Is there anyone out there who doesn't love the smell of freshly baked cookies? I, for one, love it: it’s the kind of smell that brings back childhood memories and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Luckily, it also means I'm about to eat some freshly baked cookies, which is always an added bonus.
But the experience doesn't come without a downside: once you take the cookies out of the oven and transfer them onto a plate, you're left with crumbly, often burnt cookie sheets — and some of those brown patches can be nearly impossible to get off.
However, it doesn’t have to be such a chore. You just have to know how to do it right! In fact, you can clean cookie sheets with almost no effort at all. And chances are, you already have all these materials at home.
Scroll down to learn our methods and you'll be on your way to clean cookie sheets in no time.
Why Do Cookie Sheets Warp And Burn?
You've probably noticed how some of your cookie sheets have warped out of their proper shape. The bottom isn’t completely flat anymore, and you don’t remember ever denting it. Well, that’s because you didn’t — your oven did.
According to thekitchn.com, metal expands when exposed to high temperatures, and the thinner the material, the more affected by heat it will be. In other words, the thinner your cookie sheet is, the more it will warp in the oven over time.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about this, except to buy thicker cookie sheets next time. But hey, even if your cookie sheet is a little bent, the cookies will still come out delicious!
As for the burning, cookie sheets don’t get much oil on them when being used. It’s only normal for the metal to become discolored and a little burnt over time. To avoid this issue, you can either invest in a nonstick cookie sheet or place some parchment paper on top of it the next time you bake cookies.
Best Ways To Clean A Cookie Sheet
There are a few different types of cookie sheets out there, and it’s important that you know which one you have in order to most effectively clean it. The methods below will explain to you how to clean your cookie sheets in detail, whichever material they are made of.
How To Clean Nonstick Cookie Sheets
If your cookie sheet is covered in a nonstick coating, it’s very important that you go gentle on it — no scrubbing at all. If you are too rough, you might remove the layer of nonstick coating and ruin your cookie sheet.
First, try to cover your nonstick cookie sheet in wet paper towels and leave it to soak for an hour or so. If this doesn’t get rid of the stains, follow the steps below. Baking soda is a pretty potent household cleaner, according to thebalance.com. Its soft yet abrasive texture is great for delicately getting rid of stains.
What you’ll need:
- warm water
- baking soda
- nonabrasive nylon scrubber
Cleaning Directions
How to clean:
- Mix the water and baking soda to make a paste.
- Cover the nonstick cookie sheet in the paste and leave it for half an hour.
- Take your nonabrasive nylon scrubber and gently rub the stains on your nonstick cookie sheet until they are gone.
- Wash your nonstick cookie sheet thoroughly with dish soap and water.
How To Clean Stainless Steel Cookie Sheets
Stainless steel cookie sheets are considered to be the most durable, sturdy type of cookie sheet. Therefore, scrubbing it with some elbow grease will do it nothing but good! Hydrogen peroxide can do anything from disinfecting to removing stains, according to quickanddirtytips.com.
What you’ll need:
- hydrogen peroxide
- baking soda
- abrasive scrub/sponge
Cleaning Directions
How to clean:
- Sprinkle a layer of baking soda on all of the stains on your stainless steel cookie sheet.
- Cover the baking soda with hydrogen peroxide.
- Sprinkle one more layer of baking soda.
- Leave it for 1 to 2 hours.
- Scrub the stainless steel cookie sheet well with an abrasive scrubber, until all of the burnt stains are gone.
- Wash your stainless steel cookie sheet thoroughly with water and dish soap.
How To Clean Aluminum Cookie Sheets
Aluminum cookie sheets are the most common, so if you’re not 100% sure what your cookie sheet is made of, chances are, it’s aluminum. You can clean it using washing soda, a chemical compound that is a powerful stain remover, according to thespruce.com.
What you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup of very hot water
- washing soda
- cream of tartar
- a scrubbing pad
Cleaning Directions
How to clean:
- Sprinkle washing soda and cream of tartar onto your aluminum cookie sheet.
- Carefully pour a little bit of the very hot water onto the aluminum cookie sheet and mix it well to make a paste.
- Leave it for 15 minutes.
- Scrub the burnt stains with a scrubbing pad until there aren’t any left.
- Wash your aluminum cookie sheet thoroughly with water and dish soap.
So there you have it: all of the best methods for cleaning a burnt cookie sheet!
If you tried one of our methods and it worked as well as you had hoped, please SHARE this article with your friends! After all, why throw away a good cookie sheet when it can simply be cleaned?
