Getting Rid of the Funky Stuff on the Bottom of Your Pans

Time: Left on for 5 minutes, wiped right off

Did you know that funky, gunky stuff accumulating on the bottom of your pan is easy to clean up? Yes it is! And there is virtually NO scrubbing involved either. I hate scrubbing stuff, it's one of my pet peeves and anything that can get me out of the dish and pan cleaning chore, gets a thumbs up from me. Like everyone, I have tried all the Pinterest cleaning methods and have yet to find one that doesn't require a days worth of "scrub, rinse, repeat" over and over or that actually delivers no-scrub results or for that matter works.  My secret weapon, you ask? A little old school product called oven cleaner. Yes, you read that right.  Oven cleaner will make your pans shine like new, get rid of the nasty stains that build up on the bottom of pans (the side that touches the burner) and if you happen to scorch an entire dinner to the bottom of your favorite stainless steel pan ... oven cleaner to the rescue! Now I want to make it clear that I've only used this on stainless steel pans and glass/cermaic bakeware and not on aluminum or copper pans. So please be mindful of this detail, and do a spot test if you are going to try it on aluminum or copper.
The "how to" is easy,  just spray it on and leave it on for 10 - 30 minutes, then done a pair of gloves, wipe off with a paper towel or damp sponge and clean as usual. Now, the time varies because it all depends on how much funky gunk is on there.  You may even have to repeat, on foods that  are scorched to the bottom of the pan, you know ... like last night's dinners. I've also used oven cleaner on my smooth glass top cook top, and on glass bake ware and boy does it power through stuck on, burnt on foods and again, virtually no scrubbing.  Yes, you will have to use a cleaner afterwards to gloss or clean it up, but I don't mind an extra step, if it's going to save me time in the long run. Next time you are contemplating scrubbing the funky gunk on your pans ... Stop! Just use the oven cleaner and with the time you saved, go get yourself a nice manicure or massage!