How to revive a grimy baking sheet

When it comes to baking, cookie pans are often an essential part of the process. Whether you’re whipping up a sheet pan supper for the family or carefully crafting a cranberry-apple slab pie, a chef’s cookie pan or sheet is likely to see plenty of wear and tear. Before you throw away a favorite pan because of baked-on cooking grime, try this easy way to clean baking sheets, rimmed or unrimmed.

Plenty of cookie-sheet cleaning methods are out there, but one in particular makes cleaning a breeze, using products likely already hiding in your kitchen.

You’ll need hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and a rag or coarse sponge.

Step 1: Sprinkle some baking soda on the baking pan or sheet. Then follow that up with hydrogen peroxide, followed by another sprinkling of baking soda to top it off. The cleaner needs time to work, so we suggest letting it sit for at least two hours. Because the chemicals could be too harsh for some pans’ material or coating, do a test run before cleaning the entire cookie sheet, especially if it is made of a specialized material or has a coating of any kind.

Related: Lazy cleaning hacks everyone should know

Step 2: Use a rag or sponge to wipe away the homemade cleaner. No hard scrubbing is usually required, but if stains remain, you could do a second application, use a nonscratch scrubber—or both. All you need is a little patience!

(Psst: How dirty is that sponge you used? Here’s how to clean it right.)

Now that your baking sheet and pans are back to looking brand-new, you’ll want to keep them that way. Do as our Test Kitchen does and place a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil on the pan before you add any food. That’s it! The baking sheets will stay gunk free.

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