Conscious Cleaning #01 | How to clean a burnt pot

To be conscious means to be aware of one's surroundings and to have knowledge of what you are doing. Another important element of consciousness is to slow down and to be mindful of the process.

With our Conscious Cleaning blog post series, we will empower you to tackle the most troublesome problems in your home with some easy eco-friendly solutions - allowing you to slow down and leave the chemicals at the door.

Our first challenge will be cleaning a burnt pot or pan. Let’s be honest - we’ve all burnt a pot. It happens. All it takes is a few moments of distraction for things to go wrong.

‘One festive season I borrowed a stainless steel pot from a family member. With all the food preparation and running around, I managed to let the pot boil dry - and to my dismay, I was left with a pot covered in burn marks. I started scrubbing and scrubbing, but it simply wasn’t working. A while later and after a phone call to my mother (an eco cleaning pro) I had a recipe to try. And it worked like a treat!’ - Carla

Now before you reach for the strong chemical cleaners - we want to show you that you can do it quicker and easier with a few natural ingredients. Follow the steps below, and you’ll have a shiny pot again in no time.

What you’ll need:

• Hot water
• Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)
• Vinegar
• A scourer (We recommend our Kitchen Scourer or Tawashi Scrub made out of natural fiber sisal and jute)

Instructions:

Sprinkle the baking soda onto your pan, making sure that you have covered the burnt marks. Add a little vinegar onto the baking soda and leave to soak. After a few hours of soaking, grab your scourer and scrub away the burnt marks.

Or

If you are dealing with a stubborn burn, place equal parts water and baking soda in the pan. Bring the water to a simmer and scrub with your scourer.

*Note: If your pot or pan has a non-stick coating, opt for option 2 (diluted baking soda) as the dry baking soda can scratch the coating.

Next month we will be tackling stubborn tile grout, don't miss it!

P.S. We've also curated a great board about Conscious Cleaning on Pinterest, check it out!