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Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide for Caring for Everything in Your Home

Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House

Save yourself some elbow grease.

Washing pots and pans is a pretty straightforward task, but knowing which cleaners to use on which materials—cast iron, copper, enamel, and so on—makes the job simpler and helps your pots and pans last much longer. Read on for:

Basic techniques for washing all pots and pans
Ways to prevent rusting, remove stains, and clean off burned-on food
Tips for aluminum, cast iron, copper, enamel, nonstick, and stainless steel

How to Wash Pots and Pans

The basic way to wash most pots and pans is the same as that for handwashing dishes. You need the same tools—rubber gloves to protect your hands, a nylon scouring pad and pot scrubber to scrub the pots clean, and dish towels for drying. The job is pretty straightforward:

Wash the pots and pans soon after use, if possible. Let them cool a bit, though, since some cookware may warp if washed while still hot.
Scrape out excess food or liquid from the pot, or wipe out grease with a paper towel.
Fill a sink with hot water (and dish soap or another cleanser, depending on the material your pots and pans are made from). You may also want to lay down a mat in the sink to stop the pans from scratching or marking up your sink’s surface. If you’ve already washed dishes in the sink (and you should always wash dishes before washing pots or pans), you might need to fill it up with a clean batch of water.
Scrub the pots or pans clean, one at a time, holding them under the water as you scrub.
Rinse clean.
Dry each pot or pan and put it away.

Though the basics are simple, there are a lot of specific tips and techniques about washing pots or pans that are made from different materials. This guide provides specific details on how to wash pots or pans made from aluminum, cast iron, copper, enamel, nonstick materials, and stainless steel. The guide also details how to clean baked-on or burned-on food from pots or pans.

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