Woman shares ‘simple and natural’ hack for making dirty baking sheets look like brand new again

We’ve all been there.

“I’ll just let it soak overnight” turns into a few overnights. As much as we might like to practice the out-of-sight-out-of-mind method by piling more dishes on top, eventually, we’ll have to decrust that one dish that’s had baked-on grime for months.

When that time comes for your baking sheet, Instagrammer Amanda Acuna has a hack that will make this task less daunting.

In Acuna’s video, reposted by her team members at @mightynest, she demonstrates how she transforms a baking sheet from dingy to shiny with three ingredients.

First, Acuna places the baking sheet in her sink to avoid spillage. She pours a shallow layer of vinegar into the pan, followed by boiling water. Acuna then sprinkles a heap of baking soda on top.

The slight acidity of vinegar breaks down the baking soda, producing bubbles of gas that can help lift grime from the baking sheet.

Acuna then scrubs the sheet with a Spaghetti Scrub made from peach pits, but you could also use steel or copper wool to create a gleaming baking sheet that looks brand new.

Because baking soda is a base, it neutralizes the acidity of vinegar when you use equal parts. Using equal parts would force you to use more elbow grease to clean your baking sheet.

Use more baking soda than vinegar and scrub while it’s still bubbling, because then the bubbles will be doing the heavy lifting. For a more powerful grime-fighting solution, skip the water.

In the comments, users shared their thoughts and alternatives.

“Brilliant and simple and natural! I love it,” one user wrote.

“I like this. I use SOS soap pads and they work great for really dirty and greasy pan messes,” another added.

“Just use coarse salt instead of baking soda,” one recommended.

Another user pressed the importance of not letting the baking soda and vinegar mixture sit for too long, or these ingredients will neutralize each other.

This simple recipe can make your baking sheets look brand new without harsh chemicals or excessive scrubbing.

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