Soak the pan overnight with hot water and dish soap or a dryer sheet

Fill the scorched pan with hot water and dish soap, then let it soak for several hours or overnight. The prolonged contact softens burnt-on food so it wipes away with minimal effort.

Why It Works

Hot water rehydrates carbonized food residue, while surfactants in dish soap break down grease and loosen the bond between the burnt layer and the pan surface. A fabric softener dryer sheet works as an alternative because its cationic surfactants and conditioning agents soften hardened food deposits, similar to how they soften fabric fibers in the dryer.

Steps

1. Scrape out any loose food debris from the pan.
2. Fill the pan with hot (not boiling) water and add a generous squirt of dish soap.
3. Let it soak for 4-8 hours, or overnight for heavy burns.
4. Dryer sheet alternative: Fill with hot water and place one dryer sheet flat on the bottom, fully submerged. Soak overnight.
5. Discard the water (and dryer sheet if used) and scrub with a sponge or scraper.
6. Wash as usual.

Tips

• This is the lowest-effort method -- just requires patience and time
• Works on all cookware types including non-stick
• For faster results, bring the soapy water to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes before soaking