Aluminum pans: how to remove carbon deposits?

Aluminum pots are an item that every person has in the kitchen. Cookware made of this metal is lightweight and allows you to quickly reheat food. In order for aluminum products to please you for years, you need to take care of them and know how to clean them at home.

Aluminum cookware, like any other, is susceptible to carbon deposits. Improper handling of such products quickly renders them unsightly. Dirt on aluminum can not only form due to burnt food or grease on the outside, dark deposits can form on the surface inside the pan for several reasons:

• boiling potatoes in their skins;
• cooking sour dishes (cabbage soup with sauerkraut);
• prolonged boiling of water without adding salt.

It is not recommended to wash aluminum with abrasive substances, especially for polished surfaces. To remove limescale, you can use a soft cloth and a non-aggressive cleaning agent (alkali and acid free). You can not use soda for cleaning, the alkali contained in it will negatively affect the state of the metal.

Among the most popular and affordable methods for removing burnt from pots are the following:

• salt;
• acetic and citric acid;
• ammonia;
• Activated carbon;
• apples;
• milk serum;
• soap.

It is possible to wash off the dirt that has recently appeared on the bottom and walls of the pan without using aggressive products. The tools at hand will help to restore the original shine to the dishes:

• Unaged limescale can be removed with milk whey. Pour the product into a saucepan and leave for 24 hours. Then wash with a soft cloth. You can also use kefir or pickle brine. Pour into a dirty dish for 60 minutes, then drain. Wash the pan with a soft sponge and detergent.
• Light dirt on the outside and inside of the pot will help remove sour apples. They need to be cut and the blackened areas should be rubbed into slices.
• Instead of apples, you can use lemon. Grate and put the resulting gruel in cheesecloth. Grate well the darkened parts of the pan and leave for 50 minutes. Wash the aluminum product with a soft sponge and dish detergent.
• Effective in the fight against dark bloom onions. Peel two onions, put them in a saucepan and cook for half an hour. All plaque will come off.
• You can use laundry soap. Grate finely, put in water and boil for 20 minutes. When the water has cooled, wash the pan with a sponge.

The listed remedies are effective in removing light and non-aged limescale traces. If the dishes are heavily soiled, it is better to use acetic acid, table salt or ammonia.

Food burnt during the jam process can be removed from the bottom of the pan with table salt. This requires:

• Fill the dishes with cool water. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Drain water, add salt.
• Leave to soak for several hours.
• Wipe off food leftovers with a lip and dishwashing gel.

A water-salt solution will help remove dark plaque on the inner walls:

• Mix the ingredients in equal proportions.
• Apply the mixture to a soft sponge.
• Rub the limescale areas.

Old carbon deposits can be removed with laundry soap and ammonia. The mixture is prepared like this:

• Grind half a bar of soap.
• Add water.
• Add a tablespoon of ammonia.
• Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Refrigerate.
• Wash the pan.

Removes carbon deposits well a mixture of PVA and laundry soap (1/3 bar is enough). Pour the mixture into a saucepan, boil for half an hour. Rub the darkened areas with a washcloth. Wash the pot well.

It will help to cope with perennial traces of limescale, which cannot be removed by any means. a mixture of laundry soap, soda ash and silicate glue. This recipe does not negatively affect the properties of the metal, but it perfectly cleans darkened pots. It is necessary to prepare 10 liters of water, a bar of laundry soap, a glass of soda. Grind the soap, immerse it in water, add soda and glue there. Heat over high heat, stirring until the soap dissolves. Immerse the soiled dishes in the mixture, after boiling, reduce the heat. Cover the container with a lid.

The boiling time depends on how dirty the pots are. On average, the procedure takes one to two hours. After completing the procedure, remove the pans and clean them using a synthetic sponge.

Activated carbon will help clear milk residues from aluminum. This requires:

• 4 tablets crush into powder;
• cover the bottom of the pan with it and leave for 30 minutes;
• pour cold water over the dishes. Let stand for another half hour (along with charcoal powder);
• wash the pan with a sponge and dishwashing gel.

If soot is already heavily eaten, 9% table vinegar will help to cope with it:

1. Dissolve vinegar in water (1 glass per 1 liter) and pour the resulting solution into a saucepan.
2. Boil.
3. Cool, wash with a sponge and soapy water.

With frequent use of an aluminum pan, you will notice that limescale deposits form on the sides and bottom. Citric acid will help to remove it:

1. Pour water over a saucepan.
2. Boil.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of citric acid.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Let cool.
6. Wash the pot with dishwashing detergent.

New aluminum cookware requires maintenance before use. It must be washed to remove technical lubricants. To do this, wash the product with a soft sponge with a dish detergent and rinse with cool water. It is good to ignite the pan so that an oxide-salt film appears on its walls. It protects aluminum from oxidation and prevents harmful compounds from entering food.

You need to ignite an aluminum pan as follows:

• wash the product well, let it dry completely;
• pour vegetable oil on the bottom;
• add a tablespoon of salt;
• ignite for 5 minutes (the smell of incandescent oil will become a guideline);
• let the dishes cool and wash with a sponge and soapy water.

The aesthetic appearance of the pan and its service life are directly related to the thoroughness of metal care. When washing the product, you must be guided by the following rules:

• The pot can only be washed when it has cooled down to room temperature.
• If the food is burnt, the dishes must be immediately soaked in warm water with the addition of a cleaning agent. Leave to soak for an hour or two. After these steps, it will be much easier to clean the pan.
• Aluminum product must be hand washed, not dishwasher safe.
• The sponge or cloth for washing should be soft, free from any abrasive particles.
• Washing gel must be thoroughly rinsed off the inside and outside of the pot.
• Store-bought chemicals must be labeled “for aluminum cookware”. Among them, you need to choose substances that have a neutral PH index. The name of such products is often written "metal cleaning gel". Due to their multicomponent composition, such substances quickly and effectively remove stubborn dirt. After using them, it is necessary to very thoroughly wash and rinse the dishes.
• Do not wash the aluminum product under hot running water, as this can lead to deformation.
• Once a week, it is necessary to carry out preventive cleaning of the dishes from darkening. This requires a foam sponge and baking soda. If cleaning is carried out regularly, in the future there will be no need to use multi-ingredient products for removing old limescale stains.

So that aluminum pots do not fail for a long time, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• Try to cook less fermented milk soups and other dishes in a saucepan.
• After the dish is cooked, it must be transferred to a container. From prolonged contact with food, aluminum begins to darken, and food takes on a metallic taste.
• It is prohibited to make sourdoughs and salting in aluminum dishes. When interacting with an acidic environment, substances are released that negatively affect the state of human health.
• To prevent scale from appearing on the sides of the pan, you need to cook food over low heat.
• It is best to use silicone, plastic or wood spatulas to mix the ingredients. They will not scratch metal.
• Stir food regularly to prevent carbon deposits.

Any method of cleaning aluminum cookware requires a certain amount of time and compliance with safety rules. The choice of recipes is so diverse that every housewife can find at least a few necessary ingredients in the home arsenal and clean the pots with improvised means.If you handle aluminum cookware correctly and carefully, it will delight you with its beautiful appearance and excellent functional characteristics for more than one year.

For more information on how to clean aluminum pans from carbon deposits, see the next video.