Baking soda and vinegar are great for getting burnt grease off the bottom of your cooking pots and pans.  So by adding salt to the equation it makes them even stronger.

This method will not only clean your frying pan but will also give it a nice shiny finish.

How To Use Sandpaper To Clean Your Frying Pan

This method is ideal for a stainless steel frying pan.  Do not use this method on coated surfaces.

What you will need:

• Wet and dry sandpaper (120+ grit)
• Water spray bottle

Steps

1. Spray some water on the sandpaper and the surface of your frying pan.
2. Gently rub the sandpaper in a circular motion.
3. Spray water consistently during this process.
4. Rinse off your frying pan and check if there are any areas needed more work done.
5. Repeat until you are happy with the result.

I have used this method a few times. The first time I use this method was on my stainless steel stock pot which came out amazing and eventually I tried it on my stainless steel frying pan and once again I was surprised at the results.

I start with a 120 grit sandpaper and then moved onto 180 for a good finish.

The higher the grit of your sandpaper the less it will scratch your frying pan.

When I came across this method, I was a little concerned.  The last thing you want is to scratch your expensive pots and pans.

Only use this method on stainless-steel pots and pans.

I would not use this method on my new pans.  So, if you have some old pans that need cleaning, then you could try this method.

Avoiding Burnt Grease on Your Pots And Pans

• Clean your frying pan straight away after you use it.  Submerge it in hot soapy water for 10mins and using a scouring pad give it a good scrub.  The sooner you submerge the easier it will be to clean.
• Prevent any spillage during cooking.  Use the right size of pan to avoid spillage.
• Purchase good quality pots and pans.  You will find the cheap ones don’t last long and stain a lot quicker.  Spending a little extra will ensure your cookware will last for many years to come.  High-quality pots and pans are usually coated with a strong finish that makes them easier to clean.
• Seasoning your frying pan, if you are using a cast-iron frying pan.  This will give it an extra layer of protection and prevent it from staining easily.

Final Thoughts

We all love to cook but when it comes to stubborn burnt grease stains it can be a nightmare that takes time and a lot of elbow grease.

The best step you can take to fight burnt grease is to prevent it from building up in the first place.

However, if it’s too late, then the methods we covered in this post will help bring new life to your cooking pots and pans.

We hope you have found this article helpful and that it has answered your question on how do you get burnt grease off the bottom of a frying pan?

Please share in the comments if you have any other methods that you use to clean burnt grease off your pots and pans.

Let’s share and learn together.

Happy Cooking!