Get your pot shining and clean again in less than 10 minutes with no scrubbing. HOW TO CLEAN A BURNT PRESSURE COOKER POT: Best pressure cooker hack ever!
I've got a tip/hack today that is essential for every pressure cooker in the entire world. It's so important, I decided to make an entire post out of it.
IT'S THAT ESSENTIAL!
Welcome to my course on How To Clean a Burnt Pressure Cooker Pot (AKA Instant Pot liner).
Oh, the bane of my existence is this scorched, burnt, impossible to remove layer of brown cement from the bottom of this pot here. And that isn't even the worst I've ever seen! I've done much, much, MUCH worse damage than this!
Every time I make Instant Pot Yogurt or Skyr I know that this will be the aftermath I deal with because truthfully I'm lazy/busy and don't want to stir it while it's coming up to temperature. But this can be a common occurrence if there's not enough water in the pot for oatmeal, rice, pasta, or just about anything.
Before I learned this trick I tried soaking, scrubbing, soaking some more, dishwasher, Bar Keepers Friend (which works wonders on everything but this scorched mess, FYI!), but I always ended up basically scraping it off bit by bit with my fingernails. Gross, I know, but what else!
My sister Maegan is the one that taught me this trick of pressure cooking baking soda, dish soap, and water. When I first tried it, removed the lid, and saw a nasty brown layer floating in my pots soapy water, I literally squealed with disgusted delight and showed my whole family (who were equally disgusted because it really does look kinda gross, just warning ya).
In minutes it went from that burnt pot above to literally being able to wipe away any extra stuck-on residue with a silicone spatula (or a paper towel even).
A quick rinse and a 5 second scrub later, your pot looks like this
It's actually glowing with silver sun rays.
The process is so incredibly easy, I can break it down into 3 easy steps:
CLEANING BURNT PRESSURE COOKER POT
- Step 1: Add water, baking soda, and soap to the pot
- Step 2: Pressure cook for 3 minutes; let the pressure naturally release
- Step 3: Give it a quick rinse (possibly a light scrub) – you're done!
Now go burn something! Then you too can discover the utter joy of disgusting brown floaties in your pot! Good times are ahead!
P.S. Don't actually burn something on purpose ‘cuz I don't wanna be liable for that. I was just being my typical, dramatic, sarcastic self there okay? Okay! But if you happen to burn something, send me a before and after picture when you use this trick! It just never gets old!
Enjoy!
CAN I DO THIS WITH ANY PRESSURE COOKER?
This trick for Cleaning a Burnt Pressure Cooker Pot will work on any brand of electric pressure cooker. I have not tested it on a stovetop pressure cooker.
HOW TO REMOVE STAINS FROM PRESSURE COOKER POT
If you want to return your pot to its brand new, shiny appearance, I suggest using Bar Keepers Friend Liquid Cleanser. Follow the instructions on the bottle and it will be gleaming in no time!
MORE CLEANING HACKS FOR YOUR PRESSURE COOKER
It’s a good idea to give your entire pressure cooker a thorough cleaning from time to time. For ideas on how to clean the seal, lid, rim, and more, see my friend Jennie’s post on How to Clean Instant Pot 101.
TIPS TO PREVENT BURNING IN THE INSTANT POT
- USE ENOUGH LIQUID: Most recipes will need at least 1 cup of liquid to create pressure and prevent burning. This rule of thumb can vary with food like meat and fruit that release liquid as the pot is heating up.
- AVOID THICK LIQUIDS: Liquids that are thick like tomato based sauces and sweet sauces like BBQ or Teriyaki are often the culprit of the dreaded Instant Pot BURN message. Add them after the food is cooked or add water to the pot to thin them out before pressure cooking.
- DEGLAZE THE POT: If you saute vegetables or sear meat in the pot, you will likely have browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add a splash of liquid and use a wooden spoon to scrape them up before pressure cooking.
- CHECK THE SEAL AND PRESSURE RELEASE KNOB: The silicone seal must be installed correctly and the knob turned to a sealed position to prevent the liquid from inside the pot from evaporating. If the liquid evaporates, the food inside will burn on the bottom of the pot.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS TO BUY/USE TO CLEAN A BURNT PRESSURE COOKER (INSTANT POT) POT
- Instant Pot
- Mrs. Meyer's Lavender Dish Soap
- Bar Keepers Friend
- Baking Soda
- Silicone Spatulas (my favorite ones!)
New to the Instant Pot world? Here are my favorite Instant Pot accessories on Amazon, as well as the top healthy Instant Pot recipes to try. I also recommend you check out my cookbook Master the Electric Pressure Cooker.
PrintHow to Clean a Burnt Pressure Cooker Liner Pot
Easy recipe for a great instant pot cleaner
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 instant pot 1x
- Category: Cleaning
- Method: Pressure cooker
- Cuisine: worldwide
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap, (not the foam kind) I like Mrs Meyers Lavender Dish Soap
Instructions
- Add water, baking soda, and dish soap to the pressure cooker pot. Slosh the mixture around to combine the ingredients.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
- When cooking time is complete, use a natural release.
- The charred residue will now be floating in the soapy liquid. Discard pots contents, give it a quick scrub with a brush if needed, and viola! Pot is like new!
Notes
- Bar Keepers Friend doesn't lift up burnt residue, but it is amazing for removing other stains and making your pot look shiny and new.
- Some readers have had issues with Palmolive and Regular Blue Dawn causing too much foaming and spraying through the valve. Mrs. Meyers is what I use and it works well every time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 0
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 00
- Fat: 0
Keywords: instant pot clean, pressure cooker clean, cleaning solution
Really Really nice statement
Thank you! I didn’t have non foaming dish detergent so I put in a little white vinegar and WOW
I used your burnt pot tip on my recent insta pot burnt Mac and cheese. I had soaked pot for over 2 days in sink with Dawn ,still there. I came up and tried your sisters tip and wiped out ! It was fantastic! Thanks for sharing. You have a new follower! Thanks for the help!
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Christy, that’s awesome! I love hearing that! It ALMOST makes burning food fun 😉
Thank you for sharing this Marcy . Hopefully, I Won’t have to use it anytime soon but I’ll be armed and ready if needed. Have a blessed day!
Beth, Yes, it’s a good one to have in your back pocket!
You mentioned burned on yogurt. That happened to me once, but not any more, i do not boil my milk first. I just mix it with the starter and set it on yogurt for eight hours. Perfect yogurt. Also I don’t use milk, I use a half gallon of half and half which turns into Greek yogurt without straining. Best yogurt I have ever eaten besides getting more yogurt since you don’t have any whey from straining.
It works!
I wanted to leave a comment to express my gratitude to you for this simple trick esp as I am in the middle of the desert without a car and penny pinching, and the thought of having to go buy a scrubby thing added to my list of don’t want to dos. This saved my day and my dinners: it works! Now I can use my ip again and not worried about what I cook in because this trick actually works!
Thanks to you and wherever it came from! Did you figure it out by trial and error?
🙂
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Macda, my sister actually figured out this trick and shared it with me. Isn’t it great!?
This worked!!! Thank you so much!!!!! I accidentally cooked carnitas without a sealing ring .. surprisingly the instant pot didn’t have a burn sign but when I opened the pot it was black on the bottom. I did the recipe twice and it came right off I was shocked.
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Esther, that’s so great! I’m glad it worked for you!
My story is so sad! Used the intatnt pot once and was thrilled.
Removed the inner pot to clean.
Decided to create a recipe in the Instant pot but FORGOT to replace i the inner pot…now I have burnt the bottom of the instant pot…not the INNER pot, but the real bottrom of the pot. Is this dead ? Should I just turn it into a plnater and consider myself a failure?
Thanks for nay h elp!
Polly, oh no, that’s a bigger problem for sure. I would email Instant Pot and ask them. I’m not sure what they’d say!
I saw the comments about using Dawn, but that’s all I had on hand, so I put in a few drops of Dawn along with the baking soda and water. No spewing suds! This worked really well on removing the last bits of toasted/burnt cheese from my inner pot that couldn’t be removed by scrubbing and soaking. Thanks so much for the tip!
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I usually do not comment on blogs but…
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! After 2 day’s of soaking I was ready to toss my brand new once used pot due to a newbie mistake of putting cream in my pot thinking I could make scallop potatoes. As advertised 5 minutes of pressure with soap and baking soda all the burnt potatoes and cream came right off!
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Kat, that’s so amazing! It is so very satisfying to see all of that burnt mess pull off with so much ease.
The only dish soap I have on hand is regular blue Dawn and I didn’t want to have a foamy disaster but I happened to remember that I have some Dr Bronners so I used that (same amount, 1 tablespoon) and I have to say the whole method was MAGIC. Followed instructions exactly and when it was done “cooking” I was able to wipe off whatever had not already come off the bottom. And it really is more shiny than it has been for a while!! Thank you!!!
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Sarah, so good to hear! It’s pretty magical, right?! Thanks for letting me know what brand you used.
So say we did this and bubbles came out of the steam valve… How do we now clean the soap out of that?? 😅
Kay, dang! I’m not sure why this happens to some and not others! What kind of soap did you use? Did you use the exact measurements? You can simply rinse water through the steam valve and that will be good enough to clean it 🙂
Worked perfectly!! I use Mrs Meyers as well-my pot looks brand new- thank you!!
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Nicole, yay! Feels so good to have a shiny pot, right?!
Worked like a charm! Thank you 🙂
I tried with this dish soap first, suds started flowing out. Started over (after reading others’ comments) with 2c warm water, 1/2 c vinegar, 2 Tbsp baking soda. Three minutes on high pressure. Nada. Nothing. No change. I believe all of you and your results, so I wonder what else I could try? I cooked rice in the pressure cooker for the first time, following the instructions exactly, and now there’s a rock hard layer still stuck to the bottom. It will not budge. Ideas?
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Meg, OH no! That’s not fun at all. Did you let the pressure naturally release when you did it? I’ve noticed if I have a starchy mess, it works best to let it sit for a while after I do the pressure cooking step.
I burned oatmeal. Found your article but had no baking soda. I tossed in a couple of Alka Seltzer tabs, did everything else per instructions and it worked great. Thanks your piece was a lifesaver!
Randy, It’s kind of fun, huh?! I’m going to try your Alka seltzer idea next time!
THANK YOU!!! I had been working on getting it off for two days and then finally searched the internet and found your great advice!!😁😍
It worked like magic. Thank you again!!!
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Ana, it’s a miracle worker for sure :). I’m glad it saved you some stress!
Thank you for this! Worked great after spending 2 days trying to get risotto off the bottom of my IP.
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Nicole, yes it saved me with rice once too!
thank you so much! it worked!!! no scrubing yay 🙂
This is amazing. I had been scrubbing my instant pot the whole day thinking if it will ever get cleaned. This trick is really good. I used baking soda and vinegar and very little dish soap (foaming one, since I had none other) and this was a miracle.
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Prachi, I’m so glad it worked for you! It’s a pretty great trick!
I have done this as per your instructions but using a half cup of vinegar instead of the soap and it worked perfectly.
Derek, I love that idea, I’m going to give that a try as well! That probably helps with the seal smell.
I will try. I’m hoping it will also clean the trivet which is really hard to clean.
I scorched my pan making yogurt and it was impossible to clean. I used this tip and it worked like a charm. Note: read ALL of the instructions. I did a quick release and had a sputtering mess on my hands but all is well now.
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Marissa, that’s the exact situation that led to me figuring this one out 🙂 I’m so glad it worked for you as well!
This worked wonderfully. I burned some tapioca pearls and it looked impossible. I used your same measures in my Instant Pot mini. The residue wasn’t floating at the top but it was completely unstuck so that I could easily clean the pot with a few swipes. Thank you.
Yes, this has been my yogurt situation on several occasions! I’m glad it could work so well for you!
Wow! This worked like a charm. My instant pot is gleaming. I put it through a dishwasher cycle to avoid the remains of soapy residue/baking soda aroma as someone mentioned experiencing above, but it probably didn’t need it. This new instant pot user thanks you!
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Jamie, works so well, right!?
I’m glad it worked for you!
Okay, so i tried your method and it was the best thing ever for removing the scorched, burned mess. The down side? His the heck do you get rid of the soap smell and taste. I made French onion soup and it was like eating soapy water. I was mortified. So now i saved money with not replacing the pot and i have a much larger problem now. Help please. I still taste soap.
Beth, oh wow, I’ve never had that problem with my stainless steel or nonstick pot, that’s so weird! I’m so sad about your soapy french onion soup as well, what a disappointment. Maybe a cycle in the dishwasher would help. I’m curious, what soap did you use? I can’t figure out why it would have left such a permanent smell!
I can not cook, at all, and I managed to burn rice on the bottom, bad. (Forgot to turn off the keep warm..for a few hours). So, I didn’t think this in a million years would work, and it did totally 100% did. Within 5 minutes all the rice came off. Totally never leaver reviews but I had to with this one!!!!
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Ashley, just about the best magic trick ever, right?! Good to know that it can handle even this kind of extreme situation 🙂
Thank you for making this post. So many new to pressure cooking, have this problem. With your method, I would have to buy the dish soap. Have tried so many different dish soap, but always went back to using blue Dawn. I have used a soaking method, that I learned from having European non stick pots and pans. Then in February of 2018, I saw a blog, on using your pot, like a dishwasher. Using his idea, tried my solution in my pot, plus tested some of his just cleaning my pot after using it. I put 1 cup tap water, half cup of white vinegar, 2 Tbsp. of 1 of these; baking soda, Bar Keepers Friend powder, OxiClean powder or Borax, or 1 dishwasher pod. If seal ring is smelly, squeeze juice from half a lemon, then cut into wedges add the rind. Lock lid on pot, set time- 3-5 minutes, with full NPR. When it is done, I rinse off the parts and dry or air dry them. Have a clean pot still looks like new, with No Scrubbing. Had all these products on hand, and have tried each one, whenever I had stuck on food or stains from cooking. I found Bar Keepers Friend worked best with vinegar and boiled water, when my daughter had burnt on food in her pot. When she was first learning to pressure cook. Sometimes I put 2 squirts of blue Dawn in my pot, instead of dishwasher pod. I did the 1-2 hour soaking method, sometimes over night. When I first learned how to use my pots (were non stick), over 17 years ago. Never had to scrub them, to get burnt or stuck on food out. My girls and I, have used our pots, to clean since last year. Saved rooms in dishwasher for more dinnerware.
Susan, your comment is LOADED with good tips! Thank you so much! I’ve never tried the dishwasher pod idea, I love that. I also need to try the Bar Keepers soak. I have yet to find a way to really get all of the smell out of the seal. The lemons definitely help though. Thanks again for writing all of that out!
Instead of dish soap, if you a dishwasher, maybe try a little dishwasher detergent. Powder, liquid or pod (if you break off a bit) should work. Dishwasher detergent is designed not to make suds.
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Lawrence, smart! What a great idea, thanks!
Omg.. I made couscous and it stuck so badly on the bottom of my pot that i really thought i ruined it. My pot beeped saying food burnt so it didnt go to pressure but i did npr for whatever pressure it did have and thank goodness it came right off. This trick saved me and my pot. I was having anxiety lol..
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Daisy, it’s pretty amazing, isn’t it! I’m glad it worked for you!
This is the best thing I’ve ever seen for cleaning the pot! I’ve used it so many times and never had a problem. I use the yellow dawn dish soap and never had an issue with it sudsing too much. I even use this as a way to just give my pot a quick clean and make it like new again even if I haven’t burnt anything on the bottom.
Lauren, I agree, I love this trick so much! It’s saved me a lot of serious scrubbing.
The easiest way to clean ANY burned food out of ANYTHING is with a dishwasher pod in hot water. Let it soak and wipe clean. No need for all of those ingredients.
This worked great! Blue dawn works fine. Really helps to get the pot nice an de clean without scrubbing it forever. I us this all the time!
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Jillian, thanks for letting me know! I’ve never had problems either so I’m grateful for the feedback
I’m a brand new IP user and scorched the bottom of my liner last night. I let it soak in the sink all night with dish soap. This morning still couldn’t get a single bit of the mess off. Tried this method and I’m in awe. The liner looks brand new and I didn’t even have to break a sweat to clean it! Thanks a ton!!
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Aimee, it’s pretty shocking, isn’t it!? I’m glad it could save you some time 🙂
This saved my Instapot! Thank you! I look pictures of the before and after!
Trisha, it’s pretty amazing, isn’t it! Shocks me a bit everytime 🙂
I had the same problem as Kelsey and Matt. Please talk me out of returning this beast. Today was my first time using it. Started with something easy, Mac n Cheese. pretty basic 4c water, box of elbow noodles. My pot got a burn error before it came to pressure. Then everything scorched. Followed this formula (using Dawn original/blue) and foam came spewing out before it got to pressure and started countdown. When I released the valve foamy steam all over the place. I’ve washed my floor twice, scrubbed and scrubbed pot but still looks like I’ve had it years. Luckily I was working on my island and only took 2 floor washes and an hour of wiping down stools and everything within 3 foot area. Is it possbile for these IPs to heat up pressure too fast? I really want it to work but as a first time user, well; I’m glad I didn’t throw out the box! PS: By the time I got back to the pot I was able to clean the scorch easily (wasn’t floating as advised) and finish up with Barkeepers.
Judith, Oh goodness, I might have thrown my pot out the window as well! I’m trying to figure out if there is a common theme with people having this problem. Obviously, it must be the brand of soap that is sudsing too much, I’ll add a note about your Dawn experience. If you’re willing to give mac and cheese another try, the recipe on my blog is a family favorite and is a healthier version as well. I’ve made it more times than I can count and have never had a problem with it.
It’s been suggested that I watch over and manually release venting during the un-scorching cleaning process and that might help. It could also be the Dawn. I definitely made sure the pot cooled all the way down (cancel and unplugged) before this process. I’m not quitter so I’m not giving up. Bottom line is not to scorch the bottom and I need to make sure I deglaze anytime I use saute before proceeding. I appreciate your timely reply. Figured you would want to know if folks are having unsuccessful attempts with these instructions. Please don’t take any of this personally. I’m glad I found your site.
In addition, wondering if for an 8 Qt I should add more water ratio. I think the suggested min water for 8 Qt is 1.5 cups. Just a thought.
UPDATE: Ended up being a user error. As a first time user I was pushing the valve a little too hard to seal and that was creating the problems. I just tried this method again and it worked like a charm. Thank you and I’m sorry for the prior remark. I hope folks can see this update. Only scorches I get are user errors, not the pot. But when I get them this is the method I will always use.
Judith, thanks for the follow up! That’s is so incredibly helpful, I appreciate you taking the time to do that. I’m glad it worked.
WOW! Thank you for sharing your DIY instant pot cleaning technique! It worked great! My pot looks brand new now!!!
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Kelly, works like a charm, doesn’t it 🙂
which type of scrub should be used?
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Robin, do you mean the brush or the soap? I love Mrs. Meyers soap and I just use a regular ol’ dishwasher scrubber, nothing special
I burned some pasta in the bottom of my Instant Pot and needed a way to get it off, tried this method. The pit came to pressure but, after one minute, soap started spewing out the valve. I turned the valve to venting quickly but it wasn’t enough to release the pressure inside. The lid literally popped up and the water, soap and burnt pasta combination came out the top. It made a mess of the ceiling but thankfully the lid stayed on (it’s almost like it stayed in the groves of the pot and it took me a little bit of muscle to get it off. Anyway, if i has been standing close to it it likely would have resulted in some burns and, if the lid hadn’t stayed attached I feel like it would have went straight up into the ceiling. I used Palmolive dish soap and only a tablespoon so not sure what happened. Anyway, I won’t be using my Instant Pot again for fear of inurying myself next time.
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Matt, I have not used Palmolive soap before with this process. I would definitely do a water test on your pot before using it again.
Worked great for me!! Thanks!!
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Marci will this also work on a non-stick instant pot? I’m at my daughter’s home and fixed spaghetti w meat sauce and scorched the bottom of the pan. Have been soaking for 2 days now w no results. Thanks.
Janie, I believe it will work. I’ve had the same scenario. Please let me know!
It does work in a non stick instant pot liner!
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Worked like a charm tonight with our Fire Roasted Chicken Spaghetti. Gave an initial scrape with metal spatula. Miracle cure. Thanks for the tip! #InstantPotDad
Larry, Ummm, that sounds amazing. How did you do it!?
Shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken
2 cups chicken broth
2 cans roasted tomatoes (or Rotel)
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
Seal pot and set manual timer for 3 minutes
Let pressure natural release for 5 minutes then quick release remaining pressure
Remove lid and add 1 package cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded taco cheese
12 oz spaghetti (break noodles into smaller pieces
Set pot to sauté and cook for 10 minutes until it thickens
Eat and Enjoy!
Larry, that sounds so yummy, thank you for sharing it with me!
I believe it was residue from initially browning some of the ingredients from a chili recipe
gin, thanks for letting me know. I’ve used it with rice, oats, and yogurt and that layer has always peeled right off with those foods
Tried this and while some of the burnt bits came out, not all of it did…and the fragrance from the dish soap I used scented the rubber ring in my lid. Not a big deal except that the cheesecake I made in the IP later on came out tasting of dish soap as well (despite having rinsed out all the components after this cleaning cycle). Wouldn’t try this again, or if I do, it’d be with only the baking soda and no dish soap.
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Gin, sorry it didn’t work for you! What food was burned on?
Well, this did NOT work for me 🙁 In fact, it made things worse! I had some burned pasta on my InstantPot, so I followed the instructions. However, instead of removing the gunk, it made soap/baking soda/water coming busting out of the vent, the burnt food did not come off at all, and it splattered food rements everywhere inside the pot. And it made a huge mess for me to clean up.
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Kelsey, Oh my goodness, I’ve never had that happen. My only guess is that your soap was especially foamy? That’s not fun at all!
This. Is. a. Gamechanger!! I have put off making yogurt again because the pot was such a chore to clean. Tried this tonight, and WOWZERS!! And, bonus…. made the camper smell a bit better! I will be sharing this post with all my friends!????????????????
Cheryl, It really is exciting, the magic of this trick ????. Thank you for sharing your discovery with others!
I use a tablespoon or two of washing soda in hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Washes right off. Works on all burned on food, in all kind of pots, pans, roasters etc.
Elle, Awesome! Tell me what washing soda is!
I use it for laundry ,greasy dishes, burned on pots etc. As I understand it, it is similar chemically to baking soda (but def not edible) kind of baking soda on steriods.
http://armandhammerlaundry.ca/products/super-washing-soda-detergent-booster?gclid=Cj0KCQjwtZzWBRD2ARIsAIPenY2r505fsxFBhEpyCTsv6p5IvJ2-FbUPCfKdZgHUxrfjo7tMAO_eS3EaAm3rEALw_wcB
Elle, wow! I’m buying this now. Thank you!
When you say not the foam kind… does that mean not to use Palmolive or Dawn, etc.? What would happen if I did use these, because that’s the kind of dish soap at my house?
Tawna, I was referring to the ones that come in a can or a foaming container. Honestly it would probably work great, I’ve just never tried it. Let me know if you do!
We did this with just soapy Water growing up, it wasn’t quite that effective though so I am absolutely gonna try with the baking soda!!! Thanks!
Lea, you’ve never wanted to burn something so badly, huh?! ????
This has been the BEST thing! It took me forever to clean my pot after doing yogurt. I have put off making it again until today. I used this post to clean the pot, and what a gamechanger! Bonus: made the camper smell pretty nice too! Thank you for this!!
Hello great tip on brown gunk cleaning from Hot pot. I spray mine with Pam before use also. Did you heat the pot? and how long did you soak it?
Thanks Deb Kaplan
Debra, pam is a great tip! I don’t soak it at all before I do this and I just pressure cooked it like I talk about in the post.