Any home cook knows stainless steel pans can get grimy quickly. Instagram user Kasha (@kasha_home) is sharing a green way to spiff up stainless steel in the kitchen — and you probably already have the necessary ingredient in your cabinet.
The scoop
Kasha's secret ingredient to getting super-clean stainless steel pans is baking soda. In her video, she demonstrates how she sprinkles the powder on a cleaning sponge and rubs it on a dirty pan. "It really works because baking soda naturally dissolves organic matter, and its little particles act as a gentle abrasive without leaving scuff marks," she explains.
Kasha also stores her baking soda in a used spice jar to make it easier to sprinkle on the sponge and clean her kitchen surfaces. She claims the hack works for all stainless steel surfaces, including cookware and appliances.
Baking soda is perfect for cleaning stuck-on and burnt food. It's mildly abrasive and has an alkaline pH, which helps neutralize acidic compounds.
Although Kasha uses only the baking soda powder on her pans, adding an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, creates a fizz that helps lift and remove burnt food from the bottom of a pan. You can do this by pouring the baking soda into the pan itself and rubbing it with a lemon half or boiling the pan with vinegar before pouring in a hefty serving of baking soda.
How it's helping
In the caption, Kasha explains that the popular stainless-steel cleaning product, Bar Keeper's Friend, is made with oxalic acid, a "Category 1 toxin by the EPA [that is] highly irritating and damaging to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system." Her hack provides an alternative to these abrasive, hazardous household cleaning chemicals.
Plus, her hack uses a common ingredient that many homeowners already have on hand, making it a cheaper, low-waste alternative that actually works. With a little bit of elbow grease and baking soda, your pans will be scuff-free and clean in no time.
What everyone's saying
Users in the comments shared how they use other nontoxic, simple ingredients to make cleaning solutions at home.
"Using baking soda on a lemon 🍋 will work with minimal scrubbing," said one.
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