How To Finally Clean That Sticky Residue Off Of Your Nonstick Pans

Nonstick pans may work well when they're new, but over time, the name may seem like an outright lie. Choosing the right cookware can take quite a chunk out of your savings. Are nonstick pans like mayflies, then, doomed to have a super-short lifetime that makes them hardly worth the money you paid? If you've damaged the pan too badly by using a metal spatula to flip your pancakes or scrubbing it with a Brillo pad, then yes, that Teflon coating will be defunct. If the coating isn't scratched but merely covered with sticky gunk, though, you can still save it with a certain type of vinegar.

It's important to note white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar don't have the same effect. Distilled white vinegar is better for cleaning and is known to perform a quiet kitchen miracle or two. If you pour some into your nonstick pan along with water (two parts water to one of vinegar) and heat it, its acidity will simmer away the gunk. Let the vinegar mixture cool down, pour it down the sink (sprinkle in some baking soda for a little bonus drain-cleaning action), and wash the pan with soap and water. Once it dries, it should be back to non-sticking, which is pretty much its raison d'etre.

As irritating as it may be to hear after the fact, an ounce of prevention really can be worth a pound of cure. To preserve your pan's nonstick surface, you should avoid squirting it with any cooking sprays containing soy lecithin (which is most of them). This stuff is a primary culprit in causing that sticky film that builds up inside the pan. If this advice comes too late and you find yourself with a mess that even vinegar can't clean up, it may be time to employ something a little more abrasive.

Gasp! Shock! Didn't we just warn of the perils of abrasively scrubbing a nonstick pan? Yes, Brillo pads will wreck your pan's surface, and even a powdered cleanser like Comet may damage that delicate Teflon coating. Baking soda, a favorite cleaning trick, is a very gentle abrasive, so it can safely clean a nonstick pan. Mix a small amount with a few drops of water, then rub the paste over the inside of the pan and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Once that's done, take a sponge (not a scrubby one) or a dish brush with soft plastic bristles and lightly rub away the dirt. Rinse, dry, and repeat as necessary.