Remembering my past life with roommates I bought a cheap pizza pan for my daughter who wanted to have some sort of baking sheet with her at college. Every year it has returned looking truly disgusting. Until this summer her dad has been able to apply an inordinate amount of elbow grease and return it to pristine condition for the following school year. This year the baked on grime was even too much for him.
Before I tossed the pan I decided to try a home remedy that has been floating around Pinterest. One Good Thing by Jillee had pinned a recipe for a “miracle” kitchen cleaner using baking soda and peroxide mixed in a glass bowl to make a paste. Jillee said she rubbed the paste onto various surfaces in her kitchen with her bare hands with great success.
I gathered my materials and made the paste which I rubbed on with my fingers. When the touch of my hand did nothing to remove the grim I tried a scouring pad. I scoured until the paste was mostly gone and noted no change in the pan. I mixed twice as much paste as I had originally made and covered the pan with a thick layer of it. I allowed the paste to sit on the pan for 20 minutes undisturbed and then scoured for several minutes. The results: no discernible difference.
Jillee had been so excited about her own experience with the “miracle” cleaner, posting a list of appliances that now gleam in her kitchen and including photos of utensils and pans that sparkled. Sadly, no miracles occurred in my kitchen today.
I revisited Jillee’s site to determine the error of my ways. How hard could this be? Two ingredients in a glass bowl. This time I noticed that Jillee offhandedly mentioned she felt her hands may even seem softer after using the “miracle” cleaner. Oh, really? That is fascinating because I noticed that my hands became discolored and spotty like the hide of a harbor seal after using it.
It was at this point that things became personal. I marched downstairs to my kitchen at 11:00 PM, retrieved the grimy pan and painted it with a heavy coat of “miracle” mush. Maybe miracles just take longer at this altitude (945 ft), who knows? I decided to let the whole thing sit over night and hoped to wake to a gleaming pizza pan in the morning.
The next day I discovered the paste had dried. I added a little water which seemed to reactivate the mixture inducing tiny bubbles and giving me renewed hope.
I scoured the pan a final time. The results:minimal improvement.
If you have a grungy pan searching for a miracle, call Jillee. I’m throwing in my dish towel.
This failed foray into homemaking is my William Morris Project for this week. Check for more successful projects at Pancakes and French Fries.
I’ve heard that this mixture is also good for polishing silver, too. Good thing I didn’t waste my time with it. I had a friend who used oven cleaner on some really ****my pans she picked up at a restaurant auction. Bar Keeper’s Friend is another reliable source. So much for earth friendly, right?
I hear Bar Keeper’s Friend is amazing. Also Bon Ami. And I tried “silver cleaner” which was baking soda, salt and a piece of aluminum foil in hot water. That was amazing!
oh man, that sucks, especially the mottled seal hide part. I find that most of those “green” or vintage cleaning supplies like vinegar and borax do nothing to clean any of the dirt in my house.
I have had pretty decent luck with the ones I have tried lately. So, this was a let down. Had to admit I am no Martha Stewart!