A broiler pan, also known as a grilling or roasting pan, is great to have in your kitchen for cooking different foods like vegetables, seafood dishes and even meat. But as with everything used in a household kitchen, it can get very messy with stains and different burnt on food residue that can get very stubborn, especially with how often it's exposed to high heat.
It may seem hopeless to see your broiler pan riddled with burnt on grease and other food stains, but it isn't!
Here are a couple different ways of how to clean a broiler pan that you can use the next time you tackle any stubborn grease stains on your broiler pan.
How to Clean a Broiler Pan with Baking Soda
It's certainly no surprise that baking soda is one of the more popular ways to clean your broiler pan. With its many different uses, baking soda is definitely a versatile household cleaning ingredient that can be used to clean almost anything, including broiler pans.
For this method, you'll need baking soda, some water, a spray bottle, paper towels and a washcloth or a kitchen sponge.
Step 1: Sprinkle Baking Soda Over Broiler Pan
After making sure that your broiler pan has completely cooled down, sprinkle a thick layer of baking soda all over the surface.
Step 2: Spray Water onto the Baking Soda
Once you've created a thick enough layer, grab your spray bottle and fill it with some water. Then, spray some water all over the broiler pan to wet the baking soda slightly.
In case you don't have a spray bottle lying around in your house, you can carefully add some water onto the baking soda yourself until you have a paste.
Step 3: Cover Baking Soda with Paper Towels
It's time to get your paper towels. Use these paper towels to cover the baking soda on the broiler pan so that the baking soda stays wet for a longer period of time, which will help further loosen and remove any baked on grease and other food residue.
If you notice that your paper towels are drying out quickly, feel free to spray them with a bit of water to keep them moist.
Let the broiler pan soak for about half an hour, but you can even leave your pan to sit for a few hours or overnight, especially if the baked on grease on your pan is a bit tougher to remove.
Step 4: Remove the Baking Soda
Once the baking soda paste has sat for the allotted time and has completely dried up, gently scrape it off with a spatula.
When all the baking soda has been removed, bring your broiler pan to your kitchen sink and give it a thorough cleaning using the washcloth or a sponge to wipe to scrub off any residue that may have been left behind.
Should you be using a kitchen sponge to wash, make sure to avoid heavy scrubbing as this may scratch or damage the surface of your broiler pan.
How to Clean a Broiler Pan with Dryer Sheets
Contrary to popular belief, dryer sheets don't just belong in the laundry room. Like many of the items and ingredients we find in our homes, dryer sheets can actually serve many different purposes like removing dust from your television screen, cleaning up after pet hair, and of course, removing stubborn grease stains from your broiler pans.
To clean a broiler pan with this method, you'll need some dish soap, a dryer sheet and a kitchen sponge.
Step 1: Soak Broiler Pan in Hot Water and Dish Soap
The first step is to soak your broiler pan in some hot water, but how you do this will depend on the depth of your broiler pan.
For broiler pans that have relatively higher edges that allow it to hold some water, fill the pan with hot water. For broiler pans that are a bit more shallow whose edges don't allow it to contain water, place it in your kitchen sink or any large enough container and submerge your pan in hot water.
Once your broiler pan is soaking, add some dish soap to the hot water to create soapy water, which will help combat the grease stains more effectively.
Step 2: Lay the Dryer Sheet Over the Broiler Pan
After letting your broiler pan soak in some soapy water, get a dryer sheet and lay it on your pan, making sure that it's submerged in the soapy water. This is meant to loosen any food residue or grease stains as it's soaking. For more stubborn food residue stains, you can use two dryer sheets to tackle these more effectively.
Once the dryer sheets have been laid out on your broiler pan, let the pan sit for at least an hour. For more serious grease stains, you may leave the pan for longer than an hour, or even overnight.
Step 3: Pour the Soapy Water Out
Once some time has passed, remove the dryer sheets and pour the water out. Should there still be any stains or residue left, use a kitchen sponge to wipe or gently scrub these off.
When your broiler pan has been cleaned and scrubbed of any remaining stains, give your broiler pan a final cleaning with some warm water and dish soap and leave this out to air dry.
